Product Owner

GCS Recruitment; Deutschland; Remote; EUR 71,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment Specialists is seeking an experienced Product Owner for a 12-month contract to drive the delivery of business-critical products. The role is Remote / Enfield with occasional travel, enabling collaboration with stakeholders and development teams.

You will define product priorities, manage the backlog, coordinate releases, and translate business needs into clear deliverables using Agile methods. UK SC clearance (active or lapsed) is required to re-clear if needed.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Analyst, or similar role.
• Strong experience working within Agile/Scrum delivery environments.
• Demonstrable experience managing product backlogs, roadmaps, and release planning.
• Experience creating user stories and defining acceptance criteria.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and communicate the product roadmap.
• Gather, assess, and prioritise business and customer feature requests.
• Own and manage the product backlog, ensuring priorities are aligned with business objectives.
• Create user stories, business requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Define sprint goals and support Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning and reviews.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure successful and timely delivery.
• Write and validate acceptance tests to ensure solutions meet business requirements.
• Plan and coordinate product releases, upgrades, and deployments.
• Monitor delivery progress and proactively manage risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Analyse user feedback and business requirements to drive continuous product improvement.
• Produce regular status and performance reports for stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Promote product management best practices and contribute to process improvements.
• Stay informed of industry developments and emerging technology trends.

Skills

Product Owner

Agile/Scrum

Backlog management

Stakeholder management

User stories

Education

Degree in relevant field

Tools

Jira

Job description

Product Owner

Location: Remote / Enfield (with occasional travel as required)
Job Type: Contract
Duration: 12 Months + extention
Security Clearance: Active or Lapsed UK SC Clearance Required

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Product Owner to join our team on a 12-month contract to drive the successful delivery of business-critical products and services.

Working closely with stakeholders, customers, and development teams, you will be responsible for defining product priorities, managing the product backlog, coordinating releases, and ensuring development efforts remain aligned to business objectives. You'll play a pivotal role in translating customer and business needs into clear deliverables, ensuring maximum value is delivered through an Agile product delivery approach.

Due to the nature of the work, applicants must hold active or previously held (lapsed) UK Security Check (SC) Clearance and be eligible for re-clearance if required.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and communicate the product roadmap.
• Gather, assess, and prioritise business and customer feature requests.
• Own and manage the product backlog, ensuring priorities are aligned with business objectives.
• Create user stories, business requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Define sprint goals and support Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning and reviews.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure successful and timely delivery.
• Write and validate acceptance tests to ensure solutions meet business requirements.
• Plan and coordinate product releases, upgrades, and deployments.
• Monitor delivery progress and proactively manage risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Analyse user feedback and business requirements to drive continuous product improvement.
• Produce regular status and performance reports for stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Promote product management best practices and contribute to process improvements.
• Stay informed of industry developments and emerging technology trends.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Business Analyst, or similar role.
• Strong experience working within Agile/Scrum delivery environments.
• Demonstrable experience managing product backlogs, roadmaps, and release planning.
• Experience creating user stories and defining acceptance criteria.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong analytical, organisational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles.
• Proficient in product management and collaboration tools.
• Active or previously held (lapsed) UK SC Clearance.

Desirable Skills & Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience.
• Agile Product Owner or Scrum Product Owner certification.
• ITIL Practitioner certification.
• Experience using Aha! product management software.
• Aha! Accreditation.
• Knowledge of enterprise systems and business processes.

Personal Attributes

• Customer-focused and outcome-driven.
• Strong collaborator with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Self-motivated and proactive.
• Adaptable and comfortable working in changing environments.
• Strong commercial and business awareness.

What Success Looks Like

• Delivery of agreed product enhancements on time and within budget.
• High-quality backlog management and requirement definition.
• Successful delivery of sprint and release commitments.
• Increased adoption and utilisation of delivered solutions.
• Reduced rework and improved stakeholder satisfaction.
• Effective collaboration across business and technology teams.

Security Clearance Requirement

Please note: Candidates must hold either:

• Active UK Security Check (SC) Clearance, or
• Previously held (lapsed) UK SC Clearance