Principal Product Owner

Waters Corporation; Milford (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters Corporation seeks a Principal Product Owner for the Empower Software Portfolio to translate scientist needs into product priorities that enhance chromatography data systems. You will drive roadmap decisions, partner with cross-functional teams, and translate insights into capabilities that improve regulated laboratory workflows.

You will advocate for Empower users, engage with customers, and lead commercialization efforts for new capabilities while aligning with Waters' broader product

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in laboratory testing, laboratory informatics, or related product development within a regulated environment.
• Familiarity with liquid chromatography, chromatography data systems, and Empower is expected; direct hands-on experience with Empower is preferred but not required.
• Qualities: proactive, accountable, high integrity; pragmatic, data-driven; customer-centric; strong cross-functional communication.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (estimated max 10–15%).

Responsibilities

• Serve as a product and workflow subject matter expert for Empower's capabilities, use cases, limitations, and customer feedback.
• Engage with stakeholders to provide support and data-driven backlog decisions.
• Collaborate with sales, pricing, and marketing to inform positioning, commercial models, and strategies.
• Own and maintain the roadmap and communicate expectations across teams.
• Lead customer interactions to drive high-value feature additions and roadmap items.
• Align the product lifecycle with Waters products and services across analytical techniques and workflows.

Skills

Product ownership

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decisions

Customer-centric

Education

Bachelor's in Chemistry or Life Science

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

Empower

Laboratory informatics

Job description

Overview

Join Waters as a Principal Product Owner for the Empower Software Portfolio and help shape the future of one of the world’s most trusted chromatography data systems. You will translate the needs of scientists and regulated laboratories into product priorities that improve how critical medicines and scientific innovations are developed, tested, and delivered. This is a highly visible role with the opportunity to influence product strategy, engage directly with customers, and bring meaningful new capabilities to market.

In this role, you will turn deep customer and market insight into clear product priorities for Empower. You will lead roadmap and backlog decisions, partner with cross-functional teams, and drive the development and commercialization of capabilities that solve important laboratory challenges.

We are looking for a collaborative and customer-obsessed Product Owner who can connect users, researchers, designers, engineering, marketing, service, and sales around a compelling product vision. You will be a strong advocate for Empower users and a driving force behind solutions that exceed customer expectations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a product and workflow subject matter expert for Empower's capabilities, use cases, limitations, and customer feedback, both internally and externally (e.g. demos and customer interactions)
• Engage with various stakeholders to provide support and make data-driven product development and backlog decisions
• Collaborate with sales, pricing, and marketing teams to provide product-level insights that inform positioning, commercial models, and competitive strategies.
• Own and maintain the roadmap while effectively communicating and managing expectations across teams
• Organizing, leading, and documenting interactions with customers leading to high value feature additions and roadmap items
• Align the product lifecycle with other Waters products and services, supporting expansion across additional analytical techniques, instruments, and integrated laboratory workflows

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry, Life Science, or other related scientific discipline; Master’s or PhD preferred
• 8+ years of experience in laboratory testing, laboratory informatics, or related product development within a regulated environment. Familiarity with liquid chromatography, chromatography data systems, and Empower is expected; direct hands-on experience with Empower is preferred but not required
• Qualities required:
  • Proactive, accountable, and high integrity
  • Desire to understand the full technical and business context of the system
  • Pragmatic, data-driven decision making
  • Customer centric
  • Communicates well across a matrix of stakeholders
• Ability to travel both domestically and internationally (estimated: maximum 10-15% of time)

Preferred:

• Experience with a range of analytical techniques and instruments used in QA/QC or other regulated laboratory environments (e.g. liquid chromatography, sterility test systems, CE, microplate readers, or related technologies) is desirable
• An appreciation of APIs and third-party software integrations
• Basic analytical and financial acumen
• Understanding of the regulatory compliance space of pharmaceutical manufacturing

Company Description

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide.

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

Key Words

Empower, Product Management, Product Manager, Product Owner, PO, Business, Chromatography, LC, LCMS, Chemist, Chemistry, Analytical, Sterility, Microbiology