Product Manager (Transit Data)

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Technology Innovation Department seeks a Product Manager to act as product owner for a civic tech product. You will define priorities, articulate requirements, and collaborate with Program, Research, UX Design, and Engineering to shape a roadmap aligned with program strategy.

You’ll translate user needs into actionable backlog items, lead agile ceremonies, and rely on data and user research to prioritize work, balancing stakeholder needs with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited institution.
• Two (2) years of experience in product management and/or product development.
• Experience serving as a product owner or equivalent role on a cross-functional team.
• Experience contributing to a product roadmap, quarterly roadmapping process, and/or standardized product management processes.
• Experience translating user needs and stakeholder input into actionable product requirements.
• Ability to present a product management case study relevant to the role.
• As part of the selection process, candidates may be asked to complete job-related technical assessments, which may include a product management case study exercise.

Responsibilities

• Build strong relationships within the assigned Program area, with MBTA stakeholders, and industry to ensure alignment with the agency’s mission and best practices.
• Serve as the product owner for the assigned product; build and execute on a roadmap for one product.
• Translate problems into clear, actionable requirements; break down epics into increments with acceptance criteria.
• Lead the product team through agile ceremonies with concise, outcome-oriented meetings.
• Leverage quantitative data and user research to prioritize work across sprint cycles.
• Develop understanding of stakeholder priorities and the product portfolio, and communicate with MBTA leadership.
• Proactively identify risks and develop mitigation strategies as part of product development.
• Monitor product development initiatives and collaborate with department stakeholders.

Skills

Product management

Product owner

Roadmapping

Backlog management

Agile ceremonies

Stakeholder communication

Data-driven decision-making

User research

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The Technology Innovation Department (TID) at the MBTA is a technology team focused on making the transit system easy for all riders to use. The Product Manager serves as the product owner for a product, setting clear priorities and producing well-scoped requirements. The position collaborates closely with cross-functional partners and leaders to define a product roadmap that aligns with a Program-level strategy towards achieving positive user-facing outcomes and uphold product management excellence in the realm of civic technology, operating within the specific constraints of the MBTA.

• Build strong relationships within the assigned Program area, with relevant stakeholders at the MBTA, and in the industry to ensure that the work is aligned with the agency’s mission and industry best practices.
• Serve as the product owner for assigned product.
  • Contribute to product vision in collaboration with cross-functional peers in Program, Research, UX Design, and Engineering in accordance with Program-level strategy, long-term outcomes, and investment priorities.
  • Build and execute on a roadmap for one product.
  • Develop, document, and clarify the problems the product solves for in a roadmap.
  • Maintain a prioritized product backlog in alignment with strategy.
• Translate problems into clear, actionable requirements. Break down epics into smaller increments and tickets, providing relevant user context, use cases, scope, and acceptance criteria.
• Lead the product team through agile ceremonies. Run concise, outcome-oriented meetings and ensure the team has the clarity needed to deliver effectively.
• Leverage quantitative data and user research to prioritize work. This includes prioritizing work from sprint to sprint and maintaining a backlog of tasks in collaboration with research, design, engineering and program teams. Effectively communicate priorities and acceptance criteria across levels and job functions.
• Develop a deep understanding of stakeholder priorities and the applications included in the portfolio. Become familiar with the needs of users and stakeholders, technical architecture and features of the product, and how to communicate about those things with the product team and with MBTA leadership.
• Prioritize the needs of users throughout the delivery process, in partnership with the program and product development teams.
• Proactively identify potential risks to product development initiatives and **escalate or develop mitigation strategies** as appropriate, incorporating risk planning into their product development process.
• Monitor product development initiatives and collaborate with stakeholders within the department and across the authority.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

Supervision

• No direct reports.

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited institution.
• Two (2) years of experience in product management and/or product development.
• Experience serving as a product owner or equivalent role on a cross-functional team.
• Experience contributing to a product roadmap, quarterly roadmapping process, and/or standardized product management processes.
• Experience translating user needs and stakeholder input into actionable product requirements.
• Ability to present a product management case study relevant to the role.
• As part of the selection process, candidates may be asked to complete job-related technical assessments, which may include a product management case study exercise.

Substitutions

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

• More than four (4) years of experience in product management and/or development.
• Experience in public sector, transportation agency, and/or civic technology team.
• Experience managing a product with technical and/or organizational complexity.
• Experience driving features or improvements end-to-end, managing discovery, prioritization, and delivery for a product team.