Product Owner (Payments)

PayJunction; Santa Barbara (CA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home office equipment stipend

Equipment allowance for home office

Flexible work options (remote/office/h

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

PayJunction is seeking a Product Owner to turn product intent into a healthy, shovel-ready flow of work for the engineering team, and to keep that flow moving. The role focuses on owning and ordering the backlog for Payment Experience, breaking initiatives into user stories with clear criteria, and aligning work with company goals.

You will talk to stakeholders across Risk, Support, Sales, and Rev Ops, ensuring the team has the use cases and requirements needed.

Qualifications

• Three or more years as a Product Owner or in a close role (Product Manager, or a business analyst with strong product ownership).
• Two or more years with Agile and Scrum where you drove refinement and backlog health, not just attended.
• Track record of outcome-focused delivery you can point to.
• Direct experience with users and internal stakeholders.
• Have written clean user stories and acceptance criteria, prioritized with explicit criteria, and kept work visible in tools like Jira and Confluence.
• Preferred: experience in payments, fintech, or B2B SaaS; a CSPO or PSPO certification; and comfort reading product data to inform priorities.

Responsibilities

• Own and order the product backlog for Payment Experience so the highest-value work is always at the top and clearly tied to product and company goals.
• Break initiatives and incoming requests into user stories with clear problem statements, acceptance criteria, and identified dependencies.
• Chase down the answers: talk to stakeholders across Risk, Support, Sales, and Rev Ops, and bring back the use cases and requirements the team needs.
• Run backlog refinement every sprint and keep at least two sprints of Ready work in front of the team.
• Act as the single, clear voice between stakeholders and engineering, so nothing disappears and no one is surprised mid-sprint.
• Track adoption and outcomes after release, and use what you learn to adjust priorities.

Skills

Product ownership

Agile & Scrum

Stakeholder communication

User stories & criteria

Jira & Confluence

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

We read every application. No AI screening. A real person reviews your materials.

PayJunction is seeking a Product Owner to turn product intent into a healthy, shovel-ready flow of work for the engineering team, and to keep that flow moving.

Why PayJunction?

PayJunction is relentless and emphatic about helping others. We exist to drive the success of our partners. Specifically, the developers who connect to us, businesses who process payments through us, and all of our team members who work with us at PayJunction.

We believe dreams inspire people to start a business, and others to partner with them. While building these dreams, entrepreneurs and business professionals will face many challenges along the way. We believe great partners can make all the difference.

We are your dream partner.

Your success is our success.

Our dream is to help you realize yours.

We exist to drive the success of our partners. We do this by fundamentally changing the way you transact with others. We just happen to make great payment systems. If you love helping others succeed, in a culture that celebrates perfecting your craft, consider partnering with us.

Location

PayJunction takes a Flex First approach to work environments. This means that our team members can choose to work from our Santa Barbara office or remotely from home. We ensure that everyone has the resources and equipment to work where they feel most productive. We trust our teams to make the best decision for their work environment. All PayJunction employees must reside in one of the following states: CA, IL, TX, MN, CO, GA, CT, NY or MA.

Mission

Our mission at PayJunction's Product Department is to drive relentless innovation and deliver customer-centric payment solutions. Through in-depth research, collaboration, and a deep understanding of market and user needs, we continuously challenge the status quo. We strive not only to meet industry standards but to set them, ensuring every transaction is efficient, transparent, and built on trust, all while delivering unparalleled value to our clients and partners.

Vision

To lead the frontier of payment innovation, continuously challenging and reshaping industry norms. We envision a future where our disruptive solutions not only redefine transaction experiences but also set the global standard for what's next in payment technology.

Responsibilities

• Own and order the product backlog for Payment Experience so the highest-value work is always at the top and clearly tied to product and company goals.
• Break initiatives and incoming requests into user stories with clear problem statements, acceptance criteria, and identified dependencies.
• Chase down the answers: talk to stakeholders across Risk, Support, Sales, and Rev Ops, and bring back the use cases and requirements the team needs.
• Run backlog refinement every sprint and keep at least two sprints of Ready work in front of the team.
• Act as the single, clear voice between stakeholders and engineering, so nothing disappears and no one is surprised mid-sprint.
• Track adoption and outcomes after release, and use what you learn to adjust priorities.

Qualifications

• Three or more years as a Product Owner or in a close role (Product Manager, or a business analyst with strong product ownership).
• Two or more years with Agile and Scrum where you drove refinement and backlog health, not just attended.
• Track record of outcome-focused delivery you can point to.
• Direct experience with users and internal stakeholders.
• Have written clean user stories and acceptance criteria, prioritized with explicit criteria, and kept work visible in tools like Jira and Confluence.
• Preferred: experience in payments, fintech, or B2B SaaS; a CSPO or PSPO certification; and comfort reading product data to inform priorities.

About PayJunction

Founded in 2000 by three UCSB graduates, PayJunction has grown from a bootstrapped startup to a recognized and respected leader in the payments industry. PayJunction processes more than $12 billion dollars annually for thousands of businesses with solutions that make it easy to accept credit and debit card payments in-store, online, and on-the-go.

Our people-first culture values long-term relationships over short-term profits. Honesty and integrity are part of every interaction with partners, customers and employees. We foster a collaborative work environment, where creative ideas are welcomed, teams are inspired, and success is celebrated. PayJunction is a place where you can find experienced mentors and supportive friends who are committed to your growth.

Total Rewards Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision paid 100% by company for you and your dependents
• 401k with 6% match
• FSA and Dependent Care FSA
• Long-term & short-term disability coverage for you paid 100% by company
• 8 paid company holidays per year
• 2 paid floating holidays per year
• 1 paid volunteer day per year
• Paid Time Off
• Annual learning stipend
• Home office equipment stipend
• Quarterly “fun budgets” for team bonding events
• Opportunity to be part of a company that is changing a whole industry
• Opportunity for growth within the company
• Opportunity for remote, in-office, or hybrid work

Office Environment

• The opportunity to choose the work environment that best suits you - remote, in-office, or hybrid.
• All remote & hybrid team members can enjoy:
  • Company-provided equipment for your home office
  • An equipment allowance for home office essentials
  • The opportunity to work at one of Glassdoor's Top 30 Best Places to Work in the US, 2020!
• Those who choose to come into the office can look forward to:
  • Bright and open offices in downtown Santa Barbara
  • Stocked snack kitchens
  • Collaborative work spaces with Herman Miller chairs, height-adjustable desks, and a large 32-inch monitors
  • Dog-friendly office

Company Values

• Build the Dream
• Put People First
• Value Long Term Relationships Over Short Term Profit
• Make it Simple
• Be Data Driven
• Own It

The base salary range for this role is $115,000 to $125,000 per year. Final compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to: education, experience, skills and qualifications. PayJunction is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a work environment where people from all backgrounds and identities thrive. We firmly believe that more diversity and inclusion in our workforce creates a stronger team, product, and culture.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. PayJunction reserves the right to conduct background and/or credit checks on all of its potential employees.