Product Owner - Systems Engineering

Zachary Piper, LLC; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k)

PTO

Holidays

Sick leave

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner to support a government customer focused on modernizing mission-critical air traffic management systems. You will serve as the Product Owner for an Agile development team, translate complex requirements into deliverables, and support cloud-based software solutions.

The role requires 8+ years of experience (or 6+ with a Master's) and expertise in Agile/SAFe, PI Planning, and cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience; Bachelor's degree required or 6+ years with a Master's.
• Hands-on Agile Product Owner experience managing backlogs and user stories.
• Strong knowledge of Agile/SAFe methodologies, PI Planning, and cross-functional development teams.
• Experience translating complex requirements into actionable software development deliverables.
• Background in systems engineering, software development, scripting, or cloud-based system design.
• Experience working with customers and technical stakeholders to define and deliver solutions.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Agile Product Owner, managing and prioritizing backlogs, stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Translate complex system requirements into actionable Agile features and testable user stories.
• Lead backlog refinement, PI Planning, sprint planning, and coordination across ARTs.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, engineers, architects, and DevSecOps to align solutions with objectives.
• Maintain requirements traceability and technical documentation to support compliance.
• Support design and implementation of cloud-based, microservices-driven software solutions.
• Coordinate cross-team dependencies, integration milestones, testing, and release readiness.
• Engage customer stakeholders to define operational requirements and support continuous improvement.

Skills

Agile Product Owner

Backlog management

User stories

Acceptance criteria

SAFe

Cross-functional teams

Regulatory compliance

Cloud-based microservices

8+ years experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner to support a government customer focused on modernizing mission-critical air traffic management systems. This individual will serve as the Product Owner for an Agile development team, managing product backlogs, translating complex requirements into actionable deliverables, and supporting the development of cloud-based software solutions.

This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days remote in Gaithersburg, MD; Eagan, MN; or Egg Harbor Township, NJ.

Responsibilities for the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner Include:

• Serve as the Agile Product Owner, managing and prioritizing team backlogs, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Translate complex system requirements into actionable Agile features and testable user stories.
• Lead backlog refinement, PI Planning, sprint planning, and coordination across Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
• Collaborate with stakeholders, systems engineers, architects, and DevSecOps teams to align technical solutions with program objectives.
• Maintain requirements traceability, technical documentation, and verification evidence to support regulatory compliance.
• Support the design and implementation of cloud-based, microservices-driven software solutions.
• Coordinate cross-team dependencies, integration milestones, testing, and release readiness.
• Engage customer stakeholders to define operational requirements, validate solutions, and support continuous improvement.

Qualifications for the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner Include:

• 8+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or 6+ years with a Master's degree; equivalent experience considered.
• Hands-on experience serving as an Agile Product Owner, managing backlogs, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Strong experience with Agile/SAFe methodologies, PI Planning, and cross-functional development teams.
• Experience translating complex technical requirements into actionable software development deliverables.
• Background in systems engineering, software development, scripting, or cloud-based system design.
• Experience working directly with customers and technical stakeholders to define and deliver solutions.
• Strong communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM) certification.
• Experience with Java, Python, React, microservices, and hybrid cloud architectures.
• Knowledge of DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and AI-assisted development tools.
• Experience with FAA, air traffic management, or safety-critical government systems.
• Familiarity with MBSE, FedRAMP, FISMA, and government security compliance frameworks.

Compensation for the Senior Systems Engineer / Product Owner Includes:

• Compensation: $70 - $80/hr depending on experience
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, and Sick Leave as required by law.

This job opens for applications on 10/26/2026. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

Keywords:

#LI-CR2 #LI-HYBRID

Senior Systems Engineer, Product Owner, Technical Product Owner, Agile Product Owner, Systems Engineer, Product Management, Agile, SAFe, Scaled Agile Framework, Agile Release Train, ART, PI Planning, Program Increment Planning, Backlog Management, User Stories, Acceptance Criteria, Requirements Engineering, Requirements Traceability, Systems Engineering, Software Development, Cloud Architecture, Hybrid Cloud, Microservices, DevSecOps, CI/CD, Java, Python, React, AI-Assisted Development, MBSE, FAA, Air Traffic Management, Air Traffic Control, Safety-Critical Systems, FedRAMP, FISMA, Public Trust, Government IT, Digital Modernization