Product Owner (Device Platforms)

Job description

Job Description:

Drive forward the Device Platforms product by developing the product roadmap to provide reliable, flexible, secure hardware and infrastructure platforms to support all technology in store. Actively seek out potential demand for new devices in advance of detailed requirements to best support just in time delivery. Translate the product roadmap into a deliverable product backlog working closely with architecture and support communities to ensure that the product remains stable, available, secure and aligned with the wider technology strategy. Work with the other Product Owners to define and prioritise stories for products within the portfolio and wider enterprise. Focus on continuously improving the product for the customer whether our colleagues, other product teams or the M&S customer. Develop strong working relationships with Head of Technology, Technical Solutions Lead, Principal Architect and fellow Product Owners for domain specific technology expertise and M&S Business context.

Key accountabilities and measures
• Working with Business counterparts, set vision for your products using industry knowledge and your understanding of the M&S business context. Support the business owner in defining business objectives that will influence the product vision
• Initiate and translate the product road map into a manageable product backlog and prioritise delivery based on value, risk and service considerations
• Support the articulation of sprint goals by providing product vision and business objectives
• Work with the Head of Technology and strategic supplier to define, prioritise and break the feature backlog into stories, including clarification and acceptance criteria
• Liaise with key stake holders and delivery partner to ensure the acceptance criteria of stories is met and support the release planning and sprint planning exercises
• Understand Agile estimation approaches and support the delivery team in being self-managing
• Combine awareness of the relevant business area, the retail market, our customers and other consuming technology product teams to ensure products satisfy all three
• Understand the primary activities and supporting process activities for value maximization
• Know our market, our competition and our business models. Identify trends within customer segments and product segments for new products or enhancements for existing ones
• Keep abreast of new technical developments which could enhance or revolutionise the product and customer experience
• Create a culture of customer value driven development
• Promote a cross-team spirit amongst Product Owner peers
• Support the operationalisation of the product into the mainstream organisation
• Support our transformation by proactively educating colleagues within technology and wider M&S about agile methodologies and product management
• Work closely with our strategic suppliers, other infrastructure teams within M&S and security colleagues to ensure the delivery of a cost effective, secure and flexible set of device and infrastructure platforms that are aligned with our wider technology strategy

Key skills
• Over 5 years’ experience in business relationship management in an IT environment
• Able to clearly articulate the evolution of products through design thinking and user story mapping
• Senior IT management skills and experience
• Strong experience of managing successful delivery in an Agile software environment and in delivering waterfall projects to deliver customer-led outcomes
• Proven experience in establishing and growing products
• Excellent knowledge of relevant business portfolio
• Excellent Business stakeholder and supplier management skills
• Strong track record of strategic and innovative thinking
• Proven track record of driving service and delivery improvement
• Commercial management experience and financial literacy
• Excellent communication skills – relatability to non-technical business users and technical resources
• Excellent people management skills
• Great understanding of Windows and Android technology platforms, network infrastructure, software distribution and mobile device management
• Ability to work with multi-discipline development teams with a mixture of onshore and offshore colleagues

Key relationships and stakeholders

• Relevant business leadership team
• Business Change Manager
• Technology Leadership Team (TLT)
• Product Owners
• Head of Technology
• Technology Solutions Lead
• Commercial Manager
• Principal Architect
• Service Performance Management
• Supplier Delivery / Engineering Manager
• Supplier Architects