Product Owner

Ascensus is the leading independent technology and service platform powering savings plans across America, providing products and expertise that help nearly 16 million people save for a better today and tomorrow.

Section 1: Position Summary

As a Product Owner at Ascensus, you will be responsible for defining and executing the product roadmap to deliver on the vision for assigned programs (Retirement and Government Savings). You are a key member of one or more Agile teams, accountable for backlog ownership, prioritization, and execution to deliver high‑value outcomes while maintaining the conceptual and technical integrity of the product.

This role requires strong capabilities in complex planning, including early identification of dependencies, proactive management of risks and impediments, and clear, structured communication. Success in this role depends on the ability to present solution options, articulate trade‑offs, and make informed recommendations, while building strong relationships, influencing stakeholders, and driving execution in a fast‑paced environment.

Section 2: Job Functions, Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Create, maintain, and communicate the Scrum Team roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and business outcomes
• Lead complex planning efforts, identifying cross‑team dependencies early and sequencing work to optimize delivery
• Prioritize and sequence the product backlog based on business value, ROI, risk, and capacity
• Proactively identify, communicate, and manage delivery risks, impediments, and trade‑offs; recommend mitigation strategies and paths forward
• Clearly convey product vision, goals, and success metrics at the beginning of each release and sprint
• Represent the customer, engaging stakeholders and end users to gather insights and ensure outcomes meet business needs
• Collaborate closely with Scrum teams on feature development, backlog refinement, sprint execution, and UAT support
• Work with Business Analysts and Technology partners, where appropriate, to develop BDD stories and break down epics and features into sprint‑ready user stories
• Participate in all Agile ceremonies including Daily Scrums, Sprint Planning, Release Planning, Reviews, and Retrospectives
• Inspect progress at the end of each sprint with full authority to accept or reject completed work and adjust course as needed
• Serve as the primary internal and external point of contact for product updates, risks, and feedback
• Establish and maintain KPIs to measure product performance; track progress toward annual goals, objectives, and outcomes
• Support organizational readiness and change activities to ensure successful launches and adoption

Supervision

• No direct reports; provides critical leadership and direction to scrum team(s) and cross‑functional partners

Section 3: Experience, Skills, Knowledge Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in business, technology, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Product Owner or in a technology (development or QA) role within Agile teams
• Minimum 5 years of experience in the assigned business domain (e.g., 401(k), IRA, 529, Retirement or Government Savings)
• Experience leading product outcomes in a multi‑team (team‑of‑teams) Agile environment, including cross‑team planning, dependency management, and stakeholder alignment.
• Advanced knowledge of Agile and SDLC methodologies; demonstrated success applying Agile principles at scale
• Strong planning and organizational skills, with experience managing dependencies, risks, and complex delivery scenarios
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels and clearly communicate solution options, trade‑offs, and recommendations
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, regulated environment while maintaining high quality and compliance standards
• Demonstrated strengths in facilitation, conflict resolution, change management, and continuous improvement
• Naturally curious and detail‑oriented, with strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Experience with tools such as JIRA, Confluence, Azure DevOps, and Aha! (administration experience a plus)

The national average salary range for this role is  $125-150k in base pay, exclusive of any bonuses and benefits. This base salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salary offered will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, performance, and internal pay alignment. We do not anticipate that candidates hired will begin at the top of the range however, from time to time, it may occur on a case-by-case basis.  Other rewards and benefits may include: 401(k) match, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid-Time-Off, etc.  For more information, please visit careers.ascensus.com/#Benefits. 

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

Be aware of employment fraud. All email communications from Ascensus or its hiring managers originate from @ascensus.com or @futureplan.com email addresses. We will never ask you for payment or require you to purchase any equipment. If you are suspicious or unsure about validity of a job posting, we strongly encourage you to apply directly through our website.