Product Owner - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) at Unique Personnel

Job Description    
Role Overview:

• As a Product Owner, you will be at the forefront of our product development, leading our software development engine room to design, build, and launch market-leading solutions. We’re looking for someone who is not just a product expert, but also a passionate innovator with an entrepreneurial spirit. You’ll be responsible for driving the product vision, identifying emerging opportunities, and ensuring the product aligns with both the clients’ market needs and their company’s strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Product Vision & Strategy: Develop and maintain a strong product vision that aligns with market trends, customer needs, and business goals. Continuously innovate and evaluate new opportunities for product improvement and differentiation.
• Market Research & Trend Analysis: Stay on top of industry trends, customer feedback, and competitor products. Use insights to identify new opportunities and drive the product roadmap.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead and inspire cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, marketing, and sales, to execute on the product vision and deliver impactful results.
• Agile Product Development: Own and prioritize the product backlog in an Agile environment. Ensure that the development process is efficient, collaborative, and delivers value quickly.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage with internal and external stakeholders to gather feedback, validate ideas, and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Continuously advocate for the customer by driving initiatives that address pain points, enhance the user experience, and exceed expectations.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Foster a culture of experimentation and creativity within the product team. Encourage taking calculated risks and exploring new ideas.
• Metrics & Results-Driven: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure product success and iterate on strategies based on data-driven insights.

Inherent Requirements    
Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven Product Ownership: 1-2 years of experience in a Product Owner or similar role, with a track record of delivering innovative products to market.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: A strong entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to think strategically, take initiative, and drive new product ideas from concept to launch.
• Innovative Thinker: Demonstrated ability to innovate and think creatively, constantly seeking opportunities to differentiate and improve products.
• Agile Methodologies: Hands-on experience with Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, etc.) and a deep understanding of product development cycles.
• Excellent Communication Skills: Ability to articulate a compelling product vision, motivate teams, and engage with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Customer-Focused: Strong empathy for customer needs, with the ability to translate insights into actionable product improvements.
• Technical Aptitude: Familiarity with technical aspects of product development, including software development processes and tools. Experience working closely with engineering teams is a plus.
• Data-Driven: Strong analytical skills and experience using data to drive decisions, track progress, and optimize products for success.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Ability to lead, influence, and collaborate in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in startups or high-growth environments is highly desirable.
• A Product Owner certification (or certifications) is highly desirable, preferably from organizations such as scrum.org.
• MBA or similar advanced business qualification is a plus.
• Experience with UX/UI design principles and methodologies. Experience using Figma to build wireframes would be a plus.
• Expert use of Jira and Confluence is a must.
• In depth understanding of the software development life cycle, particularly where continuous integration and delivery is practised.
• The ability to understand and interpret things which can be highly technical i.e. able to understand system architectures at a high level, and how they hang together.