Product Owner

Job Description:

We’re KSM, one of the top 50 largest independent advisory, tax, and audit firms in the United States. But more than our size, it’s our people and culture that set us apart. We believe great things happen when people are supported, challenged, and given the freedom to do their very best work. That’s why we’ve built a workplace where your career and personal life can thrive together – where you have the flexibility to manage your time, the resources to grow, and a team that genuinely cares about your success.

We’ve been employee-owned since 2001, giving every team member a stake in our collective success. This ownership mentality fosters a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and excellence  – where new ideas are welcomed, different perspectives are valued, and you’re encouraged to explore what excites you most. Whether you’re expanding your skills, tackling new challenges, or making an impact beyond the office, we provide the resources and support to help you grow in the direction that’s right for you.

At KSM, your contributions matter – not just to the firm, but to your colleagues, clients, and the communities we serve across the U.S. If you’re looking for a place where you can do meaningful work, build lasting relationships, and grow in ways that align with what’s most important to you, we’d love to meet you.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Product Owner to join our team supporting the audit portfolio. In this role, you will be responsible for defining and communicating the product vision, aligning the roadmap with the firm's strategic goals, and driving the development of a portfolio of business applications. In this role you will develop a Portfolio and Team level backlog applying the principles of a hybrid (waterfall and Agile development) methodologies to ensure that our solutions meet business needs and deliver high value to customers. Given the nature of these businesses, you will manage multiple platforms and products simultaneously, comfortably context switching across competing priorities and shifting demands to keep the portfolio moving forward.

Key Responsibilities

• Communicate the Product Vision – Define and articulate a clear vision for the product portfolio to multiple stakeholders, development teams, and leadership seeking input from business partners and senior leaders.
• Align Roadmap with Firm's Strategy – Ensure the product roadmap supports the firm's overarching business objectives and aligns with industry best practices.
• Research Industry Trends and Identify potential solutions - Continuously analyze market trends, customer needs, and emerging technologies in consultation with the Business Leader to identify innovative solutions.
• Own a Product Portfolio – Manage a suite of related business applications, ensuring they work cohesively to provide maximum value.  Serve as the domain expert and champion representing the needs of the product portfolio.
• Prioritize the Product and Team Backlog – Develop, maintain, and prioritize the product backlog based on business goals, customer feedback, and technical feasibility.
• Represent the Needs of the Customer – Serve as “Voice of the Customer” ensuring product development efforts address user pain points and improve customer experience.  Champion the product portfolio with business groups soliciting feedback from focus groups, identify business needs, and prioritize backlog requests based on business value.
• Ongoing Product education, adoption including M&A integration – Maintain on ongoing cadence for product education related to product features, reporting, and best practices to ensure end user adoption.  Own education for new hires as part of organic growth and via merger or acquisition.
• Facilitate Agile Delivery – Work closely with Agile teams, leading backlog grooming, sprint planning, product increment planning, and user story prioritization while educating the team in Agile delivery best practices.
• Collaborate with Cross-Functional Teams – Engage with developers, UX designers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality products.
• Measure & Optimize Product Success – Define and track key performance metrics to measure product effectiveness and drive continuous improvements.

Qualifications

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in Product Ownership, Product Management, or related role in an Agile environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of related applications or platforms.
• Experience aligning product strategy with business goals and customer needs.
• Demonstrated experience managing a product backlog with ability to negotiate often competing priorities with a cross functional team of stakeholders.
• Background in business applications, enterprise software, or digital transformation projects.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban.
• Experience coaching business stakeholders through project planning and agile ceremonies.

Product Development Experience

• 5+ years of experience in Product Ownership, Product Management, or a related role in an Agile environment.
• Atlassian suite of products such as Jira, Confluence, and other Agile tools for backlog and workflow management.

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication, leadership, and ability to align stakeholder expectations based on highest business value for the firm.
• Guide cross-functional teams and balance multiple projects concurrently.
• Able to keep multiple projects organized and moving forward.
• Strong problem-solving, negotiation, and conflict-resolution capabilities.

Certifications (Strongly Preferred)

• Preferred certifications: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), or SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager certification.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, veteran status, or any other protected category. 

KSM only accepts resumes directly submitted by a candidate and referrals submitted by current KSM employees. Unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles sent by staffing agencies and fee-based referral services will not be considered outside of a signed KSM vendor contract. KSM will not pay a fee to recruiters or agencies that do not have a signed KSM vendor contract.