Senior Product Owner

Job Summary:
The Senior Product Owner (Inventory) will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive approach to deliver one or more products, capabilities, services, or enhancements in accordance with the product roadmap. Works with Product Managers, Business Leaders, and a cross-functional Scrum team to deliver the product to the Client. Manages the overall effort to deliver products, capabilities, services and enhancements using the strategic vision as well as established key performance indicators. Understands the functionality and determines the release sequence. Prioritizes and maintains the product backlog and performs just-in-time story elaboration with the development team.
PRIMARY DUTIES/KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Planning:

• Support Release Train and scrum team(s) via Product Increment (PI) planning, managing the product backlog and software development details, and maintaining velocity.
• Prioritize and manage backlog and implementation, ensure product execution meets strategy and requirements and refine features into user stories and story acceptance criteria.
• Partner with Product Managers to understand and influence product strategy and roadmaps, aggregate and conceive ideas for enhancing product performance and achieving product success/KPIs.

Development:

• Lead multiple scrum teams to build, enhance and manage one or more products, capabilities or services.
• Coordinate with other Agile Product Managers to deliver on a vision that crosses multiple delivery streams or release trains.

Sales and Client Engagement:

• Engage with Clients as a Subject Matter Expert to understand performance and needs of the Client for in-market products.
• Partner with sales, sales operations, client solutions, and client marketing teams to communicate product performance and value for in-market products.

Evaluation:

• Assess product performance against KPIs and make corrections to improve performance and regularly communicate performance of the product/experience to stakeholders and the organization.

Technical/Functional Skills
Relationship Management

• Implements stakeholder engagement communications plan. Deals with problems and issues, managing resolutions, corrective actions, lessons learned and the collection and dissemination of relevant information. Collects and uses feedback from customers and stakeholders to help measure effectiveness of stakeholder management. Helps develop and enhance customer and stakeholder relationship.

Requirements Definition & Management

• Contributes to the selection of the requirements approach for projects, selecting appropriately from predictive (plan-driven) approaches or adaptive (iterative/agile) approaches. Defines and manages scoping, requirements definition and prioritization activities for initiatives of medium size and complexity. Facilitates input from stakeholders, provides constructive challenge and enables effective prioritization of requirements. Reviews requirements for errors and omissions. Establishes the requirements base-lines, obtains formal agreement to requirements, and ensures traceability to source. Investigates, manages, and applies authorized requests for changes to base-lined requirements, in-line with change management policy.

Project Management

• Takes full responsibility for the definition, approach, facilitation and satisfactory completion of medium-scale projects (typically with direct business impact and firm deadlines). Identifies, assesses and manages risk to the success of the project. Ensures that realistic project plans are maintained and ensures regular and accurate communication to stakeholders. Adopts appropriate project management methods and tools whether predictive (plan-driven) approaches or adaptive (iterative/agile) approaches. Ensures quality reviews occur on schedule and according to procedure. Manages the change control procedure and ensures that project deliverables are completed within agreed cost, timescale and resource budgets, and are signed off. Provides effective leadership to the project team, and takes appropriate action where team performance deviates from agreed tolerances.

Product Management

• Reviews analysis and performance monitoring for specified products. Supports problem resolution, resolves issues and acts on feedback and usage of in-life products. Contributes to product collateral and monitors results and feedback from product launches. Responsible for one or more products, depending upon the product's complexity.

• Other duties as needed or required.
• Requires physical ability and mental acuity to execute the duties of the position successfully within required timeframes in order to meet business requirements.

Education, experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, Communications, or a related field.
• 4 years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.
• Requires and applies a broad knowledge of business, product performance and industry principles, practices, and procedures.
• Working knowledge for SAFe Agile Methodology
• Experience in working cross-functionally with a variety of different domains, including Engineering, Finance, and Business Development.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, that can be applied across a diverse set of audiences.
• High-level understanding of engineering architecture with experience working with engineering teams to deliver products.
• Work experience in design, development and implementation of product plans.
• Working experience in full product lifecycle methodologies.
• Working experience in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment.

Specializations
Knowledge of automotive industry data models and usage is desired. Working knowledge of relational databases as well as non-relational databases and AWS technologies would be a plus.
Core Competencies Critical to success in this role
Autonomy
Works under general direction. Uses discretion in identifying and responding to complex issues and assignments. Receives specific direction, accepts guidance and has work reviewed at agreed milestones. Determines when issues should be escalated to a higher level.
Influence/People Leadership
Interacts with and influences colleagues. Has working level contact with customers, suppliers and partners. May supervise others or make decisions which impact the work assigned to individuals or phases of projects. Understands and collaborates on the analysis of user/customer needs and represents this in their work.
Innovation & Complexity
Performs a range of work, sometimes complex and non-routine, in a variety of environments. Applies methodical approach to issue definition and resolution.
Business Skills
Demonstrates effective communication skills. Plans, schedules and monitors own work (and that of others where applicable) competently within limited deadlines and according to relevant legislation, standards and procedures. Contributes fully to the work of teams. Appreciates how own role relates to other roles and to the business of the employer or client. Demonstrates an analytical and systematic approach to issue resolution. Takes the initiative in identifying and negotiating appropriate personal development opportunities."
To be employed in this role, you'll need to clear a pre-employment background check and drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently consider a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.
About Cox Automotive
At Cox Automotive, people of every background are driven by their passion for mobility, innovation and community. We transform the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars, accelerating the industry with global powerhouse brands like Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim and more. What's more, we do it all with an emphasis on employee growth and happiness. Drive your future forward and join Cox Automotive today!
About Cox
Cox empowers employees to build a better future and has been doing so for over 120 years. With exciting investments and innovations across transportation, communications, cleantech and healthcare, our family of businesses - which includes Cox Automotive and Cox Communications - is forging a better future for us all. Ready to make your mark? Join us today!
Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page .
Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer - All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual's age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.
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