Product Owner

• Define and prioritize product features based on user needs, regulatory requirements, and business objectives for the government onboarding ecosystem.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, designers, finance experts, and government stakeholders, to align product roadmaps with budgetary realities and technical capabilities.
• Evaluate financial implications of proposed features, such as development costs, ongoing maintenance, and ROI, while ensuring they are grounded in achievable technical solutions—balancing ambition with practicality to avoid over-engineering or under-delivery.
• Conduct market analysis, user research, and competitive benchmarking to inform product decisions, with a focus on government-specific challenges like data security, privacy compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA equivalents), and scalability for high-volume usage.
• Manage the product backlog, refining user stories and acceptance criteria to reflect financial trade-offs and technical constraints.
• Facilitate iterative feedback loops with end-users and stakeholders to refine the ecosystem, ensuring it evolves based on empirical data rather than prescriptive frameworks.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as adoption rates, cost per onboarding, and system uptime, using insights to pivot strategies as needed.
• Advocate for user-centric design while maintaining fiscal responsibility, such as optimizing resource allocation to deliver maximum value within budget limits.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in product management or ownership, preferably in software ecosystems involving onboarding, identity management, or enterprise platforms.
• Prior direct experience with software development and pushing features you've implemented into a production environment.
• Proven track record of balancing financial considerations (e.g., budgeting, cost-benefit analysis) with technical realities in product development—demonstrated through successful launches where you navigated trade-offs between scope, cost, and feasibility.
• Strong understanding of technical concepts, including software architecture, APIs, cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Azure), and data security protocols.
• Experience in government or regulated industries (e.g., public sector, fintech, healthcare) is highly desirable, with knowledge of compliance standards like FedRAMP or similar.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex technical and financial details into actionable insights for non-technical audiences.
• Analytical mindset with proficiency in tools like Excel, Jira, or similar for backlog management and financial modeling.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with user experience (UX) design tools and prototyping software to quickly iterate on ideas.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies like AI-driven automation or blockchain for secure onboarding, applied in a cost-conscious manner.
• Ability to thrive in a startup-like environment within a government context, adapting to ambiguity and driving results through collaboration.