Product Owner, Data & AI
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Product Owner to join an Enterprise Data & AI team supporting a large public university. In this role, you will serve as the primary product specialist for an agile development team, managing the product backlog and driving delivery of data and AI platform initiatives that support student success, research advancement, and operational efficiency. This is a fully remote position requiring availability during Eastern Time business hours.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the product backlog for a Data & AI platform, aligning priorities with institutional strategic goals
- Translate business needs from faculty, researchers, administrators, and IT leadership into clear, actionable user stories with defined acceptance criteria
- Serve as the primary liaison between business stakeholders and the technical development team
- Prioritize the backlog based on business value, compliance requirements, and technical feasibility
- Actively participate in all Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, standups, reviews, and retrospectives
- Partner with data governance groups to ensure data security, compliance, and quality standards are upheld
- Guide development of AI/BI applications, self-service analytics, and AI-powered insights for faculty, staff, and leadership
- Identify opportunities to embed AI/ML models such as student retention predictions, enrollment forecasting, and research analytics
- Drive platform adoption through stakeholder communications, demonstrations, and training activities
- Monitor product performance, gather feedback, and adjust priorities based on evolving needs
- Stay current on data and AI/ML trends and recommend platform innovations
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Information Science, Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Business Administration, or a related field
- 5+ years of experience in product ownership, business analysis, or project management in data, analytics, or AI-focused environments
- Proven experience delivering enterprise-grade data and AI platforms within SAFe Agile environments
- Strong understanding of data platforms, data lakes/warehouses, ETL pipelines, APIs, and cloud environments (Databricks, AWS, Azure, GCP, or Salesforce Data Cloud)
- Familiarity with AI/ML concepts, predictive analytics, and responsible AI frameworks
- Working knowledge of BI and analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Salesforce CRM Analytics, or Looker
- Experience with data governance, privacy, and compliance frameworks including FERPA, HIPAA, or GDPR
- Proficiency with Agile/Scrum methodologies and tools such as Jira or Azure DevOps
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into business value for diverse audiences
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in a related field
- Experience in higher education, research, or public sector environments
- Working knowledge of Data Governance tools (e.g., Microsoft Purview) and Master Data Management tools (e.g., Profisee)
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager certification
- Data or cloud certifications (Azure Data Fundamentals, Azure Purview, Databricks, or similar)
- AI/ML or analytics certifications (Databricks MLFlow or equivalent)
Pay: $50.00 per hour Education:
- Master's (Preferred)
Work Location: Remote