Product Owner

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Closing Date: January 16th, 2025 or upon receipt of the first 50 application submissions

Product Owner

IMSD – Information Management Services Division

Full-time, Hourly

Pay Range: $37.73 – $56.60

This role is currently posted for current Milwaukee County Contractors ONLY

Job Summary: The Product Owner, as a part of DAS-IMSD's Business Relationship team, develops functional and technical knowledge of strategically significant County applications to create and oversee application roadmaps that maximize the value of the County's technology. To create and oversee the application roadmaps, the Product Owner, in coordination with other DAS-IMSD and County stakeholders, evaluates vendor information, priority and business value of functionality, and overall business needs.

Job Duties:

• Define the County's vision for the application / product and creates a strategic roadmap for this vision.
• Outreach to departments on their strategies and possible product and process efficiencies.
• Review the vendor's new releases and optimize the County's plan to implement new functionality.
• Communicate with stakeholders and executive management on the application / product vision, roadmap, and project processes / statuses. Coordinate these activities with the assigned Business Relationship Manager and Application Architect.
• Collaborate with prospective and current users to understand and anticipate their needs. Coordinate with other Business Relationship team members to document associated requirements.
• Prepare and deliver presentations on product functionality for user demonstrations and for internal and external training needs.
• Investigate product issues and determine whether changes to the product / application are required.
• Work with the IMSD Application team in an Agile environment and continuously review the business needs, refine priorities, outline milestones and deliverables, and identify opportunities and risks.
• Coordinates with other Business Relationship team members to gather, design, and document requirements and use cases suitable for the Agile development cycle. Review functional requirements prior to prioritization activities.
• Manage the product enhancement / implementation backlog and prioritize the backlog based on client departments' feedback and based on changing requirements.
• Participate in application team Scrum meetings and product sprints.
• Manage vendor relationships, including overseeing support tickets and services.
• Coordinate with IT Governance staff (e.g., IT Contracts Manager, IT Vendor Performance Manager, etc.) on vendor relationship and contracting activities.

Minimum Requirements:

• Current Wisconsin resident at time of application.
• Associates Degree in Information Technology, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Process Enhancement or related field
• At least two (2) years of experience in Value Stream Mapping, IT Strategy and Roadmap Development
• At least three (3) years of experience in Product Management and/or Product Development
• At least one (1) year of supervisor experience in a project manager-type role, not necessarily HR supervisor
• Intermediate knowledge of all related computer and software applications, such as word processing and spreadsheets
• Basic knowledge and experience with project management software tools (e.g., Jira, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, etc.)
• Intermediate understanding of project management techniques and methods.
• Intermediate understanding development and execution of IT strategies and roadmaps. Organization changes and operation in a matrixed environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Agile Methodology Certifications – Desirable
• Certifications Related to Applications to be Supported – Desirable

Personal Attributes

• Proven track record of delivering Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions.
• Experience with ERP functional areas, accounting principles, procurement, expense management, and treasury businesses and processes (e.g., Record to Report, Source to Pay, etc.).
• Experience with HR and HR Information Systems (HRIS) initiatives and processes, such as payroll, recruiting, career progressions, terminations, benefits, etc.
• Established background in launching software or services in partnership with application teams and high degree of proficiency in prototyping, iterative development, understanding of Agile principles.
• Balance of technical knowledge and business acumen.
• Customer first mind set.
• Proactive, self-starter with excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage, influence, and inspire partners and stakeholders to drive collaboration and alignment.
• High degree of organization, individual initiative, and personal accountability.

NOTE: This ORIGINAL APPLICATION is open to qualified residents of the State of Wisconsin. Candidates need to submit a full account of their training and experience (i.e., by submitting an up-to-date resume or by fully completing the application) during this application process and may also be asked to take additional written or performance tests as part of the selection process.

APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF FILING APPLICATION

Milwaukee County is committed to fostering an equitable working environment, free from discrimination and harassment, on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. We prohibit any form of discrimination, harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, pregnancy related condition, national origin, age, disability, FMLA status, sexual orientation, military status, marital status, or any other category or status that is now or in the future protected by federal, state, and local law. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing, background checks and pre-employment physicals subject to job requirements. If special accommodations are needed, please contact