Data Platform Product Owner

The Data Platform Product Owner at Bain & Company Inc is responsible for shaping a data product vision and translating business needs into a roadmap and prioritized backlog. This hybrid role focuses on delivering and driving adoption of data product features across one or more data products, with Databricks and governance practices at the core.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate the high-level roadmap established by the Product Manager into a clear sequence of work and a prioritized backlog.
• Maintain continuous communication with business and technology stakeholders to ensure alignment as priorities change.
• Partner with stakeholders to define data domains, schemas, and access models within Databricks, balancing discoverability with governance and permissions.
• Build a deep understanding of customer segments, goals, and the value delivered, and use that insight to identify future opportunities.
• Coordinate with business stakeholders and data owners to enable approvals for sensitive or restricted datasets.
• Measure customer value and business outcomes using pilots, surveys, sprint reviews, KPIs, and other feedback mechanisms, updating the roadmap as needs evolve.
• Develop and execute end-user communication, marketing, and training strategies.
• Partner with Product Owners, Solution Architects, and Engineering Managers to identify synergies across products and reduce friction for end users.
• Help establish scalable standards, guardrails, and best practices for data platform delivery, including schema design conventions, data domain structures, and access and permission frameworks in Databricks.
• Communicate product vision and underlying business purpose to inspire product teams.
• Prioritize and continuously maintain the product backlog based on business value and roadmap objectives.
• Partner with technical teams and third parties to deliver feature releases, upgrades, and platform optimizations.
• Identify high-usage data assets and pipelines and implement proactive monitoring to support reliable data availability.
• Oversee intake, prioritization, and delivery of new data domains, enhancements, defects, and maintenance requests through a shared backlog.
• For internal products, develop user stories and acceptance criteria at an appropriate level of detail, continuously refining them based on team feedback.
• Participate in relevant Agile ceremonies.
• Monitor emerging technologies, including AI, to identify opportunities for greater efficiency and business value.
• May manage temporary or rotational staff, including interns or contractors, to support delivery.
• Develop and maintain expertise in relevant Bain practices and external market trends.
• Build sufficient technical understanding to partner effectively with technical product management teams and help shape technology strategy.
• Develop working knowledge of Bain’s core data domains, including Finance, Talent Acquisition, Client, and Case data, to prioritize requests and advocate for stakeholder needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 5+ years of experience in data delivery, data warehousing, or related areas.
• Strong understanding of data warehousing, data platforms, data integration, and translating business requirements into technical data engineering requirements.
• Direct experience with modern data platform technologies, with Databricks preferred.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies.
• Familiarity with data governance concepts, including data domains, access controls, data ownership, approval workflows, and Databricks Unity Catalog.
• Familiarity with data quality frameworks and proactive monitoring.
• Strong prioritization and organizational skills, with the ability to meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders at different seniority levels and build consensus.
• Strong communication skills, including translating complex requirements for engineering teams and communicating strategic direction to leadership.
• Ability to understand complex business needs and industry trends and translate them into customer-facing solutions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to prioritize based on business value.
• Demonstrated leadership mindset, with ability to positively influence team culture and morale.
• Vendor management experience, including managing deliverables and resolving roadblocks.
• Willingness to travel as needed.
• Agile Product Owner certification.
• Hands-on experience with Databricks.
• Experience with Databricks Unity Catalog.

Technologies

• Databricks
• Databricks Unity Catalog
• AI

Location and Working Model

Location: Boston, MA (hybrid)

Working model: Hybrid, requiring in-office presence at least 1 day per week in either the Chicago or Boston office.

Compensation

Salary range: USD 141,000 - 176,000 per year.

Compensation for this role includes base salary, annual discretionary performance bonus, and a 401(k) plan with an annual employer contribution based on years of service, plus Bain’s benefits package.

• In Chicago, IL, the good-faith, reasonable annualized full-time salary range is between 141k and 169k.
• In Boston, MA, the good-faith, reasonable annualized full-time salary range is between 147k and 176k.

Placement within these ranges varies based on experience, education, licensure/certifications, training, and skill level.

Benefits

• Annual discretionary performance bonus
• 4.5% 401(k) company contribution, increasing after 3 years of service and 100% vested upon start date
• Eligible for other elements of discretionary compensation
• Bain pays 100% of individual employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision programs
• Generous paid time off, including parental leave, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Paid Life and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Annual fitness reimbursements