Product Owner I

The Product Owner I is responsible for overseeing the technical life cycle of assigned products, coordinating delivery with development teams, managing configuration changes, and supporting roadmap, requirements, and budgeting activities. This role uses Agile practices to align product work with business objectives and user needs.

Role Responsibilities

• Understand business and end-user needs, and identify and prioritize features to deliver against those needs.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies to keep development aligned with business objectives, product vision, and user needs.
• Demonstrate accountability by facilitating stakeholder inspection and reviews of delivered functionality, leading planning sessions to clarify priorities, and maintaining transparent communication throughout the development lifecycle.
• Negotiate deliverables based on team capacity and learning, and adapt plans iteratively as priorities and validated outcomes evolve.
• Build near-term rolling-wave product roadmaps in collaboration with business owners, continuously refining the roadmap based on stakeholder input, delivery data, and validated learnings from actual outcomes.
• Define and track key product success metrics to evaluate value delivery, guide prioritization, validate hypotheses with data and feedback, communicate outcomes to stakeholders, and improve product performance.
• Use knowledge of product strengths and weaknesses to maximize value delivery, identify enhancement opportunities, and inform stakeholders of potential process improvements and strategic possibilities.
• Analyze end-user feedback and operational metrics to identify and understand product needs.
• Independently manage and prioritize the product backlog for one (1) or more products in collaboration with business owners and technical stakeholders, balancing functional and non-functional needs, with user stories ready for development one (1) to two (2) weeks in advance (operating with oversight).
• Collaborate with business owners and technical stakeholders to develop and document user stories from the user’s perspective, defining features and epics that support business objectives and development scope.
• Collect and understand technical requirements for new implementations and enhancements to ensure technical runway, reduce technical debt risk, and maintain product relevance and stability over time. Prioritize non-functional backlog items including performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Support vendor relationship management, including assisting with contract review alongside the business stakeholder.
• Ensure the product meets regulatory and security requirements.
• Ensure upgrades are planned and completed while maintaining compliance with standards and control procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to understand complex business problems and identify and interpret business needs.
• Ability to create product strategy aligned with measurable business outcomes.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information in a condensed manner verbally and in writing to stakeholders.
• Demonstrated facilitation and influencing skills to support decision-making among stakeholders with diverse perspectives and priorities.
• Experience working in an Agile Environment (Kanban or Scrum).
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to complete tasks independently and collaboratively.
• Knowledge of product management tools such as Azure DevOps or Jira.
• Ability to travel to complete assigned responsibilities and attend professional seminars and education as approved.
• Minimum one (1) year of product ownership/management experience in an Agile Environment. Note: at least three (3) years of business management experience may be substituted in lieu of product owner experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field, or equivalent specialized courses, training, and/or related experience substituted.
• High school diploma required.
• Knowledge of the financial industry, products, and services.
• Credit union experience preferred.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I), or equivalent foundational level certification (preferred).

Technologies

• Azure DevOps
• Jira
• Kanban
• Scrum

Compensation

Salary range: USD 80,168 - 145,039 per year.

• Richland, WA: $80,168.40-$113,414.38
• Spokane, WA: $80,168.40-$113,414.38
• Renton, WA: $87,023.73-$145,039.55

While the full pay range is listed, most new team members typically start between the minimum and midpoint based on experience and qualifications.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• 20 days/year of Paid Time Off plus 10 Paid Holidays
• 401(k) Match
• Incentive Program
• Tuition Assistance and Student Loan Repayment
• Commuter Benefits
• Paid Time Off to Volunteer in the Community
• Product discounts
• Engaging Work Environment
• Rewards and Recognition Programs

Additional Information

• Gesa Credit Union will provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Contact HR at (509) 378-3100 or [email protected].
• Gesa Credit Union reserves the right to revise or change the job description as needed. The job description is not all inclusive of total responsibilities and does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.
• Selected candidate(s) must be able to pass a pre-employment credit/background check.
• Gesa Credit Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a strong advocate of workforce diversity.

Location and Work Setup

Spokane Valley, WA (Onsite).