Are you someone with significant IT experience looking for a new challenge? The professions and specializations related to the agile approach are popular options for IT professionals who are looking to take their career in a new direction.
If you enjoy working with people and problem solving, a career as a product owner might be worth considering!
In this product owner job description, learn more about the specifics of the profession and find out whether it’s right for you.
The role of a product owner
Product owners play a central role in agile IT practices. They act as the liaison between the teams that develop products such as apps, software, e-commerce solutions, etc., and their users. Product owners make sure that the project remains true to its overall vision and the needs of both developers and users are always met.
The responsibilities of a product owner include:
- Writing project specifications and user stories (simple explanations of features written from the user’s perspective)
- Determining which features should be prioritized for development in the backlog
- Communicating with technical teams and users to determine their needs and priorities
- Carrying out tests with the technical teams
- Validating or rejecting the results of the tests
Education needed to become a product owner
Unlike some IT professions, there is no specific educational prerequisite to become a product owner. Employers will usually look for candidates with a relevant background such as business or engineering, but the main focus will be the person’s work experience.
Professionals in development, digital marketing or user experience who are looking to explore new professional opportunities such as project management tend to be a great fit for product owners.
Skills and aptitudes needed for the profession
Given that the product owner plays quite an important role in a company, recruiters are careful to select candidates who possess the hard and soft skills essential to the profession.
Recruiters look for candidates with the following hard skills:
- Mastery of agile and scrum methods and practices
- Comprehensive understanding of development project methodology
- Familiarity with the client’s business in order to be able to guide their projects in the right direction
- Good grasp of technology in general
In terms of soft skills, recruiters look for candidates with the following:
- Good communication skills and ability to explain complex concepts in an accessible way
- Good listening skills
- Responsive to requests from technical teams and users
- Detail-oriented and meticulous
- Diligent and well-organized
- Ability to synthesize
Salary for product owners in Quebec
The salary range for product owners in Quebec is quite good. According to the Robert Half firm, the average salary for product owners in Montreal ranges from $91,035 to $146,880 a year. The average is slightly lower in Quebec City, ranging from $85,680 to $138,240 per year.
Find a product owner position in Quebec with the help of Fed IT
The product owner profession is great for candidates with a professional background in IT, digital marketing or any other related field who want to work in project management. The profession requires excellent communication skills, because the product owner acts as a resource person for the company.
If you’re interested in becoming a product owner but having trouble finding a position that’s right for you, don’t hesitate to contact the specialized consultants at Fed IT for help with your job search.