A vacancy exists for a Lead Product Owner within the Kazang – Micro Merchant Division, in Century City, Cape Town.
We are looking for a Lead Product Owner to join our Agile team at Kazang, in Cape Town. If you are passionate about Agile Product Ownership, this is the opportunity for you. The Lead Product Owner will manage an existing team of Business Product Owners, ensuring that our products meet customer needs and business goals.
Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Product Vision and Strategy: Define and communicate the product vision and strategy, aligning it with business objectives and customer needs.
- Backlog Management: Prioritize and manage the product backlog, ensuring that it is well-groomed and reflects the product roadmap.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with stakeholders to gather requirements, understand their needs, and ensure alignment with the product vision.
- PI Planning: Lead Program Increment (PI) planning sessions, ensuring that the team has a clear understanding of the goals and priorities for each quarterly PI.
- User Stories: Write clear and concise user stories, acceptance criteria, and ensure they are well-understood by the development team. Guide and coach the PO team to do the same.
- Product Development: Together with the Software Development Managers or Technical Product Owners, oversee the product development process, ensuring that the team adheres to Agile principles and delivers high-quality products.
- Performance Metrics: Define and track key performance metrics to measure the success of the product and identify areas for improvement. Keep team aligned with Agile/Scrum best practices and adapt these for use in Kazang.
- Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging the team to experiment, learn, and adapt.
- Team Management and Mentorship: Recruit, train, mentor and manage Product Owners.
In order to be considered for this position, the following requirements must be met:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or a related field. A Master’s degree is a plus.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Product Owner, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior role.
- Experience working in the Fintech or Payments industry would be advantageous.
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification / Product Owner certification.
- Understand the software development ecosystem; have basic knowledge of core web technologies and be able to predict time expectancy of job completion.
- Be able to manage company and developer expectations through honest and timely updates.
- Previous working experience as a Senior/lead Product Owner or similar.
- Experience in Squad practices will be an added advantage.
Competencies:
- Agile Methodologies: Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, specifically Scrum and SAFe.
- Leadership: Proven leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams.
- Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
- Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
- Certifications: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or similar Agile certification.
- Experience: Working in the Fintech or Payments industry would be advantageous.
To apply for this position, include a 2–3-page CV, specifying the position you are applying for, for the attention of Neena Sacco at neena.sacco@kazang.com
