Technical Product Owner

Cisco Enterprise DevOps as a Service (EDaaS) is looking for a Technical Product Owner to support our binary and source code management teams. As a Technical Product Owner, you will serve as the bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams, driving the vision and execution of products and features to achieve organizational goals. In this role, you will define product roadmaps, manage backlogs, and collaborate closely with engineers, designers, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions. You will also take ownership of technical and functional requirements, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives while maintaining a focus on the user experience, system performance, and technical feasibility.

This position requires a balance of technical expertise, leadership, and product management skills.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and communicate the product vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with organizational and business goals.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for technical teams, stakeholders, and business partners throughout the product lifecycle.
• Define and prioritize the product backlog to deliver maximum value to users and the business.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to translate product features into technical requirements and ensure feasibility.
• Proactively manage risks, dependencies, and blockers to ensure the timely delivery of features and products.
• Facilitate communication and alignment between cross-functional teams, including engineering, QA, operations, and stakeholders.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 7-10 years of experience in technical product management, technical project management, or a related role, with at least 3 years as a product owner in a technical environment.
• Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum methodologies and experience working in an Agile development environment.
• Proven experience managing and prioritizing product backlogs for technical teams.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business needs into technical requirements and vice versa.
• Familiarity with software development lifecycles (SDLC), CI/CD pipelines, APIs, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), and modern development tools.
• Technical proficiency to discuss architecture, APIs, databases, and system integrations with engineers.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to break down complex problems into actionable solutions.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), SAFe Product Owner/Manager (POPM), or equivalent certifications.
• Experience with tools such as Artifactory, GitHub, JIRA, Confluence, or similar product management platforms.
• Hands-on experience with data analysis tools or techniques (e.g., SQL, Tableau, Excel).
• Knowledge of DevOps practices and principles.
• Familiarity with security, compliance, and privacy considerations in technical product management.
• Experience working with global, distributed teams.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to evaluate long-term objectives while balancing short-term priorities.
• Decision-Making: Comfortable making data-driven decisions in ambiguous or complex situations.
• Leadership: Proven ability to inspire and guide cross-functional teams toward a shared vision.
• Problem Solving: Adept at resolving technical and operational challenges effectively.
• Customer-Centric Mindset: Passion for delivering value to users and understanding their needs.

Business Justification

The GitHub Platform and binary teams play a critical role in supporting and enhancing Cisco's software development ecosystem. Managing multiple GitHub and Artifactory environments, the team ensures seamless integration, support, and innovation across the enterprise. These team not only provides standard support, deployment, and development services but also collaborates with 13+ smaller teams within Cisco, including those in government, air-gapped, or acquisition environments, to leverage cutting-edge features and AI functionalities. The TPO will:

• Drive the adoption and optimization of GitHub and Jfrog Artifactory services.
• Align platform capabilities with Cisco's broader business and technical objectives.

The addition of a dedicated Technical Product Owner to the team will ensure the continued success and growth of Cisco's software development initiatives. This role is essential for maintaining Cisco's competitive edge in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.