0323 Sub-Product Owner

SUMMARY:
ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

• Strong ability to continuously prioritize and maintain a product backlog with well-defined acceptance criteria and a clear definition of done.
• Experience making release/rework decisions based on evaluation of developed product scope and defined criteria.
• Technical leadership skills to guide feature teams and support technical quality, acting as first point of contact for product owners, operations teams.
• Experience allocating resources across feature teams, balancing capacity and customer benefit.
• Strong Agile and DevOps mindset with hands-on experience supporting agile working models and improving team efficiency.
• Proven track record of forecasting and planning resources in coordination with Product Owner and line management.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills to collaborate with business and IT product owners across countries.
• Ability to monitor team development progress, ensure timely completion of user stories, and escalate risks when timelines or deliverables are at risk.
• Experience supporting operational stability, maintenance and continuous improvement of software/IT solutions in production.

• Interface experience with SAP systems.
• Knowledge of SAP Warehouse/Logistic Processes (SAP EWM/WM/MM/PP) Familiarity with IT Service Management (ITSM) processes and tools.
• Hands-on experience with Jira for backlog and issue management.
• Experience supporting cross-country product activity (e.g., ZA, UK, MX, DE, CN) is beneficial.
• Knowledge of DevOps product management.
• Experience improving agile processes and team dynamics through coaching and change support.
• German Language Skills (Speak, Read, Write)

POSITION INFO:
ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage a clearly defined product scope including development, operation and continuous improvement of software or IT solutions.
• Continuously prioritise and maintain the product backlog aligned with customer requirements, market trends and organisational goals.
• Ensure backlog items are well-defined with clear acceptance criteria and a definition of done. Evaluate developed product scope and decide on release or rework based on defined criteria.
• Distribute resources across feature teams to maximize customer value and meet strategic objectives. Guide and support technical teams, serving as the technical point of contact for Product Owners and Line Managers.
• Collaborate with AG business and IT Product Owners and cross-country colleagues to align product direction.
• Monitor team progress, ensure timely completion of user stories, and escalate Sub Product risks as needed. Forecast and plan for resources, infrastructure and licenses in coordination with Product Owner and Line Manager.
• Support operational stability, troubleshoot and optimize processes to maintain production quality.
• Support internal change processes and further develop IT-relevant processes and agile working models. Promote efficiency and effective self-organization within teams and support measures to improve team dynamics.

• 10+ years of experience in IT or an IT degree and/or a relevant professional qualification.
• Demonstrable experience in Sub Product or Product Owner roles, agile delivery and stakeholder management. Hands-on experience or understanding of software development, DevOps practices and production support responsibilities.