IT Product Owner - Global Business Application & Platform Services
Costco Wholesale · Seattle, WA
- On site
- Full-time
- $160,000 / year
- Seattle, WA
Job highlights
- Define product strategy and backlog for ERP/MRP development.
- Serve as the voice of the customer to development teams.
- Prioritize and sequence feature development roadmaps.
- Collaborate with Product Managers and stakeholders.
- May act as Scrum Master for delivery team.
About the role
About Costco IT
Costco IT is responsible for the technical future of Costco Wholesale, the third largest retailer in the world with wholesale operations in fourteen countries. Despite our size and explosive international expansion, we continue to provide a family, employee centric atmosphere in which our employees thrive and succeed. This is an environment unlike anything in the high-tech world and the secret of Costco’s success is its culture. The value Costco puts on its employees is well documented in articles from a variety of publishers including Bloomberg and Forbes. Our employees and our members come FIRST. Costco is well known for its generosity and community service and has won many awards for its philanthropy. The company joins with its employees to take an active role in volunteering by sponsoring many opportunities to help others. Come join the Costco Wholesale IT family. Costco IT is a dynamic, fast-paced environment, working through exciting transformation efforts. We are building the next generation retail environment where you will be surrounded by dedicated and highly professional employees.Role Overview
Product Owners are responsible for defining requirements, assisting with the overall product roadmap /vision, and driving value at the scrum team level. Product Owners work closely with teams and are the “voice of the customer”, ensuring the needs of the end-user are incorporated into the product from design to deployment. Product owners are responsible for the authoring of functional user stories which are used to support the day to day development of new features and capabilities. The IT Product Owner will join the Global Business Application and Platform Services (GBAPS) organization to own and manage the overall product strategy and backlog for the development of the new Costco ERP/MRP. This will be in support of the strategic initiative to replatform the current IBM iSeries-based core systems. The person in this role will prioritize, sequence, and coordinate the overall feature development roadmap in partnership with Enterprise Architecture and IT Vertical teams and manage the roadmap and backlog for the initiative. This person will also partner with Product Owners within initiative workstreams who are implementing core platform components and new features for the ERP. The Product Owner also partners with Product Managers and stakeholders to translate product strategy and problem solving into a detailed, prioritized backlog of user stories. The Product Owner collaborates with an agile delivery team to implement, measure, and learn from the improvements they have made. The Product Owner manages execution of the portfolio’s product features and delivery roadmap for GBAPS that are aligned to KPIs that integrate both internal and external stakeholder requirements. The Product Owner may also serve as the Scrum Master for their delivery team by enabling the team to self-organize, remove impediments, and foster an environment for high-performing team dynamics, continuous flow, and continuous improvement.Key Responsibilities
- Supports business strategy by forming a backlog of initiatives, features, and user stories for use in managing program sequencing.
- Collaborates with Product Managers and technology stakeholders (e.g., Enterprise Architects, IT Vertical Leadership, Product Management) to define new and/or enhanced product requirements and functionality.
- Collaborates with Product Managers to support the prioritization of feature enablers defined by architects within the product roadmap.
- Consults Product Managers for guidance and clarity on the product vision, roadmap, requirements, etc.
- Prioritizes the Epic backlog (as part of the sprint planning ceremony) based on the sequencing / ranking of features defined in the product roadmap.
- Prioritizes and sequences Epics/Features based on stakeholder and Product Manager input to maximize value and customer satisfaction and defines the overall Program sequence.
- Supports and participates in program level ceremonies including product increment (PI) planning sessions with input and consultation from the Product Managers.
- Works collaboratively and uses best practices with the delivery team to support backlog refinement, Epic planning, and long-term release planning.
- Seeks and improves processes across the delivery team by using retrospectives to inspect and adapt.
- Communicates with team members, stakeholders, and all levels of management.
- Provides direction, mentorship, and coaching to junior Product Owners.
- Stays current with product management and lean-agile best practices.
- Works continuously / daily with teams to provide answers, feedback and direction on work items, enablers, user stories, etc.
- Collaborates with Scrum Masters to ensure the work managed by teams achieves the highest value relative to needs / priority of the business.
- Collaborates with Scrum Masters and teams to define the sprint plan based on the priority outlined within the overall product vision and roadmap.
- Prioritizes the sprint backlog (as part of the sprint planning ceremony) based on the sequencing / ranking of features defined in the product roadmap.
- Refines product requirements based on the input obtained through sprint showcases / demos.
- Creates and authors user stories with detailed acceptance criteria written in the customers’ voice.
- Articulates requirements for each user story with detailed acceptance criteria.
- Ensures that all requirements support the business need, fulfill goals and objectives, and meet stakeholder needs.
- Defines and communicates requirements, risks and issues that may require changes to plans or scope.
- Prioritizes and sequences requirements/user stories based on stakeholder and Product Manager input to maximize value and customer satisfaction.
- Assists the development team with the translation of business requirements into functional or non-functional specifications.
- Collaborates with the team to prepare the estimates for the user stories within the product backlog.
- Conducts the formal review and acceptance of user stories implemented by a team within a sprint.
- Drives the execution of user acceptance testing (UAT) activities with support from business and technology team members.
- Performs functional reviews as part of sprint demos and showcases along with the Product Manager and Delivery Manager.
- Uses data and insights from multiple sources that benefits the business and our members.
- Pursues incremental delivery by looking for ways to meet business goals and learn from members and end users through frequent, measurable enhancements.
- Monitors and improves product health.
- Ensures completed stories meet acceptance criteria by reviewing test plans, the output of automated testing or, where necessary, contributing to manual testing efforts.
- Prioritizes and collaborates in resolution of issues and defects.
- Seeks and improves processes across the entire product team.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years current experience as a Product Owner or similar role
- 5+ years current experience working on a Scrum and/or Agile team.
- 5+ years current experience working within a complex software development environment.
- 5+ years’ experience with creating documentation for communication with varied audiences.
- 2+ years’ experience working on complex development projects.
- Deep understanding of business requirements elicitation pursuant to specific programs/projects involved.
- Proficient in requirements gathering, business modeling, project scoping, and use case creation.
- Expertise in utilizing standard documentation and backlog management tools/utilities.
- Ability to effectively present to and communicate with both business and technical audiences.
Recommended Qualifications
- 2+ years past technical development experience
- Deadline oriented and capable of self-management.
- Strong work ethic, demonstrated attention to detail, excellent time management and organizational skills.
- Ability to work both independently and within a close team environment.
- Ability to listen to and understand business needs.
- Proficient in Google Workspace applications, including Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Gmail.
Key Skills/Competency
- Product Ownership
- Agile Methodologies
- Scrum Framework
- Requirements Gathering
- User Story Creation
- Backlog Management
- Roadmap Development
- Stakeholder Management
- ERP Systems
- Agile Delivery
Skills & topics
- IT Product Owner
- Product Management
- Agile
- Scrum
- ERP
- MRP
- Requirements Gathering
- Backlog Management
- Roadmap Development
- Stakeholder Management
- Software Development
- Retail Technology
- Costco IT
- Global Business Application
- Platform Services
How to get hired
- Customize your resume: Highlight your 7+ years of Product Owner experience and 5+ years in Agile/Scrum environments. Emphasize complex software development and project experience.
- Tailor your cover letter: Clearly articulate your understanding of business requirements elicitation and your proficiency in backlog management tools. Mention your ability to communicate with business and technical audiences.
- Showcase your skills: Demonstrate your expertise in requirements gathering, business modeling, and use case creation. Provide examples of your success in prioritizing features to maximize value and customer satisfaction.
- Prepare for interviews: Be ready to discuss your experience with ERP systems, agile delivery, and how you've mentored junior Product Owners. Highlight your strong work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to self-manage.
Technical preparation
Master Agile and Scrum principles and practices.,Deeply understand requirements elicitation techniques.,Become proficient with backlog management tools.,Practice translating business needs into user stories.
Behavioral questions
Describe a time you acted as the 'voice of the customer'.,How do you prioritize conflicting stakeholder needs?,Share an example of improving team processes.,How do you mentor junior team members?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary responsibility of the IT Product Owner at Costco Wholesale?
- The IT Product Owner at Costco Wholesale is primarily responsible for defining requirements, assisting with the overall product roadmap and vision, and driving value at the scrum team level. They act as the 'voice of the customer' for the development of new ERP/MRP systems, ensuring end-user needs are incorporated from design to deployment.
- What kind of projects will an IT Product Owner work on at Costco?
- An IT Product Owner at Costco will work on significant strategic initiatives, specifically owning and managing the product strategy and backlog for the development of a new Costco ERP/MRP. This role supports the replatforming of current IBM iSeries-based core systems, indicating complex and foundational IT projects.
- What are the required years of experience for this IT Product Owner role?
- The role requires a minimum of 7+ years of current experience as a Product Owner or similar, 5+ years working on a Scrum and/or Agile team, and 5+ years in a complex software development environment. Additionally, 5+ years of experience creating documentation for varied audiences and 2+ years on complex development projects are required.
- Does Costco Wholesale offer remote work for IT Product Owners?
- The job description does not explicitly state if the role is remote, hybrid, or on-site. Given Costco's culture and the nature of IT roles within large organizations, it is likely a hybrid or on-site position, but this would need to be confirmed during the application process.
- What is the typical career progression for an IT Product Owner at Costco?
- Costco emphasizes employee growth and development. While specific paths vary, an IT Product Owner can progress into more senior Product Owner roles, Product Manager positions, or leadership roles within the Global Business Application and Platform Services (GBAPS) organization. The role also involves mentoring junior Product Owners, indicating a potential for leadership development.
- What is the salary range for an IT Product Owner at Costco?
- Costco offers multiple pay ranges for this position, likely based on experience and location. The ranges are: Level 1 - $90,000 - $115,000, Level 2 - $105,000 - $135,000, Level 3 - $130,000 - $160,000, and Level 4 - $140,000 - $200,000 annually.
- What does Costco Wholesale value in its IT employees?