Highland Solutions is a fun, forward-thinking team who are transforming technology and design in the heart of Chicago. They were also recently named one of the best places to work by Built In Chicago! As our team expands, we are eager to add a talented Product Owner/Manager to the mix. This position is a fabulous opportunity for an established leader with demonstrated success! The role involves some travel and to contract to hire or FTE.

The Company

Highland Solutions has been inspiring our clients and creating exceptional customer experiences for over 20 years. What sets us apart is our customized solutions which are reflective of our highly skilled, notably diverse and collaborative team. We are good people, looking for good people.

We know you have probably seen dozens, if not hundreds of job ads for Project Managers and Product Managers but this role is much more than the generic duties and responsibilities entail. We need a leader who can balance our dynamic clients along with our poly-skilled team. While yes, you do need to check most of the boxes; we are hunting for an inquisitive, people-oriented individual. We like to celebrate our work and be creative too!

The Position

The Product Owner/Manager is responsible for developing trust and rapport with clients from pre-sale through project completion and gain deep knowledge of the client, their business and their project to ensure we provide the highest level of service to our clients. The ideal candidate will lead their team and work to create communication, project organization and trust successful projects require. The role requires a dynamic balance of technical experience along with leadership ability. The Product Manager will analyze and present metrics, author user stories, provide projections, and track project budgets.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish strong, trust-based relationships with clients based on competency, openness honesty

• Serve as both the agile coach & Product Manager who represents our clients to your team of highly skilled developers through ownership of the product vision, ongoing support, and clear communication

• Proactively communicate progress and budget updates to our clients

• Serve as a business analyst who can clearly translate client requirements into user stories and detailed acceptance criteria

• Prioritize product backlog items into releases

• Engage business development in demonstrating, proposing and scoping solutions for referred prospects and in support of the sales team

• Learn and understand our client’s business and identify areas in which Highland can offer expanded services

• Be an integral part of a delivery team that is responsible for the quality and timeliness of all products

• Ensure that all time input and billing activities for the team are completed in a timely fashion

• Manage and obtain all approvals for new client admin users/3rd party access and Team Member access for client systems and provide user access lists as requested for audits.

• Travel periodically to client sites to provide consultation, training and project management.

Skills and Abilities

• Outstanding organizational and project management skills

• Able to use independent judgment to fulfill job responsibilities

• Strong analytical and creative skills

• Strong persuasion, adaptability, and innovation skills

• Good visual aesthetic and excellent writing skills

• Ability to lead a team and work collaboratively and independently

• Ability to navigate matrixed organizations and efficiently develop go-to-market practices

• Experience with designing and leading projects in Scrum and Kanban environments

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Education and Experience Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in technology, project management or related field

• Five (5) years leading product management and/or software development teams utilizing agile project management techniques

• Demonstrated success in leading numerous project teams to completion

• Track record of working cross-functionally with sales, marketing, delivery and operations

• Experience forming lasting relationships of trust with team members

• Strong service mentality focused on client satisfaction

• Demonstrated ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information

• Experience with planning, organizing, scheduling and budgeting projects in an efficient, productive manner focusing on key priorities

• Experience structuring and processing qualitative or quantitative data to draw insightful conclusions.

The Fine Print

• Competitive salary position based on market value

• culture committed to vulnerability, diversity, and inclusion

• Regular happy hours and company events

• Voluntary participation company health and wellness benefits

• Voluntary participation in the company 401K program

• Relaxed dress-code, open workspace stocked with snacks and beverages

• Primarily on-site in brand new offices in Chicago’s downtown Loop

• Minimal travel required, less than 30%, and mostly in the Midwest

• Unfortunately, we are not able to offer sponsorship at this time

**We strive to build a diverse workforce through equal opportunity employment that embraces and leverages the differences each individual has to offer. Highlanders encourage everyone to bring their whole self to work each day. We recognize we're all human beings first. With a shared world, a shared future, and 99% shared DNA, we celebrate what unites us along with what makes us unique. Through our myriad of perspectives, backgrounds, identities, and ideas, we are creating richer local and global communities. We look forward to meeting you and welcome the opportunity to grow together.**