About the position
ICF is seeking a Product Owner to lead a high-impact, early-stage research and discovery initiative focused on shaping the future of data-driven products and services. This role is ideal for a strategic thinker with a strong foundation in data strategy, user research, and Agile product development. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to explore emerging opportunities, define product direction, and lay the groundwork for scalable, user-centered solutions. As a Product Owner, you will serve as the vital link between strategic vision, user needs, and technical execution. You will own the product backlog, develop and maintain a comprehensive data strategy roadmap, and translate exploratory insights into actionable user stories. This role requires a balance of analytical rigor, creative problem-solving, and collaborative leadership to guide the team through ambiguity and discovery.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of a unified product and data strategy roadmap across multiple exploratory workstreams.
- Own and manage the product backlog, ensuring alignment with evolving research insights and strategic priorities.
- Translate user research findings, stakeholder input, and strategic goals into clear, actionable user stories and epics.
- Collaborate with user researchers, product and data strategists to validate hypotheses and shape product direction.
- Facilitate sprint planning, backlog grooming, and iterative delivery cycles in a dynamic, discovery-driven environment.
- Track and report on cross-functional team deliverables, identifying risks and supporting mitigation planning.
- Communicate product vision, progress, and insights to leadership, internal teams and external stakeholders with clarity and impact.
- Evaluate sample datasets and backend systems to assess data readiness, quality, and integration potential.
- Support planning and forecasting of future data migration and transformation efforts based on early findings.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required (Computer Science, Data Science, UX, or related field preferred).
- 7+ years of relevant experience, including 4+ years as a Product Owner or Senior Business Analyst.
- 4+ years of experience leading early-stage product discovery or research-driven initiatives.
- 2+ years of experience with data strategy, data quality, and user-centered design principles.
- 2+ years of experience managing product backlogs and roadmaps in Agile environments.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust Clearance.
- Must reside in the U.S. and have lived in the U.S. for 3 of the last 5 years.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience in the healthcare industry or with CMS projects.
- Familiarity with human-centered design and design thinking methodologies.
- Federal government contracting experience.
- Prior experience working remotely in a collaborative, distributed team.
