Product Owner- Research Administration (SaaS)
Our client is a growing software company serving organizations across the higher education and research ecosystem. Its solutions help institutions streamline complex administrative processes, improve operational efficiency, and reduce the burden on faculty and staff.
The company is entering its next phase of growth and is making continued investments in its product and technology capabilities.
About the Role
We are seeking a Product Owner to support a software platform used to manage complex research administration workflows.
This role sits at the intersection of customer needs and product execution. You will translate institutional requirements, user feedback, and product priorities into a clear, actionable backlog that enables engineering and design teams to deliver meaningful improvements for customers.
You will work closely with Product Management, Engineering, Design, and customer-facing teams to ensure solutions address real-world needs while supporting broader product objectives.
This opportunity is well suited to someone who understands research administration environments and enjoys turning complex processes and requirements into practical software solutions.
What You Will Be Responsible For
- Own and maintain the product backlog, ensuring priorities are clear, actionable, and aligned with product objectives
- Translate customer feedback, institutional requirements, and product direction into well-defined user stories and acceptance criteria
- Partner closely with engineering and design throughout the development process to clarify requirements and support effective delivery
- Collaborate with Product Management to refine priorities, evaluate opportunities, and validate product outcomes
- Participate in release planning, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and other Agile ceremonies
- Represent customer and user needs within the delivery team
- Develop a strong understanding of research administration workflows and identify opportunities to improve the user experience
- Help balance customer needs, technical considerations, business priorities, and delivery constraints
- Use product data, customer feedback, and other available insights to inform prioritization and evaluate outcomes
- Contribute to continuous improvement in product development processes and team effectiveness
Additional Details
- Remote within the United States
- Occasional travel may be required
Requirements
Required Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
- 3+ years of experience in product ownership, business analysis, software delivery, or a related role
- Professional experience with research administration, either within a software organization or in a university, research institution, laboratory, sponsored programs office, or related environment
- Strong understanding of Agile software development practices and backlog management
- Experience translating complex workflows, customer feedback, and business requirements into clear user stories, acceptance criteria, and actionable requirements
- Ability to work effectively with engineering, product, design, and customer-facing teams
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail and broader product objectives
- Experience working effectively with distributed teams
Preferred Experience
- Experience with SaaS or enterprise software serving higher education, research institutions, or other complex organizations
- Familiarity with research administration, grant management, ERP, HRIS, financial, or other enterprise systems
- Understanding of compliance and administrative requirements commonly encountered by research institutions
- Experience using product management, backlog management, and collaboration tools
- Comfort working with product data and metrics to support prioritization and deci