Product Advocate (Closed)

SkillStorm is seeking a Product Advocate for our client in Charlotte, NC. Candidates must be able to work on SkillStorm's W2; not a C2C position. EOE, including disability/vets.

Job Description:

• The Product Advocate will be the liaison between the Product Owner and the Technology Team. The Product Advocate does not replace the Product Owner; but is responsible for building a strong relationship with the Product Owner, defending the team, and thinking like a tester/end-user. In this role, you will be responsible for assisting in reviewing JIRA stories, and working with business partners in refining and developing accurate Acceptance Criteria for the team to work from. A successful candidate would be responsible for helping with wire frames and any other design assistance needed between the team and the product owner/business partners. The Product Advocate is an integral participant in all Scrum ceremonies and is considered part of the core Scrum team. They coordinate with the Scrum Master to plan and communicate information around upcoming and active Releases along with priority objectives. This role plays a critical part in the organization of each team across the train and is the first line of defense with the business and product owner(s) in defending and communicating risks and dependencies.

Responsibilities:

• A successful Product Advocate will…
• Coordinate requirements with the product owner and assist in reviewing/refining stories that meet the standards and guidelines in the organization.
• Lead Agile backlog grooming sessions and participate in all other team agile ceremonies.
• Interact and co-ordinate with distributed & cross-functional teams.
• Understand business cases and stakeholders’ expectations and objectives. They will help translate those into acceptance criteria that can be developed and delivered.
• Assist the team in meeting Enterprise Change Management Requirements ensuring all internal processes, procedures, and policies are effectively enforced.
• Conduct insightful, ad hoc analyses to provide meaningful understanding of business workflows.
• Develop a deep understanding of the team domain and application(s) with a focus on challenges and opportunities.
• Drive and participate in design, development, and implementation of large and complex enterprise wide applications, often using new technologies.
• Work independently with minimum supervision.

Skills:

• Able to prepare mockups and diagrams from information provided by team members and business partners.
• Able to break down complex business requirements into manageable work items.
• Able to monitor project progress by tracking project activity and milestones, resolving problems and publishing progress reports.
• Strong project management/participation skills, including the ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines.
• Effective problem-solving skills with a “can do” attitude, consultative approach, and client service mentality.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to interact with senior business partners as well as senior technology leaders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills – must be able to understand and explain complex topics to individuals unfamiliar with the application or group in clear, concise and understandable terms.
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite of products, with emphasis on strong Excel (lookup's, pivots, conditional formulas) and PowerPoint skills.

Experience:

• Experience working in SAFe Agile Methodology.
• Experience in using JIRA and Confluence for tracking team work from inception through completion.

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