Sr Product Owner, Systems & Data

Come join our Goddard Systems, LLC (GSL) corporate team! We are a great place to work and offer many employee-friendly perks and benefits. GSL is the manager of the Goddard School franchise system that supports over 600 schools which delivers a high-quality, play-based learning program to families all over the United States. Our successful franchise business model supports franchisees through partnerships with teams of seasoned professionals who draw over 30 years of business, marketing, IT, franchise, finance, and education experience. Because of this, The Goddard School has grown into an institution that parents and families trust, reaching more than 80,000 students in 38 states - and growing.

This role is mostly remote with some quarterly travel cadence into our King of Prussia, PA corporate office.

Position Summary

As a Product Owner Corporate Systems and Data, the successful candidate will be responsible for business process definition, documentation, leading, managing, service enhancements and introduction of new features in collaboration with business stakeholders and IT enablers. Critical impact the role will have coordinating corporate systems and data management and delivery practices working as liaison between business stake holders, project management office, and GTS team members driving, delivering the solutions to streamline process around corporate systems such as ERP, CRM, SharePoint, and Data Management platforms. Product Owner has responsibility for enabling the business to achieve objectives through the effective use of technology enablers and solutions. Serves as the strategic interface with assigned business partners for the purpose of business and IT strategy roadmap development, business process documentation, requirements management, digital solution discovery, service management, and relationship management. Serves as the product owner managing business demand and needs for the portfolio of business applications across key functional domains in GSL such as Accounting, Franchise Development, legal, and operations. The Product Owner will work with the IT Leadership team to support the strategic planning and roadmap execution of technology enablers to best support business needs of GSI.

This Product Owner role is a collaborative leader with strong management, business, and technical acumen. A delivery-focused mindset, result oriented and the ability to build and support stakeholder relationships and develop demands into effective IT solutions are critical to the role. The IT team will look to the Product Owner to stay connected and current on trends in new digital capabilities and how these new technologies will create opportunity for the business to increase or improve efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Provide business process and requirements management and ownership for the core end to end business processes and IT services.

• Provide technology business solutions and guidance to key business functions across GSI such as Franchise Development, Operations, Finance, Legal, Human Resources. Focus on driving value while optimizing and streamlining the technology solutions and processes supporting these business functions.
• Partner with business stakeholders to meets business objectives of enhancing customer satisfaction, optimizing profitability, and developing long-term customer loyalty by developing and implementing CRM solutions, manages the business impact.
• Provides valued strategic level partnership and support to business stakeholders through business technology solution enablement. Communicates decisions, priorities, and relevant information to appropriate levels of staff regarding business unit service requests, projects, and initiatives as well as operational/break-fix application incidents.
• Collaborate with the business stakeholders in examining solution options and planning systems deployment, maintenance and enhancement projects that are in line with the strategic direction defined by the business function and IT.
• Lead a team of employees, contractors, and vendors in support of relevant application business systems and Company goals / priorities.

• Proactively shares knowledge of technology risks and opportunities to build competitive advantage and improve efficiency and effectiveness of business functions.
• Lead the technology vendor evaluation selection process in coordination, collaboration with the other stakeholders including Enterprise Solutions Architect and Project Management Office, IT Leadership and Business Stakeholders
• Analyzes and determines operational and financial impact of new IT product/application features and service offerings. Analyze business process, requirements, costs and benefits, project needs and determine resources needed to meet all IT related business objectives through formal documented end-to-end business process, use cases and project charters.
• Evaluate existing applications and platform and provides recommendations for system enhancements by conducting gap analysis, identifying feasible alternative solutions, and driving the scope of modifications and life-cycle management activities to align with the Business of IT practices.

Experience and Competencies

Minimum Requirements

• BS in Computer Science, Information Management, Business Management, Business Administration, Project Management, or other applicable degree
• 12+ years' experience working with IT Applications and Technology Business Solutions.
• Knowledge of SaaS, modern technology platforms and cloud environments a plus
• Demonstrated IT leadership in the development and institutionalization of contemporary digital technology architectures such as Mobile, Web, CRM, ERP, Portals, Business Intelligence and Cloud Computing
• Practical experience defining and executing multi-year product/application/data technology roadmaps and strategies with a broad range of exposure to various technical environments and business segments.
• In depth experience managing projects, implementing systems, and defining Functional business requirements, technical requirements using processes and methods such as ITIL, PMI, Agile, and current SDLC techniques.
• Significant experience leveraging strong technical, analytical, problem-solving, and conceptual skills within Information Technology disciplines such as software design, engineering, package solution evaluation/selection and implementation, integration, outsourcing, IT governance, architecture, security, and disaster recovery planning.
• Experience data management, data governance and life-cycle management
• Experience with release management, product/application portfolio management
• Experience with large scale implementations of corporate systems and solutions

Highly Desired

• IT product/application/service/data life cycle management experience
• Knowledge and working experience of DevSecOps, and ITIL standards.
• Business process optimization, business process reengineering and orchestration
• Work experience across varying SDLC methodologies including Agile Scrum and Kanban

There will be periodic requirements to travel for in-person events, at the discretion of your manager or the requirement of the company.