IT Product Owner - FT

FAIT DISTRIBUTION SUMMARY

Fait Distribution is a family-owned and operated wholesale contact lens distributor and buying group. We pride ourselves in projecting a professional image to our customers that is both confident and enthusiastic. Our commitment to exceeding customer expectations and creating long lasting relationships is driven by our dedicated Associates.  Being part of a family-owned company like Fait Distribution is something special. We’re a close-knit company where Associates are valued and truly drive and make an impact on our success. There are always exciting and new opportunities for you to advance your career and grow within our company.  At Fait Distribution you will find a supportive and fast-paced environment with a fun work culture. We trust you will find employment here challenging, yet highly rewarding. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS/ABILITIES:

·          A bachelor’s degree in information technology, or the equivalent in relevant work experience.

·          3+ years of experience as a Product Owner, Business Analyst, Product Analyst, or in a related role supporting software delivery in a business environment. 

·          Strong understanding of business and operational processes and how technology supports them.

·          Experience making value-based prioritization decisions using customer impact, operational efficiency, risk, and dependencies. Proven ability to work with cross-functional stakeholders (operations, customer service, finance, sales, and IT).

·          Excellent communication and facilitation skills; able to translate between business needs and technical solutions.

·          Experience working in an Agile environment, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.

·          Prefer experience supporting custom web development/storefronts, ERP, WMS, and/or integration-heavy applications.

·          Reliably commute to Burlington, WI (hybrid role)

 

RESPONSIBILITIES – HOW THIS POSITION SUPPORTS THE VISION include the following, but are not limited to:

·          Define and communicate the product vision, goals, and outcomes for assigned systems, processes, or operational domains.

·          Align delivery priorities with business strategy, operational objectives, and IT roadmap.

·          Represent stakeholder interests while balancing short-term needs, operational stability, and long-term value.

·          Clearly articulate desired outcomes and measurable success criteria (KPIs), not just features or requests.

·          Partner with operations and SMEs to understand current workflows, pain points, and constraints; translate them into prioritized, testable improvements.

·          Own and maintain the product backlog.

·          Act as the final decision-maker on backlog ordering and scope trade-offs for the product/team, escalating when needed.

·          Prioritize backlog items based on business value, operational impact, risk, dependencies, and delivery capacity.

·          Make clear trade-off decisions when scope, timing, or resources conflict.

·          Ensure backlog items are appropriately sized, ordered, and aligned with sprint and release goals.

·          Serve as the primary interface between business stakeholders and delivery teams.

·          Gather input from stakeholders while maintaining a single, clear set of priorities.

·          Set expectations regarding delivery sequencing, scope, and timing.

·          Resolve competing demands through value-based decision making.

·          Validate intent and outcomes of requirements with stakeholders; ensure backlog items reflect true business and operational needs (in partnership with the Business Analyst).

·          Collaborate with Business Analysts to ensure stories have clear acceptance criteria, dependencies are understood, and items are ready for sprint planning.

·          Coach Business Analysts in requirements / documentation authoring and expectations.

·          Review completed work against acceptance criteria and support sprint/release acceptance to ensure delivered value matches expected outcomes.

·          Support healthy backlog refinement and predictable delivery flow in partnership with the Scrum Master.

·          Participate actively in Agile ceremonies (backlog refinement, sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives). 

 

INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE

·          Consistently demonstrates our Company Values; Relational, Reliable, Responsive, Flexible, and Sincere

·          Maintains a prioritized, transparent, and continuously refined product backlog that aligns to business strategy and operational goals.

·          Provides clear, testable requirements and acceptance criteria so work items meet the Definition of Ready and can be confidently delivered within sprint commitments.

·          Delivers measurable business value by defining outcomes/KPIs for initiatives and validating results after release (e.g., cycle time reduction, error reduction, improved customer/associate experience).

·          Demonstrates effective stakeholder alignment: gathers input broadly, resolves conflicting priorities, and communicates decisions, sequencing, and trade-offs in a timely manner.

·          Accepts completed work consistently and promptly during sprint reviews/release cycles; minimizes rework by ensuring delivered functionality matches agreed acceptance criteria.

·          Supports predictable delivery by partnering with the Scrum Master and team to manage scope, dependencies, and risks; keeps leadership informed of impacts to timeline or outcomes.

·          Adheres to all Fait company policies, guidelines, and processes.

·          Maintains a positive perception of partnership and support from co-workers, team leaders, and stakeholders.