Data Product Owner

Data Product Owner (Open)

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is hiring a Data Product Owner to join our IS&T team! We're looking for someone who can bring together data, technology, and business needs to help shape products that deliver meaningful results. If you're ready to take ownership, collaborate across teams, and use data to help drive work that makes an impact for Nebraskans, this may be the perfect role for you.

This is a permanent, full-time position located in Lincoln, NE. This role is fully in-office with no remote or contract work.

Examples of Work

• Set the vision and roadmap for data products, ensuring alignment with overall organizational objectives
• Ensure all teams are working towards a shared vision and that technical development aligns with user and business needs
• Serve as a key communicator across business and technical teams, keeping stakeholders informed on product goals, progress, challenges, and key features
• Work closely with stakeholders to identify key business challenges and opportunities where data-driven solutions can create value
• Translate business needs into clear, achievable product requirements and user stories
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including data engineers, BI developers, and business users, to maintain alignment and foster effective communication
• Act as Product Owner for the Scrum team, managing and prioritizing the product backlog based on business impact, feasibility, and strategic direction
• Identify key performance indicators to measure product success and adoption
• Use metrics to track user engagement, product effectiveness, and organizational impact
• Continuously evaluate product performance and recommend optimizations or pivots as organizational needs evolve
• Proactively identify and remove blockers that could hinder development progress
• Ensure all data products adhere to relevant regulations, compliance requirements, and best practices for data protection

Requirements/Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in project management, business administration, public administration, business information systems, or a field related to the functions of the hiring agency AND two years of experience as a project manager with the responsibility to oversee the coordination, planning, initiation, and completion of major/long-term projects. OR Four years of experience and certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP). OR Five years of experience working on medium-to-large projects. Any equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

• SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM)/Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) preferred
• Experience with Power BI, Snowflake and Collibra a plus
• Experience with Project management tools such as Jira, Confluence etc. is preferred
• High level of ownership and accountability for product outcomes
• Passion for building data products that deliver measurable value
• Experience translating complex business requirements into actionable product features.
• Familiarity with data governance, compliance standards, and data quality practices a plus

Other: Position is located at the Nebraska State Office Building in Lincoln, NE.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Strong understanding of Agile and Scrum methodologies, including sprint planning, stand-ups, backlog refinement, and iterative development
• Solid technical understanding of data concepts, including data models, pipelines, and cloud data infrastructure.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify issues early and propose effective solutions
• Exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to spot inconsistencies and anticipate risks
• Excellent communication skills; able to explain complex data concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Effective stakeholder management and active listening, building trust across teams
• Ability to break down silos and foster cross-team collaboration
• Strong organizational and facilitation skills to keep teams aligned, motivated, and productive

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex. age, national origin, disability, marital status or genetics.