IT Product Owner

IT Product Owner (Open)

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services does not sponsor or transfer non-immigrant work visas for this position or accept STEM OPT (form i-983) at any time. The Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Operations is looking for an IT Product Owner for DHHS iServe. This position will be responsible for facilitating projects from conceptualization, planning, approval, execution, change management, and end user adoption for the IT projects. This is a full-time/permanent role located in Lincoln, NE. Not eligible to be a contracted or remote position.

Examples of Work

• Develops and maintains the product vision, roadmap, and release plan aligned with DHHS mission, statutory requirements, funding
• Elicits and documents requirements from program staff, subject matter experts, end users, and stakeholders; translates program and policy needs into user stories and acceptance criteria
• Prioritizes the product backlog by assessing statutory mandates, risk, accessibility, security, operational impact, and measurable value to clients and staff.
• Provides authoritative decisions on feature scope, sequencing, and acceptance of completed work; ensures delivery aligns with program outcomes and compliance standards.
• Partners with Scrum Masters, Business Analysts, technical Analysts, and security staff to support sprint planning, backlog refinement, and product increments.
• Coordinates with procurement, vendors, and external partners to manage integration, service levels, and contractual deliverables as applicable.
• Monitors product performance through data, user feedback, and operational metrics; identifies enhancements and corrective actions; prepares briefings and reports for leadership and oversight bodies.
• Supports organizational change management, including stakeholder communication, training materials, adoption strategies, and transition activities
• Participates in audits, reviews, and governance forums; maintains artifacts (roadmaps, release notes, decision logs, risk registers) per DHHS standards.

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:

• Experience in systems analysis, research, business processes, and the creation of business process applications.
• 5+ years working on medium-to-large IT projects
• Experience with a variety of software delivery lifecycles (SDLC), including Waterfall and Agile (preferably Scrum)
• Product Owner Certification

Other: Regular and reliable attendance. Must report to the Nebraska State Office Building in Lincoln.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills.
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate (written and oral) technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Strong verbal/written communication, and presentation skills.
• Experience working directly with various levels of business and technical staff to determine sound technical solutions for business requirements.
• Effectively communicate with internal and external clients, peers, and management.
• Self-motivated / self-starter with the ability to work individually
• Strong organization, planning, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to multi-task with changing priorities and requirements.
• Experience in a fast-paced collaborative team environment.
• The position must be able to perform work assigned with minimal supervision, meeting deadlines for timely completion of concurrent projects.
• Experience in meeting facilitation / information gathering / research exploration and problem resolution.

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.