Agile Product Owner - Control Systems

Salary: $80,000 - 120,000 per year Requirements:

• We require a bachelors degree in computer science, electrical engineering, physics, astronomy, or a related technical field, or an equivalent mix of education and experience.
• We require at least four years of combined experience in control systems, hardware-software integration, or scientific software development, including at least two years in a Product Owner, technical lead, or systems engineer role focused on requirements definition and management.
• We strongly prefer active CSPO, A-CSPO, or an equivalent Agile credential; however, candidates with strong hands-on Agile experience are still encouraged to apply.
• We require direct experience with control system software that integrates hardware and software, such as SCADA, telescope control, industrial automation, or similar real-time environments.
• We require proficiency with Atlassian tools, especially Jira and Confluence.
• We expect a strong commitment to Agile and Scrum practices and a continuous-improvement mindset.
• We require the ability to define a clear product vision and roadmap aligned with long-term organizational goals.
• We require strong prioritization skills for user stories based on value, dependencies, and stakeholder needs.
• We require the ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships and balance competing priorities while maintaining support across the organization.
• We require technical depth sufficient to engage credibly with engineers on architecture, interfaces, feasibility, and risk.
• We require experience with large, long-lived software systems, especially operational or legacy systems in distributed team environments.
• We require excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with diverse personalities.
• We require strong verbal and written communication skills for working with engineers, scientists, and senior leaders.
• We require that applicants be authorized to work in the United States.

• We develop deep working knowledge of monitor and control system architectures, integration challenges, and real-time constraints to shape a credible product vision.
• We work closely with engineers, scientists, and operations staff to translate complex requirements into user stories, acceptance criteria, and a prioritized backlog.
• We prioritize backlog items by weighing scientific and operational value against technical risk, dependencies, and feasibility.
• We act as the primary liaison between expert stakeholders and the development team, building trust through technical credibility and dependable follow-through.
• We gather and organize operational feedback from multiple facilities to refine the product roadmap as observatory needs evolve.
• We review and accept completed work to confirm that requirements have been implemented correctly before release to operational systems.
• We participate in Scrum activities such as sprint planning, backlog refinement, reviews, and retrospectives as appropriate.
• We continually improve backlog quality and story definition to support better software delivery.
• We follow NRAO and government safety policies and procedures in our work area.
• We perform other duties as assigned.

• Atlassian
• Backbone
• Confluence
• Hardware
• Support
• JIRA
• Product Owner
• Embedded
• Python

More:

We are the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a leading research facility supporting major radio telescope systems including the VLA, GBT, ALMA, and VLBA, as well as next-generation initiatives such as ngVLA and Radar projects. This role supports our Monitor & Control software, which serves as the operational backbone for our telescope facilities by connecting hardware and software for real-time control and science operations. The position may be based in Charlottesville, Socorro, Albuquerque, or Green Bank, and you will join a team working in research and development across science, engineering, software, and education in a collaborative technical environment.

last updated 33 week of 2026