Product Owner: Job Description

Rooted in agile methodology, the Product Owner represents the product vision within an agile team. This role, born from the Scrum framework, advocates for end-users and stakeholders throughout the development cycle. Working closely with the Scrum team — composed of the Scrum Master and the development team — the PO turns business needs into concrete, value-generating solutions.

The current job market highly values Product Owners who can combine technical expertise with business insight. Their increasingly essential role meets the rising demands for agility and adaptability in modern companies — as highlighted by the 2023 Stack a Overflow survey, which lists the Product Owner among the top 15 most in-demand jobs in the digital sector in France.

At the heart of an agile organization, the Product Owner serves as the strategic interface between various stakeholders. This position enables them to translate business requirements into actionable technical specifications for the development team. Their primary responsibility is to maximize product value while optimizing return on investment.

In a constantly evolving tech environment, the PO must also stay ahead with active competitive monitoring. They analyze market trends, assess relevant technological innovations, and anticipate changes in user needs. This forward-looking mindset is essential to maintain a product’s competitiveness.

In an agile project, the Product Owner takes on multiple responsibilities that go far beyond basic project management. They define and continuously update the product backlog, a living document that reflects the product strategy.

Their expertise shines through in how they prioritize features, make technical trade-offs, and validate deliverables.

Customer satisfaction drives every decision they make. It is measured using key performance indicators like the Net Promoter Score (NPS), user engagement rate, or the Customer Effort Score (CES) — all of which help refine product strategy continuously.

The core missions of the Product Owner revolve around three main pillars:

• Managing the product backlog: This forms the backbone of agile development. Tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, or Rally help structure the backlog. These platforms support granular management of user stories, foster collaboration with the dev team, and automate reporting. Sprints typically last two weeks. The PO presents and clarifies priority user stories, participates in daily stand-ups, validates completed developments, and ends each sprint with a demo and retrospective.
• Task prioritization: Based on proven methods like the RICE framework (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or the Eisenhower matrix, and techniques like story mapping to visualize user journeys and identify key features. Experienced POs use both quantitative data (analytics, A/B testing) and qualitative feedback (user interviews, client feedback) to guide development decisions. This data-driven approach ensures hypotheses are validated and development is aligned with user value.
• Stakeholder communication: A crucial skill for any PO. Beyond standard Scrum meetings, they must also prepare executive presentations for leadership teams and compile technical documentation for developers, as well as marketing briefs for commercial teams.
• Conflict management is also a critical part of the role — balancing competing interests, negotiating compromises, and ensuring ongoing engagement from all stakeholders.

Aspiring Product Owners typically follow a management curriculum at a business or engineering school, earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree (level Bac+3 to Bac+5).

As a leading business school, emlyon business school offers a specialized path ideal for those pursuing this role. The Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA) at emlyon is an excellent springboard toward a career as a Product Owner.

The curriculum includes:

• Specialized modules on agile methodologies
• Courses on digital product management
• Real-world practical projects
• Internships in agile environments
• Guest lectures from industry professionals

Upon completing their academic training, graduates can pursue certifications such as:

• Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) – Scrum.org
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) – Scrum Alliance
• SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager certification

In France, Product Owner salaries vary based on experience and location:

• Junior (0-2 years) : €35K–€45K gross per year
• Mid-level (2–5 years) : €45K–€60K gross per year
• Senior (5+ years) : €60K–€80K gross per year
• Expert/Lead (8+ years) : €80K–€120K gross per year
• Chief Product Officer : €120K–€200K gross per year

The job market for Product Owners is booming.

Top hiring sectors include:

• Tech startups
• Large companies undergoing digital transformation
• Fast-growing scale-ups
• IT consulting firms and digital agencies

Career progression typically follows a path of increasing responsibility. Experienced POs often move into Product Manager, then Head of Product, and ultimately Chief Product Officer roles. Each step brings broader responsibilities and a more strategic scope.

Blending technical expertise with business vision, the Product Owner role is in growing demand. This trend, along with strong advancement opportunities, makes it a smart career move for professionals eager to drive digital transformation in companies.