What Is the Job Description of a Product Owner?

A Product Owner on an Agile team is probably the one who has the most diverse and critical role, with the responsibility of ensuring that the product not only delivers the maximum value to end users, but also the maximum ROI to the investors.  

The product owner job description encompasses a gamut of responsibilities—starting with describing the product features to setting business priorities, and just about everything in between! As the person who represents the interests of the customer, the PO acts as a bridge between the team, the management and the stakeholders.

It’s a critical role indeed, and one that balances the needs of the stakeholders against the capabilities of the Scrum Team, streamlining communication and working with transparency to churn out the right product at the required pace.

What is Product Owner Certification? 

A Product Owner certification is a credential that demonstrates your knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a PO on a Scrum team. It empowers you to represent the customer, and ensure that all their needs are met during the development of the product by the Scrum team.  

A PO certification shows that the holder is capable of holding the position of a PO in a Scrum team, and  

• Has end-to-end knowledge of the product and customer needs 
• Has a clear vision of the product and can convey the vision to the team 
• Is comfortable with business strategy and can represent the needs of the stakeholders 
• Has a thorough grasp on Agile principles and processes 
• Possesses a development mindset and the ability to drive value-based prioritization of the product backlog. 

The Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®) from Scrum Alliance® is one of the best known foundational PO training courses that is obtained after a hands-on two day (14-16 hour) training led by experienced CSTs.   

With a CSPO certificate, your employers will know of your commitment to the profession. You will be equipped with the tools and techniques needed to drive project success. 

Who can attend the CSPO training? 

There are no specific prerequisites to attend CSPO training, and anyone interested in furthering their Scrum learning can attend the training. Novices on their Scrum journey, or professionals who wish to further their understanding of Scrum can get the CSPO certification.  CSM holders who wish to widen their perspective can also take it up. 

If you are someone who is rather more interested in the business side of a product than in the nitty gritty of development; and wish to learn how to prioritize backlog tasks, interface with Agile teams and maximize the project potential, then this course is for you. 

How to get through CSPO certification in India? 

At present, there is no CSPO exam that you have to pass to gain the certification. Just attending the training led by a CST, and achieving all the CSPO learning objectives is deemed sufficient to gain the credential. 

Your CSPO course is taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer® from Scrum Alliance, who is someone who has all the concepts of Scrum at his fingertips. You will be able to start from the basics and get an in-depth understanding of the Agile Manifesto, the Product Owner responsibilities and the technical Product Owner job description. 

After completing the course, you should: 

• Visit the Scrum Alliance website 
• Use your login credentials from your Welcome email to create an account 
• Accept the License agreement 
• Download your certificate from Scrum Alliance. 

You are now a CSPO!  

Scrum Alliance believes that Scrum is a journey of lifelong learning. As a CSPO, you are required to maintain your credential in good standing. The certification has a validity of two years only, after which you must renew the certification.  

What is the Job Description of a Certified Scrum Product Owner? 

As an integral part of the Scrum team, a Certified Scrum Product Owner is required to carry out these roles, in order to drive quality and maximise value: 

• Leading the team 

A Product Owner must have the skills to lead and motivate Agile teams and smoothen channels of communication between the team and stakeholders. By maximizing ROI and staying aligned with the product vision, you will ensure that both customers and stakeholders are happy.  

• Defining the Product backlog 

The PO is the person who is responsible for defining the backlog, that is the list of tasks that are laid out for the team, based on the development requirements and roadmap. These backlog items are listed as per priority, with the most urgent tasks at the top of the list for the team to work on first. 

As the PO represents the customers, he or she is the one who must define these all-important tasks. The CSPO credential and training will give you these capabilities. 

• Prioritizing the product backlog items 

As a PO, one of the most important tasks you will handle is the grooming and refining of the product backlog. The CSPO certification will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to handle this effectively. 

You must know how to break down large user stories into smaller, more doable units. In conjunction with the team, you will be required to understand their capabilities and discuss any issues with the backlog. You will ensure that the right stories are prioritized over those that could wait till a later date.

• Developing the Project Charter 

As a CSPO, you must understand the importance of developing the project charter for the project. Throughout the course of the project, the PO is constantly in touch with the client and keeps on updating the backlog status with the team and stakeholders, thus driving incremental progress forward through each sprint.  

Developing the project charter will go a long way toward defining clear objectives, and laying out the scope of the work to be done.  

•  Using velocity ranges 

The velocity of a team is calculated as the average amount of product backlog that is transformed into a product increment during each sprint.  

While the team evaluates its own velocity, it is the PO who is in charge of determining the velocity range that a Scrum team is capable of. He or she is intimately aware of the capabilities of the team and the requirements of the customers, and fixes the release date keeping this velocity in mind.  

•  Networking with agile practitioners 

As a CSPO, you can network with the largest group of Scrum practitioners through the Scrum Alliance discussion groups and forums. You will be able to engage with others in the community, share a common Agile mindset and culture and can talk the same language as other Agile practitioners in the world. 

This will help you to implement the most advanced practices and processes that are being implemented across the world. 

• Understanding the team 

The learning you get as a CSPO will help you to understand the team, figure out their strengths and weaknesses and handhold them to achieve the end goals. By staying on top of the progress made by the team during each sprint, the PO can prioritize the more important tasks, groom the backlog and meet end expectations on time and with high quality.

How does a CSPO certification help to increase your employability and enhance your salary? 

Your certification will not only give you in-depth knowledge of popular Agile practices, but it will also help you to expand your career horizons. As a CSPO, you will be sought after by leading corporates across the globe and can help organizations to make critical product decisions that maximize value, boosting their business growth.  

One of the most measurable benefits that you will get with a CSPO certification is the increase in your salary. Those who have a CSPO credential on their resume are not only more likely to be shortlisted for top roles, but they are also likely to earn up to 10% more than their non-certified peers. 

A CSPO can help you earn a salary raise of up to $7000 according to Scrum Alliance’s SALARY SURVEY OF SCRUM PROFESSIONALS 2017-2018. A CSPO’s salary can increase by approximately $2,000 in three to five years, and $12,500 in five to seven years, according to the survey.

Conclusion 

The product owner’s role is both challenging and fulfilling. Knowing when to say no to the stakeholder, helping the team understand the product vision, maximising ROI, focusing on value creation and quality and all the while acting as one with the team and not as someone above the team – all these are mission critical responsibilities that the PO must execute.  

As the demand for product owners increases, a certification such as the CSPO will go a long way in helping you enhance your toolkit and soar in your career.