Principal Product Owner, Chatbot

Office of Information Technology

Exempt, Regular, Full-time, Pay Grade 4.3

Location: Adelphi, Maryland

The Product Owner | Chatbot is a member of the Engagement Platforms team. The Product Owner works to drive operations and enhancements for chatbots and potential future Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) uses. The Product Owner is the primary product specialist and manages content and analytics, maintains the chatbot backlog, participates actively in all phases of development and testing, and is a key stakeholder in prioritization, product related decisions, and release planning.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Understand and implement the vision and product direction for the chatbot and future Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) channels and develop a product roadmap

• Serve as an expert for the existing chatbot platforms (Microsoft) and identify opportunities to integrate or move to new technologies and platforms

• Create, edit, publish, and manage chatbot content, use cases, intents, and other content to optimize the performance of the bot and the information it provides to students

• Ensure chatbot content and processes are accurate, clearly written and presented, and follow established style.

• Train and optimize the bot's AI service

• Identify, create and maintain processes and integrations to support new transactions

• Analyze and manage chat data, chat transcripts, live chat escalation/CRM data, and related records to evaluate content, processes and performance; to identify trends and opportunities for improvement; and to measure the value of enhancements

• Prioritize development backlog items based on product strategy, business value to the customer, implementation cost, and resource availability

• Coordinate development and integration needs with other teams to secure necessary resources and to get items on their backlogs when needed

• Continuously groom the development backlog by recurring iterations of user story development and prioritization

• Review and demonstrate product functionality with customers and internal stakeholders

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business, technology, communications, or related field

• 5-10+ years of relevant professional experience managing chatbots, IVAs, or other customer support services

• Experience with agile and scrum processes and methods

• Experience writing formal business/functional requirements and user stories, creating mock-ups, etc.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Detail-oriented self-starter who thrives on solving problems and delivering innovative solutions to clients

• Knowledge of software development lifecycle methodologies (e.g. Waterfall, Iterative, Agile)

• Experience with translating business requirements into system functional and non-functional requirements

• Welcomes solving problems with a positive attitude, teamwork and innovation

• Excellent interpersonal skills as a collaborator and communicator with stakeholders at all levels

• An effective and persuasive communicator (written, verbal, presentation, e-mail, etc.), who is skilled at leading meetings and making presentations

• Proven ability to work in a collaborative environment - consulting frequently with team members to understand all issues, ideas, and suggestions

• Must be able to grasp the big picture vision and have the drive to make that vision a reality

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with many moving parts where information, resources, and priorities can change quickly, and where information must be readily digested and decisions made expeditiously

• Must be a proactive problem solver, innovator and able to handle multiple complex product features and tasks

All submissions should include a cover letter and resume.

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. UMGC is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, ancestry, political affiliation or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Workplace Accommodations:

The University of Maryland Global Campus Global Campus (UMGC) is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive working environment for people of all abilities. UMGC is dedicated to the principle that no qualified individual with a disability shall, based on disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the University, or be subjected to discrimination. For information about UMGC's Reasonable Workplace Accommodation Policy or to request an accommodation, applicants/candidates can contact Employee Accommodations via email at employee-accommodations@umgc.edu. 

Benefits Package Highlights:

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy 22 days of paid vacation, 15 days of sick leave, 3 personal days, and 15 paid holidays (16 during general election years). For part-time employees, time off rates will be prorated based on the number of hours worked.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access to health care, medical with vision, dental, and prescription plans for both individuals and families, effective from the 1st of the month following your hire date.
• Insurance Options: Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance. Part-time employees working less than 0.5 FTE are not eligible for LTD.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Available for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Retirement Plans: Choose between the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS).
• Supplemental Retirement Plans: include 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and various Roth options. The university does not provide matching funds.
• Tuition Remission: Immediate availability for Regular Exempt Staff. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for undergraduate tuition remission after two years of service. NOTE: For part-time employees (at least 50 percent of the time), tuition remission benefits are prorated.

Hiring Range: