Product Manager

At Robots & Pencils, we build meaningful, scalable digital products that solve real business problems. We are seeking an experienced Product Owner to work embedded within cross-functional delivery teams, owning product execution across complex digital platforms.

About the role

One of the key initiatives this role may support involves building a next-generation academic degree planning platform for a large public university. The platform is designed to help students and advisors navigate degree requirements, course sequencing, and graduation planning through a centralized, interactive experience. It aims to reduce friction for students making critical academic decisions while giving advisors better visibility into student progress.

Product Ownership & Delivery
• Manage the product backlog, ensuring work is clearly defined, prioritized, and aligned to business outcomes
• Translate business needs and stakeholder requests into structured requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria
• Partner closely with engineering and design to ensure requirements are well understood and delivered with quality
• Support sprint planning, backlog refinement, and day-to-day execution to keep delivery on track
• Identify and manage dependencies, risks, and scope changes throughout the delivery lifecycle

Requirements & Analysis
• Elicit, analyze, and document functional and technical requirements across multiple stakeholders
• Break down complex business processes into clear, actionable work for delivery teams
• Ensure traceability between business needs, requirements, and delivered solutions
• Continuously refine requirements based on feedback, testing, and evolving priorities
• Support QA and UAT efforts by clarifying expected behavior and validating outcomes

Stakeholder Collaboration
• Facilitate working sessions, requirement discussions, and decision-making forums
• Communicate progress, risks, and tradeoffs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Build strong relationships with client stakeholders and serve as a trusted partner in delivery

Product Thinking & Continuous Improvement
• Frame requests in terms of user and business outcomes, not just features 
• Support prioritization decisions by balancing business value, technical constraints, and delivery timelines
• Contribute to defining scope and iterative delivery plans
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, workflows, and product experience
• Leverage data, feedback, and team insights to continuously improve the product

Required Skills & Experience

• 6–10 years of experience in a Product Owner, Product Manager, or similar role.
• Strong understanding of agile delivery practices and product ownership responsibilities.
• Strong client communication and relationship management skills.
• Strategic thinking paired with a pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset.
• Consultative problem-solving and the ability to guide conversations beyond immediate deliverables.
• Adaptable, calm under pressure, and comfortable navigating ambiguity.
• High accountability, ownership, and follow-through.
• Collaborative, outcome-driven, and user-centered.

Why Join Robots & Pencils?
At Robots & Pencils, Product Owners play a critical role in shaping how ideas become impactful digital products. You’ll work alongside architects, engineers, and designers to deliver modern solutions across mobile, cloud, and AI-enabled platforms, while building trusted client partnerships and driving meaningful outcomes.