What does a product owner do?
Product owners are a central feature of Agile management, most often found in dynamic industries such as technology, e-commerce and financial services. Their primary function is to create a profitable and user-centric product by acting as the main voice of the customer. By translating market insights into actionable development tasks, they ensure the final product delivers maximum value and supports the company’s strategic goals.
Product owner skills and qualifications
Strong candidates often demonstrate communication, analytical and leadership skills, which may be important for success in this role. Cross-functional collaboration, technical aptitude and effective time management are also valuable competencies that set top candidates apart. Other skills that may be required for the job include:
- Backlog management
- Stakeholder management
- Data analysis
- Proficiency with project management tools
- Understanding of UI/UX principles
- Knowledge of software development and product lifecycles
Product owner experience requirements
Product owners typically require some prior experience in domains such as product management, sales, marketing and data analysis. Many develop relevant skills through roles such as business analyst, project manager or product manager. Candidates with a combination of these backgrounds often bring valuable perspectives to the role.
Product owner education and training requirements
There are no mandatory education requirements to become a product owner, but the technical nature of the role may mean candidates with a background in computer science may be more competitive.
Since product owners often work in Agile environments, a deep familiarity with these frameworks is valuable in day-to-day responsibilities. In some organisations, practical experience in business or product development is prioritised over formal qualifications. However, a certification such as Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) is often seen as strong proof of expertise. The extent to which a product owner applies Scrum or Agile will depend on how fully a business has adopted these practices and whether stakeholders remain key decision-makers.
Product owner salary expectations
According to data on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing, the average salary for a product owner is £57,694 per year. Salary may be dependent on experience, location and company.
Job description samples for similar positions
If a product owner job description is not quite what you’re looking for, here are some related titles:
Product owner job description FAQs
What are the five levels of product owner roles?
The five levels of product owner role are:
- Scribe – manages product backlog and communicates stakeholder requirements to the development team
- Proxy – makes certain decisions about product backlog alongside stakeholders
- Business representative – makes decisions about product backlog without stakeholder input
- Sponsor – manages their own budget and development team
- Entrepreneur – takes full responsibility for the product and product backlog
What should a product owner not do?
A product owner should not act as a team manager. Their responsibility is to manage the product backlog and guide the product’s direction, rather than overseeing people. They should also avoid working in isolation, involving the development team in setting goals to create more effective solutions.
How do you define the success of a product?
Product success is often defined using metrics such as customer satisfaction, adoption rates and achievement of project goals. Product owners may also track progress against sprint or release objectives, using these insights to guide further development and maximise value.
How do product owners prioritise items in the backlog?
Product owners use techniques such as value-based prioritisation or the MoSCoW method to focus on the most critical tasks. Scope management also helps define the essential components of each release. Some product owners may also apply frameworks like the Kano model to balance customer satisfaction with business objectives.
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
