Next Step Systems is hiring a Product Owner/Scrum Master, Onsite in Charlotte, NC

Product Owner/Scrum Master, Onsite in Charlotte, NC We are seeking an experienced Product Owner/Scrum Master to partner with the development team and deliver high-quality software products in an agile environment. This dual-role position bridges business needs and technical execution by owning the product backlog, driving Scrum ceremonies, and supporting overall sprint health. The role focuses on the full product lifecycle of branded applications and emerging technologies, working closely with cross-functional teams to translate business needs into prioritized development work and guide features from concept through release. This position reports to the Manager of Project Services and requires strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across distributed teams and time zones. This position is 100% Onsite in Charlotte, NC. Product Owner/Scrum Master Responsibilities: Backlog Ownership - Write and refine detailed, well-structured user stories that clearly communicate the intent, context, and value of each feature or enhancement. - Define clear, testable acceptance criteria for all user stories, ensuring all necessary details are captured and validated prior to Grooming Sessions. - Review and confirm requirements with the Product Manager and relevant Stakeholders before approving stories for development implementation. - Prioritize requirements based on client urgency as communicated by Project Managers, ensuring the backlog reflects current business priorities at all times. - Clarify functional and non-functional requirements with the Development Team, QA, and Learning & Development (L&D) teams. - Continuously reorder and groom the backlog, ensuring it accurately reflects current project priorities and is always sprint-ready. Product Goals Ownership - Contribute to and co-own the product vision and roadmap in close collaboration with the Product Manager. - Define sprint iterations and scope, translating the product roadmap into actionable, time-boxed delivery plans. Delivery Readiness - Prepare for and facilitate Sprint Demo Reviews after each iteration, ensuring stakeholders have visibility into completed work. - Facilitate Grooming and Sprint Planning Sessions to ensure the team is aligned, prepared, and confident in the upcoming sprint scope. Iteration & Sprint Responsibilities - Schedule and own all Scrum ceremonies: Daily Stand-Ups (DSUs), Grooming Sessions, Sprint Retrospectives, and Backlog Refinement meetings. - Help facilitate Grooming and Backlog Refinement sessions ensuring the team fully understands requirements and implementation details. - Own Retrospective outcomes: document all action items and follow-ups, and track their completion across sprints. - Report and track team capacity, ensuring optimal resource utilization throughout each sprint cycle. Execution & Delivery Support - Promote correct use of Jira and adherence to Scrum methodologies, in line with organizational and industry best practices. - Accountable for sprint execution, actively tracking progress toward sprint goals and ensuring commitments are met. - Communicate risks, blockers, and their potential impacts to internal stakeholders and affected parties (client communication is managed separately by Project Managers). - Develop and implement mitigation strategies when a sprint or deliverable is identified as at risk. - Proactively follow up with team members on any blockers, removing impediments to maintain sprint momentum. - Support deployment, release planning, and rollout coordination in collaboration with technical leads. - Identify and escalate individual or team performance issues to the appropriate supervisors in a timely and professional manner.