Expert Product Owner
At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely―helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long-term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close-knit, safety-focused culture working together as ONE TEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!
Job Summary
The Expert Product Owner acts as the SAFe AGILE team’s primary customer advocate, bridging the gap between business needs and technical execution. This role is responsible for continuous evolution of the solution, prioritizing the product backlog to maximize business value, and ensuring alignment with technical architecture.
While the primary focus of this role is Product Ownership, the incumbent must possess strong analytical skills and may be required to fulfill Business Analyst responsibilities as project demands dictate. When required, they will step in to perform detailed requirements elicitation, process modeling, and drafting of technical specifications to ensure the overall cohesion of product requirements. The Expert Product Owner collaborates closely with customers, Product Managers, and development teams throughout the product lifecycle.
Main Responsibilities
1. Product Vision & Backlog Management (Core)
Own, maintain, prioritize, and commit the team backlog, ensuring work focuses on maximum business value and aligns with the broader product roadmap.
Define any required Enablers, including exploration, architectural, infrastructure, and compliance enablers.
2. Business Analysis & Requirement Elicitation (As Required)
When necessary, act as the lead analyst to elicit, analyze, and document complex business requirements using interviews, workshops, and document analysis.
Draft detailed user story specifications, ensuring functional, non-functional, and UX requirements are clearly articulated for the delivery team.
3. Manage Stakeholder & Customer Relations
4. Support the Agile Delivery Process
Testing: Provide input on test data setup, perform UAT testing, and accept user stories on behalf of the customer, validating that Acceptance Criteria are met.
5. Comply with SAFe AGILE Practice
Facilitate the definition and tracking of key metrics related to the product (e.g., flow, rework, quality).
Requirements
Experience
Proven experience executing Business Analysis tasks (requirements elicitation, process modeling, and data analysis), with a willingness to perform these duties as needed.
Education/Certification/Designation
- Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, business administration or an equivalent degree and experience.
Competencies
- Knows the business and stays current on industry needs.
- Communicates with impact.
- Demonstrates agility and drives change.
- Applies critical thinking.
- Collaborates with others and shares information.
- Identifies needs and finds solutions to create value for all stakeholders.
Skills/Knowledge
- In-depth knowledge and experience of the Product Ownership discipline
- Business acumen, and the ability to communicate with executives, business domain stakeholders and technical staff alike.
- Excellent analytical and technical skills.
- Experience with SW Development methodologies (Agile, Devops, etc.).
- Familiarity with the principles of Design Thinking
- Vision and passion for building great products.
- Experienced in requirements analysis.
This position is posted as a grade 7. For internal candidates, note that the grade level of the position may adjust based on the employee's experience.
CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the Southern tip of the U.S. through a 19,500 mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. At CN, we work as ONE TEAM, focused on safety, sustainability and our customers, providing operational and supply chain excellence to deliver results.
About CN
CN is a premium railroad that sustainably generates value for our customers, shareholders, employees, and stakeholders with an unwavering commitment to safety and service. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. CN's network connects Canada's Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 20,000-mile rail network. CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN powers the North American economy and is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.
At CN, we are dedicated to building North America's safest, most inclusive and sustainable railroad, which includes reflecting the communities in which we operate. Research shows that candidates often don't apply unless they feel they fit the job posting at 100%. To all potential applicants, even if you don't meet every job requirement listed in a posting, we still encourage you to apply. If you require an accommodation for the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials, accessible meeting rooms or other accommodations), please get in touch with our team at [email protected].
As an equal opportunity employer, qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
Please monitor your email on a regular basis as communication to applicants is done via email.
