The role of Business Intelligence Product Owner

A Business Intelligence Product Owner will work closely with other members of the team to provide focused backlog management and iteration planning. This is a fast-paced and demanding role working with others in a bid to deliver the very best experience for customers. Liaising with the likes of Data Analysts, Marketing Managers, Product Teams and others to make informed decisions will often be an important aspect of the job.

Duties and responsibilities - What does a BI Product Owner do?

• Working collaboratively within Agile principles throughout the product life cycle
   
• Communicating with various stakeholders via reports, presentations, and consultations
   
• Using crawler technology and data processing to achieve the best results
   
• Managing the delivery of a product within both budgetary and timeframe constraints
   
• Supporting other members of the team to achieve the ultimate common goal
   
• Defining a clear product vision and identifying growth opportunities
   
• Experience with data analysis to drive strategy development

Qualities needed for a successful BI Product Owner

This is a role that attracts self-motivated individuals who have a keen eye for detail and an enthusiastic approach. BI Product Owners are keen to learn, eager to adapt and intent on using those qualities to work towards a greater good. It often involves a need to understand the business needs and communicate them accurately to the rest of the team.

Those who thrive within this role tend to have strong visionary qualities, are adept at seeing a wider picture and can work with a wide range of business users. They never forget the importance of the overarching goal and how it relates to other cogs within the wheel. A high degree of organisational skills will be a requirement, especially when they need to have control of the product backlog.

Specialists in Agile methodologies will be able to display a clear vision for the product, prepare a go to market strategy and have the ability to communicate that vision to clients as well as to the market. Knowing as much as possible about the relevant business sector and market trends will also be seen as a must. If the candidate exudes confidence and can make clear decisions, so much the better.

Qualifications and technical skills - How to become a BI Product Owner?

Every BI Product Owner vacancy will differ from others, of course, but in general they all require a range of complex skills. The most realistic candidates, for example, will be able to show knowledge and experience in the likes of coding, designing, UX design, software development, product management, product backlogs, data integration, data visualization tools and the methodologies associated with Agile working.

Not every employer requires formal academic qualifications from a candidate, but those who do will be likely to look for course or degree accreditation in subjects akin to marketing, information technology, business, computer science or mathematics. In addition, specialised certification in project management techniques such as Scrum as a Scrum Product Owner or the Scrum Complete Bundle will prove very advantageous.

Career development - What is the next step after BI Product Owner?

Those who come into this role often do so via a junior level job such as Product Assistant, or via internships or placements. Further up the career ladder, there can on occasion be opportunities to work in positions such as Senior Product Owner, Lead Product Owner, Scrum Master and Senior Scrum Master.

Salary and remuneration - How much does a BI Product Owner make?

Salary levels within Agile methodologies are on the high side, so working as a Business Intelligence Product Manager can be extremely rewarding.