Robert Walters
IT Product Owner
- Permanent
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Experience 5 - 10 yrs
Job expiry date: 27/05/2026
Job overview
Date posted
12/04/2026
Location
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Salary
AED 30,000 - 40,000 per month
Compensation
Comprehensive package
Job description
The IT Product Owner operates within a global aluminium and metals organization managing the full value chain from bauxite mining to aluminium production and recycling, with operations spanning smelters, refinery, bauxite mine, and export activities across four continents. The role is responsible for defining the product roadmap and strategic vision aligned with overall business goals, ensuring that digital product development is driven by market insights, user feedback, and measurable business value. The Product Owner manages cross-team dependencies, engages key stakeholders, and builds strategic partnerships while leading Agile project delivery across complex business change, data transformation, and diverse change portfolios. The role requires expertise in Agile Project Management, Scrum, backlog grooming, user story creation, acceptance criteria definition, sprint planning, and release planning, alongside governance of full project delivery lifecycle from concept to production and closure. The position involves ownership of KPIs post-production, performance tracking, and reporting to senior management, while coordinating with vendors and consultants to ensure delivery within time, quality, and budget constraints. The Product Owner collaborates closely with UX/UI teams to ensure user-centered design, and leverages exposure to advanced analytics, automation, IT/control systems, and technologies such as Azure, Power BI, Python, R, SQL, Synapse, and Big Data. Operating within defined policies, the role independently determines priorities, manages risks, dependencies, and resources, and ensures alignment of outward-facing product requirements with stakeholder expectations and business objectives.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Define and communicate a clear and ambitious product vision and roadmap aligned with overall business strategy, ensuring all stakeholders, teams, and business units are consistently informed and aligned with strategic objectives and long-term product direction
- Drive end-to-end product delivery from concept through production and closure by managing multiple concurrent Agile projects, backlog items, and business change initiatives while ensuring delivery timelines, scope, and budget adherence
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align digital product requirements with business strategy, build structured engagement plans, maintain strong stakeholder relationships, and ensure alignment across cross-functional teams including design, technology, and business units
- Own and manage product-specific KPIs post-production by tracking performance metrics, analyzing outcomes, and reporting progress to senior management through established governance and reporting channels
- Translate market insights, user needs, and business requirements into detailed user stories and acceptance criteria, maintain a backlog 3–4 sprints ahead through backlog grooming, and integrate usability research and UX/UI collaboration to enhance customer-driven product design
- Lead and coordinate business change initiatives by identifying, managing, and mitigating project risks, issues, and dependencies, while ensuring delivery roadmaps are strategically aligned and continuously updated
- Manage resources and internal coordination by planning across departments, directing third-party vendors and consultants, and ensuring delivery meets defined timelines, quality standards, and budget constraints
- Facilitate Agile team activities including sprint planning, release planning, daily collaboration, and weekly demos, ensuring consistent delivery momentum, adherence to Agile principles, and alignment with project scope and objectives
Experience & skills
- Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or a relevant business field, combined with professional certifications in Project Management such as PMP, PRINCE2, Agile Project Management, or equivalent methodologies
- Demonstrate a minimum of 7+ years of overall professional experience including at least 4+ years within metals, mining, or energy sectors, with exposure to industrial operations such as smelters, refinery, or mining environments
- Exhibit proven experience leading Agile projects as a Product Owner or Scrum Master, managing complex business change initiatives, data transformation programs, and diverse project portfolios across digital and IT domains
- Possess strong expertise in full project delivery lifecycle management, including planning, execution, monitoring, and closure, as well as vendor and consultant management and cross-functional collaboration with design, technology, and business teams
- Demonstrate technical exposure to advanced analytics, automation, digital technologies, IT/control systems, and data platforms including Azure, Power BI, Python, R, SQL, Synapse, and Big Data environments
- Show proficiency in Agile delivery practices including backlog grooming, user story creation, acceptance criteria definition, sprint planning, release planning, and facilitation of Agile ceremonies within Scrum frameworks
- Apply strong planning, prioritization, and risk management capabilities, with the ability to anticipate challenges, manage dependencies, and ensure project delivery within constraints while maintaining governance proportional to project scale
- Demonstrate expertise in stakeholder engagement and communication, with the ability to influence senior business and IT leaders, collaborate on UX/UI design for user-centered products, and balance strategic planning with hands-on Agile team coaching and execution