Product Owner, ChemInformatics Software

Merck KGaA Darmstadt Germany - Billerica, MA

Full-time

Billerica, MA

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The Product Owner, ChemInformatics Software will be part of the AIDD team responsible for our AI-based drug discovery products portfolio. We seek a highly motivated and experienced Product Owner to lead the product development of our software solution to integrate existing ChemInformatics solutions with an automated synthesis laboratory. This position will report to the Director of Software R&D and work closely with cross-functional teams, including the software development team, the automation lab scientists, and other professionals from our existing commercial products. In this role, you will be responsible for providing the product feature design and functional specifications based on product requirements. You will write feature stories to be executed by the software development team and provide the feature development schedule. You will own the software development teams' backlog and prioritize user stories to meet the needs of the business and our customers in the most effective way possible. Working with the Scrum Master, you will identify, manage, and coordinate dependencies with other teams, guiding the software development team for on-time delivery of features. You will work closely with the UI/UX team to provide guidelines and direction for optimal user experience, actively seeking feedback from business stakeholders and relaying it to the team. As the voice of the customer, you will ensure that the software development teams understand how their work relates to the needs of the business and our customers. You will understand and translate user needs into product requirements for prototype construction and final product development by the software development teams. Collaboration is key in this role, as you will work with the software development teams to define objectives and ensure the team remains focused on meeting those objectives. You will also collaborate with the software development teams to ensure timely delivery of high-quality products that meet customer needs. Additionally, you will work with the Product Manager, R&D team, and other stakeholders to define features for development, understand the science behind the features, and translate user needs properly into product requirements. You will define measurable KPIs to monitor product performance and user feedback to identify areas for improvement and optimization, creating and maintaining a product roadmap that aligns with the company's overall strategy and goals.

Responsibilities

• Provide the product feature design and functional specifications based on product requirements.
• Write features stories to be executed by the software development team.
• Provide the feature development schedule.
• Own the software development teams' backlog and prioritize user stories to meet the needs of the business and our customers in the most effective way possible.
• Work with the Scrum Master to identify, manage, and coordinate dependencies with other teams.
• Guide the software development team for on-time delivery of features.
• Work closely with the UI/UX team to provide the guideline and direction for optimal user experience.
• Actively seek feedback from business stakeholders and relay it to the team.
• Provide the voice of the customer to the software development teams to ensure they understand how their work relates to the needs of the business and our customers.
• Understand and translate user needs into product requirements for prototype construction and final product development by the software development teams.
• Collaborate with the software development teams to define objectives and ensure the team remains focused on meeting those objectives.
• Collaborate with the software development teams to ensure timely delivery of high-quality products that meet customer needs.
• Work with Product Manager, R&D team, and other stakeholders to define features for development.
• Understand the science behind the features and translate user needs properly into product requirements for prototype construction and final product development by the software development teams.
• Define measurable KPIs to monitor product performance and user feedback to identify areas for improvement and optimization.
• Create a product roadmap based on user specifications and maintain a product roadmap that aligns with the company's overall strategy and goals.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in chemistry, biology, or related field.
• Solid domain knowledge in life science area, specifically in ChemInformatics and/or LIMS.
• At least 2 years of experience in a product owner role, preferably in the scientific software industry.
• Strong understanding of scientific software in R&D and related technologies.
• Hands-on experience in Scrum and agile software development methodology and tools.
• Experience in scientific software product development.
• Proven ability to define and execute product strategy and to develop and maintain a product roadmap.
• Strong project management skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Customer-centric mindset and a passion for delivering high-quality products that meet customer needs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Nice-to-haves

• Advanced degree in life science field.
• Hands-on knowledge in ChemInformatics and LIMS.

Benefits

• Diverse and inclusive working culture.
• Opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.
• Access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace.