Technical Product Owner (IT Manager I)

Salary: $79,600.00 - $143,300.00 Annually Location : Lexington County, SC Job Type: Time Limited - Full-Time Job Number: 186079 Agency: Department of Education Opening Date: 03/10/2026 Closing Date: 3/24/2026 11:59 PM Eastern Class Code:: AM55 Position Number:: 61150787 Normal Work Schedule:: Monday - Friday (8:30 - 5:00) Pay Grade: TEC07 Hiring Range - Min.: $79,600.00 Hiring Range - Max.: $115,000.00 Opening Date: 03/10/2026 EEO Statement: Equal Opportunity Employer Agency Specific Application Procedures:: Interested persons must complete a State Employment Application at Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The South Carolina Department of Education does not accept faxed, mailed, or hand delivered applications. Veteran Preference Statement: South Carolina is making our Veterans a priority for employment in state agencies and institutions. Job Responsibilities The mission of the South Carolina Department of Education is to serve students, support teachers, empower parents, and engage the community so that every student graduates prepared to reach their full potential. Job Purpose: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) seeks a mission-driven Technical Product Owner (TPO) to lead the delivery of technology solutions that directly support students, educators, and school districts across South Carolina. This role sits within the SCDE Office of Information Technology and serves as the primary bridge between SCDE program offices, technology teams, and implementation partners. The TPO will own the product vision, backlog, and roadmap for one or more SCDE technology translating complex requirements into actionable technical deliverables. This role requires an equally comfortable professional leading sprint planning with a development team and presenting a product roadmap to agency leadership. Responsibilities: Own, maintain, and prioritize the product backlog for assigned SCDE technology platforms, ensuring each sprint delivers measurable value to agency programs and end users. Translate program requirements, regulatory mandates (FERPA, IDEA, Title I, EDFacts), and stakeholder feedback into well-defined epics, features, user stories, and acceptance criteria. Define and maintain the product roadmap, aligning short-term sprint goals with SCDE's multi-year IT modernization strategy and managing OKRs in collaboration with IT leadership. Serve as the primary liaison between SCDE program divisions and the technology delivery team to facilitate requirements workshops, process mapping sessions, and gap analyses. Conduct user research and feedback sessions with teachers, district administrators, and SCDE staff to inform product decisions and prioritization; communicate status, decisions, and tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical audiences. Lead or actively participate in all Agile/SAFe ceremonies - sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives - and coordinate with the SCDE PMO, OIT architects, and vendor partners to manage dependencies. Support UAT planning and execution; validate that delivered features meet acceptance criteria and agency requirements before release; monitor sprint performance and work with the Scrum Master to resolve blockers. Uphold data governance, privacy, and security standards across all product decisions; maintain awareness of platform release cycles and evaluate new features for agency applicability. Assist IT leadership with budget planning, tool procurement, and vendor SLA monitoring; evaluate vendor proposals and change orders against product scope; track burn rate relative to sprint velocity and flag risks. This position is located in the Office of Information Technology. Minimum and Additional Requirements A bachelor's degree in communications, business administration, information technology, mathematics, statistics, management information science or a related field and experience in telecommunications, data processing and/or information technology. Relevant experience may substitute for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis. Preferred QualificationsMinimum of three to five (3-5) years of experience in product ownership, IT business analysis, project management, or a closely related technical role, with demonstrated experience owning and managing a technology product backlog in an Agile or SAFe delivery environment. Proven ability to translate policy, regulatory, or program requirements into technical specifications and user stories; experience with requirements documentation, process mapping, and gap analysis methodologies. Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Public Administration, Education, or a related field. At least one product owner or Agile certification required: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Professional Scrum Product Owner I or II (PSPO I/II), SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (SAFe POPM), or PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP). Experience working in government, education, healthcare, or another regulated public sector environment strongly preferred. Experience as a product owner or business analyst on a Salesforce implementation (Education Cloud, Public Sector Solutions, or NPSP); familiarity with MuleSoft Anypoint Platform integration architecture; knowledge of K-12 student information systems (PowerSchool, Skyward, Infinite Campus) and federal reporting requirements (EDFacts, IDEA, Title I). Proficiency with Jira or Azure DevOps for backlog management; experience with Power BI or Tableau for product metrics; prior SC state government IT experience; additional Salesforce certifications (Platform App Builder, Business Analyst, or Service Cloud Consultant). Additional Comments As a part of a generous compensation package, we offer comprehensive benefits that include generous paid time off, preeminent health care benefits, professional development opportunities, pension, and a 401(k). The South Carolina Department of Education offers an exceptional benefits package that includes: Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children. 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year. 15 days sick leave per year. 13 paid holidays. State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs. Professional development support including Agile and Salesforce certification pathways. ONLY THOSE APPLICANTS CHOSEN FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE NOTIFIED BY LETTER THAT THE POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED. Benefits for State Employees The state of South Carolina offers eligible employees generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid vacation and sick leave. Plus, work-life balance programs such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules are available to employees of some state agencies. Insurance Benefits Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, which includes prescription coverage and wellness benefits. Other available insurance benefits include dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability and flexible spending accounts for health and child care expenses. Retirement Benefits State employees are also offered retirement plan options, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Additionally, eligible employees may elect to participate in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program, which is a voluntary, supplemental retirement savings plan offering 401(k) and 457 plan options. Workplace Benefits State employees may also be eligible for other benefits, including tuition assistance; holiday, annual and sick leave; and discounts on purchases, travel and more. Note: The benefits above are available to most state employees, with the exception of those in temporary positions. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some or none of these benefits as benefits are associated with each position type. For these positions, contact the hiring agency to determine what benefits may be available. 01 Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the state application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted or reviewed in lieu of the application. I have read and acknowledge the above statement. Yes No 02 I understand that a criminal record investigation will be conducted prior to employment being offered by the South Carolina Department of Education. My personal identifying information will be processed through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Yes No 03 Do you have a bachelor's degree in communications, business administration, information technology, mathematics, statistics, management information science or a related field and experience in telecommunications, data processing and/or information technology? Relevant experience may substitute for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis. Yes No 04 Do you have a bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Public Administration, Education, or a related field? Yes No 05 Do you have a minimum of three to five (3-5) years of experience in product ownership, IT business analysis, project management, or a closely related technical role, with demonstrated experience owning and managing a technology product backlog in an Agile or SAFe delivery environment? Yes No 06 Do you have at least one product owner or Agile certification? Yes No 07 Do you have experience as a product owner or business analyst on a Salesforce implementation (Education Cloud, Public Sector Solutions, or NPSP); familiarity with MuleSoft Anypoint Platform integration architecture; knowledge of K-12 student information systems (PowerSchool, Skyward, Infinite Campus) and federal reporting requirements (EDFacts, IDEA, Title I)? Yes No 08 Do you have proficiency with Jira or Azure DevOps for backlog management; experience with Power BI or Tableau for product metrics; prior SC state government IT experience or additional Salesforce certifications (Platform App Builder, Business Analyst, or Service Cloud Consultant)? Yes No 09 How did you hear about this position? Careers.sc.gov Indeed.com LinkedIn Other (please specify below) 10 If you answered "other" in the question above, please specify where you heard about this position below. Required Question

Created: 2026-03-13