Skills & Competencies for Scrum Product Owner

Scrum Product Owner job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Scrum Product Owner

Translates and communicates the product vision to Agile development teams utilizing the Scrum framework.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Scrum Product Owner

Collaborates with stakeholders to define product requirements into user stories and acceptance criteria and to produce a clearly defined backlog. Champions solutions and prioritizes requirements to deliver best value to the customer and the business. Acts as a bridge between stakeholders and development teams to remove roadblocks, resolve conflicts, and decide actions. Responsible for project budget oversight.

Scrum Product Owner SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$145,446
TOTAL 50%
$159,261
Job Level
M02
Job Code
IT10000603
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Director

Scrum Product Owner Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Scrum Product Owner skill and competencie below to view definitions.

4 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Scrum Product Owner

1 Industry Competency – Software Engineering
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Applying computer science and engineering principles, methods, and practices to design, develop, deploy, and maintain reliable software systems.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the importance of using suitable programming languages and platforms in software engineering.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Prepares engineering documentation to ensure software adheres to user expectations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Utilizes version control systems (VCS) to track and manage changes in software codes.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates and modifies existing development processes to optimize software production and reduce errors.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops optimization strategies to improve software product quality and usability.
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2 Industry Competency – Agile Methodologies
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Knowledge of the concepts, values and benefits of various agile methodologies and ability to plan, organize, and monitor IT projects to ensure continuous improvement.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Identifies and names various agile methodologies such as scrum, Kanban, and crystal.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents stakeholders' feedback to ensure quality and address potential concerns.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Researches new opportunities and tools to improve the effectiveness of agile methodologies.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees communication channels to facilitate and enhance team correspondence and accountability.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops product backlogs using agile practices to provide prioritized work plans to development teams.
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3 Scrum Product Owner - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Scrum Product Owner
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Scrum Product Owner
Proficiency Level - 5

4 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Scrum Product Owner

1 Job Family Competencies – Agile Development
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Managing software development projects by using a set of Agile methodologies, disciplines, practices, and techniques.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites examples of Agile techniques and processes used for software design and development.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Compiles a list of work to be done in each Agile-light sprint cycle for software development.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements test procedures to validate the quality of applications in an Agile environment.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates and presents detailed user stories to support agile development lifecycle.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds commercially available software using Agile development methodologies.
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2 Job Family Competencies – DevOps
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Automating and integrating the efforts of IT operations and development teams to deliver software applications faster.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites examples of industry best practices in a DevOps environment.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Applies modern DevOps practices and methodologies to enhance the flow of the project life cycle.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Configures DevOps services to support the improvement of the DevOps platform of the business.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Introduces internal DevOps tools to automate processes and make the department more efficient.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Advocates a continuous feedback system to enable the team to improve processes and incorporate client feedback.
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3 Scrum Product Owner - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Scrum Product Owner
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Scrum Product Owner
Proficiency Level - 5

12 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Scrum Product Owner

1 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Applying specific policies, tools and practices to plan and prepare projected revenues, expenses, cash flows, and capital expenditures.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Compiles a list of basic issues and risks for conducting our budget processes.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Applies established guidelines for conducting our budgeting processes.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates budget objectives and plans to help identify financial trends and create budget forecasts.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Anticipates organizational income and expenses to make forecasts and develop budget plans.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Adapts relevant industry trends on techniques in financial budgeting in our organization.
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2 Core Competencies – Planning and Organizing
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Managing and prioritizing resources and workloads by creating well-organized plans to attain organizational goals and objectives.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites potential challenges and workplace issues in delegating tasks that may impede well coordinated work.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in identifying and breaking tasks into a sequence of steps for a more organized task plan.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Aligns tasks and priorities with business goals and objectives.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates programs to improve planning and organization of work to achieve business objectives.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds and designs organizational systems and planning tools to enhance overall productivity.
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3 Scrum Product Owner - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Scrum Product Owner
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Scrum Product Owner
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Scrum Product Owner skills and competencies

There are 4 hard skills for Scrum Product Owner, Software Engineering, Agile Methodologies, Agile Project Management, etc.
4 general skills for Scrum Product Owner, Agile Development, DevOps, Scrum, etc.
12 soft skills for Scrum Product Owner, Budgeting, Planning and Organizing, Coordination, etc.
While the list totals 20 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Scrum Product Owner, he or she needs to be proficient in Budgeting, be skilled in Planning and Organizing, and be skilled in Coordination.

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