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Agile Product Owner

Argonne National Laboratory · Lemont, IL · $106,455–$166,070 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

The posting says you accept all user stories. Tell me about a time you rejected work as not done. How did the team react?

What they are checking: Whether they hold the bar on acceptance criteria while keeping trust with the development team.

Tell me about a project where the scope kept growing. How did you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can protect delivery dates while being honest with stakeholders about tradeoffs.

Describe a time you had to tell a senior stakeholder no, or not yet.

What they are checking: Whether they have the relationship skills to say no without damaging trust.

What would you do

How do you decide what goes to the top of the backlog when several stakeholders each say their request is urgent?

What they are checking: Whether they can make near-term priority calls based on value and defend them, which is the core of the role.

How would you organize user acceptance testing for a business application used by lab staff who are busy with other work?

What they are checking: Whether they can get real user feedback from people who have little time to give.

How do you split your role from the Product Manager and Business Application Owner so you do not step on each other?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the boundaries between strategy, ownership and day-to-day backlog decisions.

A developer tells you a story is much bigger than everyone thought, halfway through a sprint. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they respond to new information by splitting or reprioritizing work rather than forcing the original plan.

About the work

What makes a high-quality user story, and can you give me an example of one with good acceptance criteria?

What they are checking: Whether they can write stories that developers can build and testers can verify without guessing.

How do you run sprint planning so the team feels ownership of the plan instead of being handed a list?

What they are checking: Whether they lead planning in a way that builds team autonomy and predictability, as the posting asks.

How do you measure whether the features you shipped actually delivered value?

What they are checking: Whether they look past velocity to outcomes for the people using the product.

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The full job description

As published by Argonne National Laboratory.

Business and Information Services (BIS) supports the Laboratory’s information technology, networking, software, information and cyber security, library, information management, business transformation, and service licenses. Our BIS organization is looking for an Agile Product Owner to join their team. As a Product Owner, you will collaborate with stakeholders to prioritize requirements for software development projects and maintain well-defined product backlogs. The ideal candidate must have strong leadership, relationship management, analytical, and prioritization and problem-solving skills. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Understand business needs and make near-term prioritization decisions that maximize value delivered. • Support the Product Manager and Business Application Owner in representing the vision, strategy, and roadmap during the execution of application development projects and enhancements. • Lead planning activities in a way that encourages team autonomy and predictability. • Create and manage the Scrum teams’ backlogs, ensuring high-quality user stories are defined, prioritized, and aligned with organizational goals. • Accept all user stories, regardless of effort category, ensuring acceptance criteria has been fully met. • Coordinate user acceptance testing and gathering feedback to iterate on product features. • Ensuring timely delivery of features that meet or exceed customer expectations. • Work with other teams to help manage and deliver projects on time that adhere to quality standards. • Define and align stakeholders and scrum teams on near-term development roadmaps, milestones, and release plans. • Actively participate in all scrum events and team meetings, always serving as a role model of core values. • Build good working relationships, utilizing contacts to the advantage of the work. • Consistently recommend and implement process improvements that advance the maturity and efficiency of the organization and increase customer satisfaction. • This role is mostly remote and candidates must have demonstrated success working in a remote environment and with remote tools. • This role requires on-camera meetings on a regular basis. Position Requirements • PT4: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field and at least 6 years of relevant experience in product ownership or product management • US citizenship: To perform the essential functions of this position successful applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, which is required to comply with federal regulations and contract • Prior experience in product ownership or product management • Demonstrated experience in Agile methodologies for software development projects • Strong leadership, influence, and relationship management skills • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to conduct both quantitative and qualitative analyses • Excellent written, verbal communication, and interpersonal skills • Exceptional attention to detail and problem-solving skills with a focus on prioritization • Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision • Ability to model Argonne's core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork Job Family Professional Technical (PT) Job Profile Applications Development 4 Worker Type Regular Time Type Full time The expected hiring range for this position is $106,455.00 - $166,069.80. Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package. Click here to view Argonne employee benefits! As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department. All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.

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