Technology Team Product Owner

The Technology Team Product Owner (TTPO) is responsible for driving the evolution of UCT Online High School's custom user-facing platforms. These include the Application Portal, Guardian Portal, Marking Platform, ExamEase, and other tools required to support the efficient operation of the school. This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role that goes beyond traditional business analysis. The TTPO is accountable for gathering and validating business needs, translating them into clear product specifications, collaborating closely with the engineering team to ensure high-quality, timely delivery and ensuring solutions are thoroughly tested and embedded in the business. Responsibilities: Product Discovery & Planning Develop a deep understanding of operational processes, regulatory requirements, and user journeys across all relevant platforms. Proactively identify product opportunities for improvement, optimisation, or technical maintenance. Gather business needs through workshops, interviews, and process analysis challenging and refining assumptions where needed. Collaborate closely with the Head of Technology Operations to define, maintain, and prioritise the product backlog in alignment with strategic objectives. Requirements & Solution Design Translate business needs into well-scoped user stories, process flows, functional requirements, and acceptance criteria for implementation. Collaborate with the Engineering Manager and developers to co-design solutions and clarify technical requirements. Delivery & Quality Assurance Participate and contribute to the Technology team's agile rituals, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, and retrospectives. Coordinate with QA and business stakeholders to support system and user acceptance testing (UAT), validate releases post-deployment, and ensure quality standards are met. Stakeholder Engagement & Support Serve as a key liaison between business teams and the Engineering function. Communicate product progress, roadmap priorities, and changes clearly and regularly. Facilitate handovers to operational teams, including support documentation, demos, and training materials. Support incident triage and resolution for platform issues that require product context or business insight. Leadership Line manages junior team members, providing mentorship, support, and professional development opportunities. This includes participating in recruitment, capacity planning and performance management activities as required.

Valenture Institute partners with the world's leading education institutions to transform physical limitations into digital opportunities. We create new opportunities for students to choose an aspirational online learning experience by offering fully-supported online high school programmes. As a social enterprise, Valenture Institute is also committed to levelling the playing field and increasing access for all students through free curriculum offerings and blended learning micro schools in underprivileged communities.