This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.
Who we are:
Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional defense tech company dedicated to empowering U.S. military and government agencies with cutting-edge AI/ML and data solutions. We are a leader in autonomous data fusion and Agentic AI, with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development. With headquarters in McLean, VA, our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.
About the role:
As a Product Owner leveraging the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), you will play a critical role in supporting the development and delivery of mission-critical technology solutions within a complex defense environment. We are seeking a proven leader and problem solver who thrives in a fast-paced, high-impact setting and can drive results as part of a high-performing technical team.
In this role, you will help drive data-informed decisions, establish product priorities, and ensure the successful delivery of cybersecurity and technology capabilities. You will work closely with cross-functional teams and program leadership to align product development with organizational objectives and evolving mission requirements.
You will take ownership of product health, balancing execution, strategy, and stakeholder relationships to drive successful outcomes. This includes building and maintaining the product backlog for Program Increment (PI) Planning, collaborating with Product Management and technical leadership, and shaping the product roadmap as priorities evolve.
Day to day, you will gather and validate requirements, develop a deep understanding of the business and technical objectives behind the team's work, and ensure development efforts align with broader program goals. You will manage product roadmaps, oversee delivery execution, and provide strategic direction while adapting to shifting priorities.
Strong technical aptitude, the ability to understand complex software solutions, and a proactive approach to problem-solving are essential to success in this role.
What we are looking for:
- 15+ years of experience in program, project, or product management with a focus on SAFe and/or Scrum Agile frameworks
- Proven ability to align with Product and Delivery leadership to prioritize the product backlog
- Experience defining product functionality and writing detailed user stories and epics with strong end-user empathy
- Demonstrated skill managing sprints, including planning, review, and acceptance of completed work
- Ability to apply SAFe Agile methods to support disciplined software development and frequent inspection
- Clear, effective communication of product vision and user stories to both technical teams and clients
- Track record of delivering product acceptance criteria and ensuring quality outcomes
- Comfortable thriving in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and driving clarity where needed
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience engaging with senior DoD stakeholders
- Ability to balance day-to-day execution with long-term strategic thinking
Highly preferred:
- Experience working with DoD customers
- Track record of managing program financials, including P&L ownership
- Familiarity with data security practices
- SAFe POPM or APM certification
Clearance Requirements:
- Active Secret security clearance with ability to obtain Top Secret/SCI
Salary: $130,000.00 - $170,000.00
Work Type:
- Work is performed on-site in Colorado Springs.
What we will offer you:
- Highly competitive salary
- Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) and company match
- Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
- Education & training benefits
- Generous Referral Bonuses
- And More!
Our Vision Statement:
We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission.
Our Customer Obsession:
We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.
How do we get there?
Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking, and collaboration is a norm.
Raft’s core philosophy is Ubuntu: I Am, Because We are. We support our “nadi” by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper collaborative team where each team member brings a unique perspective, adding value that did not exist before. People make Raft special. We celebrate each other and our cognitive and cultural diversity. We are devoted to our practice of innovation and collaboration.
We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
Skills Required
- 15+ years of experience in program, project, or product management
- Experience with SAFe and/or Scrum Agile frameworks
- Ability to align with Product and Delivery leadership to prioritize the product backlog
- Experience defining product functionality and writing detailed user stories and epics
- Experience managing sprints, including planning, review, and acceptance of completed work
- Ability to apply SAFe Agile methods to support disciplined software development
- Clear communication of product vision and user stories to technical teams and clients
- Experience delivering product acceptance criteria and ensuring quality outcomes
- Ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and drive clarity
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Experience engaging with senior Department of Defense stakeholders
- Ability to balance day-to-day execution with long-term strategic thinking
- Experience working with Department of Defense customers
- Experience managing program financials, including P&L ownership
- Familiarity with data security practices
- SAFe POPM or APM certification
- Active Secret security clearance with ability to obtain Top Secret/SCI
- U.S. citizenship
What We Do
Raft is a digital consulting firm with niche expertise in the rapid delivery of modern, user-first, scalable, and data-intensive digital solutions. We accelerate the missions of our federal partners through human-centered design (HCD) and agile development practices, bringing deep technical expertise in DevSecOps, Kubernetes management, cloud-native microservice architectures, and secure, open source delivery. We put our people and our culture first. We work with some of the smartest, hardest working experts in their field. We owe it to them to make sure our team is free of meaningless restrictions and internal politics so they can focus on what they love, finding innovative solutions. We build off the Open-Source and resist vendor lock in. That way you’re not paying us to reinvent the wheel, our solutions play nice with others and are always adaptable. We know digital innovation doesn’t always operate during bank hours, so neither do we. (It's also why we don’t dress like bankers.) We aren’t afraid to go the extra mile or put in the extra time to find a solution. We get it right the first time; we won’t waste our time (and your money) trying to fix something that’s fundamentally broken. It’s kind of like making an exceptional cup of coffee, if the beans are roasted wrong, it doesn’t matter how much pumpkin spice you dump in your cup, it’s still not going to taste great. And above all else we’re up for a challenge; it’s in our DNA. Ask us about something that’s never been done, or better yet something that can’t be done, and we’ll find a way to do it. It’s just who we are. If you need a partner that’s looking toward the future and not the past, don’t go traditional, go Raft.
Why Work With Us
Raft partners with public agencies to solve hard complex problems that impact the lives of millions of Americans. We work hard to make it easy for humans to connect with data.
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