📋 PRODUCT OWNER (M/F)

The Product Owner (PO) is responsible for ensuring the value delivered by an agile team: they manage and prioritize the product backlog, write user stories, and work closely with developers on a daily basis to turn requirements into delivered features.

🎯 Tasks

• Continuously build, prioritize, and refine the product backlog.
• Write clear user stories with their acceptance criteria.
• Facilitate agile rituals on the product side: refinement, sprint planning, and review.
• Approve deliverables and set priorities on a daily basis.
• Serve as a liaison between business stakeholders and the development team.

🛠️ Skills & Tools 2026

• Proficiency in Scrum and agile practices at scale (SAFe is commonly used in large groups).
• Tools: Jira, Confluence, Linear, Notion, Figma (reading), Postman for API products.
• Precise, functional writing; journey mapping.
• Data Culture: Interpreting Usage Metrics, Measuring Value Delivered.
• Excellent communication: The PO serves as the team's day-to-day point of contact.

💰 2026 Salaries (as reported in France)

• Junior: 40–47 k€
• Confirmed: 47–60 k€
• Senior/Lead Product Owner: 60–72 k€
• Freelance: Average daily rate of 450–700 €.

🔍 Not to be confused with

The Product Manager: The PM is responsible for strategy and discovery (the “why”), while the PO focuses on delivery and the backlog (the “how to deliver”). In small organizations, one person often fills both roles.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Does the role of PO still have a future? Yes, especially in organizations with a strong business focus (banking, insurance, manufacturing); in product scale-ups, it is converging with the role of PM.

Is certification useful? PSPO or an equivalent certification is a plus when starting out, but actual project delivery experience is far more important.

📈 Trends

Product Manager, Lead Product Owner, Product Operations, Head of Product.