Product Owner, Sourcing Technology

Role overview

This role is for an experienced professional with 6+ years of experience and a solid background in supply chain. The ideal candidate will bring strong product ownership and business analysis expertise, along with a good grasp of technology and a track record of taking products from concept through delivery. Experience in apparel and footwear is a welcome advantage.

You will lead product ownership for several initiatives within the Sourcing Technology space and work closely with Product Supply stakeholders. As a core member of the Sourcing Technology team, you will help drive the digital roadmap across platforms such as Global Costing, Global Supply Planning, and PO Management.

The position calls for someone who can turn business requirements into practical technology solutions, partner with stakeholders, IT vendors, and internal development teams, and manage backlogs and prioritization so that delivery stays aligned with business goals.

You will also guide team members, including Associate Analysts, support the ongoing refinement of requirements across initiatives, and help ensure successful product execution.

Product ownership and management

• Set the product direction by identifying user needs, defining goals, and driving a roadmap that supports business priorities.
• Manage the full product lifecycle from research and competitor review through concept creation, design, development, release planning, and post-launch evaluation.
• Introduce and maintain effective product management and delivery practices.
• Work with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and external partners to keep initiatives aligned with organizational objectives.
• Coordinate closely with IT vendors and internal engineering teams to deliver initiatives successfully.

Communication and stakeholder management

• Engage stakeholders to uncover business needs and ensure technology solutions support strategic objectives.
• Present the product vision, strategy, value proposition, and expected benefits clearly to build support and secure approvals.
• Collaborate with business teams, IT, vendors, and senior leaders to execute product initiatives and achieve measurable results.
• Help increase organizational awareness of product delivery approaches and ways of working.
• Manage relationships with internal and external parties so delivery stays on schedule, within budget, and consistent with VF standards.
• Share regular progress updates covering status, timelines, risks, and budget.

Business analysis

• Collect, analyze, and document business needs, then convert them into functional specifications.
• Review current systems and processes and identify opportunities to improve or optimize them.
• Oversee the rollout of system changes, enhancements, and new solutions.
• Prepare and maintain supporting documentation such as workflows, process maps, and system design materials.
• Assist QA activities, including validating test cases and supporting user acceptance testing.
• Provide training to users and L2 support after implementation when needed.
• Promote documentation and process-improvement standards that support continuous enhancement as business needs evolve.

Competency requirements

Behavioral strengths

• Self-driven and focused on delivering measurable business value.
• Able to work through ambiguity and balance competing priorities across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong communication, teamwork, and interpersonal abilities.
• Well-developed problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Comfortable explaining technical ideas, direction, and outcomes to both business and technical audiences.
• Collaborative team player who helps keep attention on priorities.

Functional strengths

• Good understanding of product management, Agile, and Scrum practices.
• Preferred background in business, functional, or digital supply chain initiatives.
• Strong business understanding, ideally in supply chain, vendor logistics, or quality management.
• Proven business analysis experience in technology environments.
• Ability to work with tools and methods such as use cases, user stories, activity diagrams, and test cases.
• Exposure to or hands-on experience with Infor Nexus, FlexPLM, KNIME workflow development, and UiPath RPA is a strong plus.
• Working knowledge of AI/ML concepts including GenAI, NLP, and data-driven decision support.
• Experience with AI-enabled solutions such as copilots, intelligent automation, and AI-assisted analytics platforms is useful.
• Understanding of agentic AI concepts, including autonomous or semi-autonomous agents, multi-agent workflows, and AI orchestration.

Academic qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field is required.
• PMP, Product Owner certification, or Agile training is an added advantage.
• Supply chain certification such as CSCP is also beneficial.

Language proficiency

The role requires fluency in English and Chinese, as there are frequent meetings with teams in Shanghai conducted in Mandarin.