Data Product Owner

Stockholm Environment Institute HQ seeks a Data Product Owner to lead the development and delivery of Trase’s open data products, focused on driving sustainability in global supply chains.

The role
The Data Product Owner is a new role for Trase’s open data offering, encompassing global trade, subnational supply chain maps, regional metrics on environmental and social impacts, as well as data on supply chain facilities and risk exposure. We are at a pivotal moment in Trase’s development, seeking to diversify our data offering and improve the delivery of our data products.

The primary purpose of this role is to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of Trase’s open data products, driving uptake and impact on the sustainability of commodity trade. You will work closely with Trase’s research and development (R&D) and impact teams, as well as partners, to ensure product development is informed by data and methods requirements while aligning with impact priorities.

As Data Product Owner, you will gather input from stakeholders inside and outside the team, maintain a clear vision for the data product portfolio and ensure its effective delivery. You will oversee product development decisions while playing an active, hands-on role in their delivery. Initially, this role combines product management with hands-on data science work, but as the team grows, we expect greater management responsibility.

The position will be part of Trase’s product team, working alongside data engineers, developers, a UX designer and data scientists. You will be part of a global team of leading, multinational, multidisciplinary experts.

Key responsibilities
1. Data product roadmap and portfolio management (50%)
Managing the data product roadmap of updates, improvements and new products. This includes monitoring progress, identifying delivery risks and working closely with internal teams including R&D and impact, to mitigate risks.
2. Data product strategy and user needs (20%)
Ensuring Trase’s data products align with user needs, critically appraising new innovations from R&D and partners. You will also co-own the product strategy with the Product Lead and other key team members, ensuring overall alignment of the data product roadmap with the product vision.
3. Data product delivery (30%)
Supporting the development and maintenance of data products in collaboration with the product and R&D teams. This includes delivering technical quality assurance through product sign-off against acceptance criteria and user testing.

Who you are
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in data product management and data science, with experience in sustainability within the agricultural, land-use or forestry sectors. You are motivated by making data and knowledge accessible to diverse audiences, including the private sector, governments and civil society.

You are comfortable working both independently and as part of a team in a highly flexible organization, helping set strategy and direction while delivering impactful products. You will be willing to invest time in maintenance, monitoring, documentation and processing tasks. With strong interpersonal and communication skills, you will enjoy interacting and networking with actors from different disciplines and cross-cultural settings. Respect for colleagues and fostering a supportive, fun and collaborative working environment are key values you hold.

Essential skills and experiences
• experience managing data product projects from strategy to release, including timelines, roadmaps and product evaluation
• experience developing data products, including defining dataset scope, ensuring data quality and prioritizing features to meet user needs
• competence in acquiring, processing and analyzing data using programming language such as Python or R
• proven ability to work in interdisciplinary teams with diverse stakeholders

Desirable skills and experiences
• a strong passion for achieving environmental and social impact
• experience in an applied research or technology environment where data products are mission- and user-needs driven
• experience managing data products to deliver more sustainable commodity production systems and trade systems
• proficiency in one or more of Trase’s target languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia, French, Mandarin Chinese

Our offer
At SEI HQ, we offer a stimulating position in an international environment. You will be part of an organization where employee well-being and development are top priorities. Our ambition is to provide a safe, professional and creative workspace for all.

Employment at SEI HQ includes:
• collective agreement and comprehensive benefits package including pension, parental allowance and other perks
• annual healthcare contribution and additional benefits connected to promoting employee well-being such as yearly health check-ups
• opportunities for professional growth and development
• flexible working hours, 37.5-hour work week
• 30 days of paid vacation during your first year of employment, increasing to 35 days of paid vacation from your second year onwards
• being part of a world-leading organization that works to bridge science to policy and practice in the fields of the environment and development

Additional information
This is a full-time position based at SEI HQ in Stockholm, Sweden. The start date is as soon as possible or by arrangement.

SEI has a hybrid work environment, allowing employees to split their time between the SEI office and remote work from home in Sweden. Please note that working outside of Sweden is not possible.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, genders and nationalities. We particularly encourage women and non-binary individuals to apply. Please consider applying even if you do not meet all of the qualifications listed.

You do not need to be a Swedish or EU citizen, nor have a work/residence permit in order to apply for a job at SEI HQ. SEI can provide support for work permit sponsorship if required.

How to apply
Please submit your application by 6 November 2024, 23:59 Stockholm local time. We only accept applications in English, submitted through our recruitment system that include:
• cover letter highlighting relevant qualifications, experience and your motivation for applying
• curriculum vitae/resumé

This recruitment process will take place online, with the expectation that an offer will be made by the end of the year. The process will follow these steps:
• review of CVs and cover letters
• first-round interview of 30 minutes
• a skills-based assessment
• final interview of 1 hour
• reference check