At Lely, we believe in achieving a sustainable, profitable and agreeable future for dairy farmers by combining robotisation, engineering and farming expertise.

It all started with a dream cherished by two brothers in Maassluis 75 years ago, and ever since, we have worked to become innovative market leaders in automated systems for dairy farmers across the globe. With a team of 2,400 professional specialists, we work constantly to bring about revolutionary solutions for the agro industry. We are based at our Maassluis Campus, a building which features the highest sustainability performance possible, not just in the Netherlands, but on a global scale. Our overall objective: making dairy farming interesting, also for the coming generations.

Would you like to work for one of the most innovative businesses in the Netherlands? Does the idea of working on robotics in the dairy farming business appeal to you? If you are a people manager and product owner rolled into one and if it gives you energy to raise your team to the next level, read on! 

As the Lead Product Owner, you will play a pivotal role in driving the vision and execution of our product portfolio. Part of your role is to ensure alignment across multiple projects and foster a collaborative and high-performing environment. You will coach and mentor a team of product owners and help them with their career path. You will be part of a team of line managers that focuses on continuously improving value delivery. Your expertise will be crucial in delivering innovative products that meet our customers' needs and exceed market expectations. 

Your main responsibilities 

Team Management: 

• Oversee a team of product owners, including performance and development. The typical team size is 7 to 14 direct reports. 
• Focus on hiring, coaching, and career development for team members. 
• Facilitate regular meetings and reviews with product owners to track progress, address challenges, and share best practices. 

Product Ownership: 

• Coach product owners on product vision, stakeholder management, product backlog management, value delivery in small increments, and frequent releases. 
• Shape and contribute to product roadmaps and prioritize backlogs by balancing customer value, opportunity enablement and technical restructuring. 
• Hosts the product owner chapter. 

Agile Practices: 

• Lead teams that work with Agile frameworks, such as Scrum or Kanban. 
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encourage the team to learn, adapt, and enhance their processes. 

We are looking for an empathetic and trustworthy professional. Someone with a keen awareness of the working environment and with excellent communication skills, who can also lead their team by acting as a role model. You have: 

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field. 
• Proven experience as a product owner in the tech industry. 
• Demonstrated experience in leading and coaching product teams. 
• Strong understanding of Agile development methodologies and practices. 
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and manage priorities in a multiple project’s environment. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach to decision-making. 
• A critical, and constructive attitude to handle the dynamics of an innovative business. 

To address the food demand and challenge for 2050, it is crucial to handle people, animals, and the environment responsibly. For us, this means being a reliable long-term partner for our customers and passing on the world to the next generation through sustainable product development. You can contribute to realizing this dream.

What can you expect in your role as a Lead Product Owner?

• Working in an international work environment within one of the most innovative organizations in the Netherlands and also the largest robot producer in Europe. 
• Excellent employment conditions, including up to 8 weeks of vacation.
• Opportunities for growth where you are in charge of your own development. 
• Space and freedom to innovate, bring in new ideas, and undertake initiatives. We not only offer this, but we also genuinely expect it. It's up to you to come up with ideas and implement them. 
• A team with enthusiastic, helpful colleagues, collaborating with product development, procurement, and other stakeholders. 
• Our Lely Academy offers various training programs, such as personality training or more job-relevant training. If you want to develop yourself but it's not in the curriculum, you discuss it with your manager. 
• The #FitatLely program with our own Lely Gym. A volleyball court, basketball court, football table, and ping pong table where you can challenge your colleagues or take a break from work. 
• Lease-a-Bike scheme to lease a new bike affordably. 
• Additionally, enjoy the services and wide range of coffee and tea from our personal barista at the Lely Campus, who makes the tastiest cappuccinos from fresh milk, directly from our own farmer from the Lely Orbiter, for example. 
• A healthy work-life balance with a hybrid policy where you are 60% on Campus. This is flexible and can be arranged in consultation with your manager. Prefer more time on our modern Campus? You are always welcome (between 06:00 a.m. and 08:00 p.m.).
• Moreover, we love to celebrate. Whether it's an anniversary or our Christmas party, at Lely, we know how to celebrate! For a feel of the atmosphere, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WA3e0WHbxE

If you want to know more about working at Lely or about the vacancy, please contact me or respond via the button.

Recruitment & selection agency, consultancy, and/or staffing agency?

We appreciate the interest, but we recruit all our candidates directly. We understand that as intermediaries, you want to present candidates for our great positions and contribute to our ambitions, but this is not how we have set up our recruitment process. This means that all unsolicited profiles offered on Lely vacancies will be treated as direct applications.