Technical Product Owner

<div class="content-intro"><p>Are you interested in joining a purpose-driven company in the music industry? Do you thrive in a collaborative, hybrid work environment? If you do, we would like to get to know you.</p> <p><strong> </strong><strong>WORKING AT THE MLC</strong></p> <p>The MLC is committed to excellence, service and transparency. Our culture is collaborative, and our team works in a hybrid environment. On our team, you are respected, valued for your unique strengths and experiences, and empowered to identify and resolve your own challenges.</p></div><p> </p> <p><em><span data-contrast="none">Are you interested in joining a purpose-driven company in the music industry? Do you thrive in a collaborative work environment?  If you do, we would like to get to know you.</span></em><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"><strong><span data-contrast="none">WHO IS THE MLC?</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{" 201341983":1,"335559740":317}"=""> </span></span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}">The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is a nonprofit organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office to administer blanket mechanical licenses for digital music services in the United States. We sit at the intersection of music, finance, and technology—processing billions of music usage records, matching recordings to rights holders, and helping ensure songwriters, publishers, and copyright owners are paid accurately and transparently for the use of their music. Membership with the MLC is free for songwriters and music publishers, allowing creators to register their works and receive royalties they have earned. Behind the scenes, our teams leverage data, analytics, software engineering, and operational expertise to solve complex challenges within the modern music ecosystem and support the people who create the music we all enjoy.<br></span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">WORKING AT THE MLC</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{" 201341983":1,"335559740":317}"=""> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The MLC is committed to excellence, service, transparency, and diversity. Our culture is collaborative; our people are adaptable. On our team, you are respected, valued for your unique strengths and experiences, and empowered to identify and resolve your own challenges.</span><span data-ccp-props="{" 201341983":1,"335559740":252}"=""> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">THE ROLE</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">As a Technical Product Owner, you will help translate product vision and operational needs into clearly defined, executable work for the Matching Platform. Working as part of the Matching Tech Team, you will help structure and decompose complex workflows and technical systems into well-defined requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, process flows, and development tasks that enable efficient execution across the team.</span><span data-ccp-props="{" 335559738":240,"335559739":240}"=""> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">You will contribute to shaping user-facing workflows, dashboards, and operations by understanding the systems, data, and business processes, while collaborating with stakeholders and end users to ensure solutions are practical, scalable, and aligned with The MLC’s goals. You will maintain a high-quality development backlog, support prioritization and sprint planning activities, and help ensure the team has the clarity and structure required to deliver effectively. The Matching Platform is a critical tool that enables The MLC to drive accurate royalty payments to our Members.</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">This is a fully remote role. This role <strong>requires candidates to be located within the Central or Eastern Time Zones</strong>, as the position works closely with cross-functional teams and stakeholders during standard East Coast business hours.</span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">QUALIFICATIONS</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Minimum three (3) years’ experience in a T<strong>echnical Product Owner, Product Analyst, Systems Analyst, Product Operations, or similar role within a software engineering environment</strong></span><strong><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></strong></span><strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Strong experience translating complex operational or technical requirements into well-defined user stories, acceptance criteria, process flows, and development tasks</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><strong><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Proven experience</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> with Jir</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">a</span></strong><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">, including backlog management and story decomposition</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Experience working closely with engineering teams on technical systems, APIs, workflows, and data-driven platforms</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"><strong>Proficient in SQL </strong>and comfortable working with technical systems, data models, and structured datasets</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Experience <strong>creating workflows, diagrams, wireframes, dashboards</strong>, or other user-facing operational artifacts</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Strong organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">facilitate</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> discussions between technical and non-technical audiences</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Experience working in Agile environments and </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">participating</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> in sprint planning, refinement, and </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">delivery</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> coordination activities.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Experience in music publishing, music rights, metadata systems, or </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">the </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">music</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> industry in general </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">is a plus.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{" objectid":"aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"times="" new="" roman",469777842,"times="" roman",469777843,"times="" roman",469777844,"times="" roman",201341986,"1",469769226,"times="" roman",268442635,"24",469775450,"paragraph",201340122,"2",134233614,"true",469778129,"paragraph",335572020,"1",134233118,"true",134233117,"true",469778324,"normal"]}"="">ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{" 134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"=""> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">AS A TECHNICAL PRODUCT OWNER YOU WILL:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{" 201341983":0,"335559739":120,"335559740":259}"=""> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="10" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Own and </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">maintain</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> a high-quality backlog for the Matching </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Tech</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">T</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">eam, ensuring work is clearly defined, properly prioritized, and ready for development.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="11" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Translate product discussions, operational needs, and technical concepts into user stories, acceptance criteria, process flows, diagrams, and development tasks</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="12" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Break down complex initiatives into executable units of work, </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">identifying</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> dependencies, sequencing, and implementation considerations</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="13" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">P</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">articipate in sprint planning, backlog refinement, production issue triage, and other Agile delivery activities.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="14" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Develop initial proposals for dashboards, workflows, operational tooling, and user-facing experiences for collaborative refinement with stakeholders and engineers.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="15" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Work closely with operations users and stakeholders to gather feedback, </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">validate</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> workflows, and improve operational processes within the Matching Platform.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="16" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Participate in production </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">issue</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> triage and support investigation efforts using SQL, system knowledge, and operational context.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="17" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">H</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">elp communicate delivery progress, technical concepts, and operational impacts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">AS A MEMBER OF THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM, YOU WILL:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{" 335559739":120}"=""> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="18" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Work collaboratively within an Agile environment, </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">participating</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> actively in team ceremonies, planning activities, and cross-functional discussions.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="19" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Foster clear communication and shared understanding between technical teams, operational users, and stakeholders.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="20" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Contribute to the continuous improvement of product, operational, and delivery processes across the Technology organization.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="21" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Promote structured, well-defined, and scalable approaches to workflow design, backlog management, and technical execution.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="25" data-list-defn-props="{" 335552541":1,"335559685":360,"335559991":360,"469769226":"symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}"="" data-aria-posinset="22" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto"><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">Support a collaborative, data-driven, and continuous </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing">improvement</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="No Spacing"> culture within the Technology team.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{" 201341983":1,"335559740":252}"=""> </span></p><div class="content-conclusion"><p></p> <p><strong>YOU WILL CHAMPION THE MLC’S CULTURE BY:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Embracing The MLC’s leadership values and applying The MLC’s Guiding Principles to your team’s work</li> <li>Being process-oriented, data-driven, and tech-savvy; being collaborative, curious, and open to new ideas</li> <li>Building a dynamic team; mentoring team members; developing future leaders</li> <li>Inspiring others with your enthusiasm and humility</li> </ul> <p>THE MLC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER THE MLC DOES NOT MAKE EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS BASED ON RACE, COLOR, RELIGION OR RELIGIOUS BELIEF, ETHNIC OR NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX, GENDER, GENDER-IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, MARITAL STATUS, CITIZENSHIP STATUS, DISABILITY, AGE, MILITARY OR VETERAN STATUS, OR ANY OTHER CATEGORY PROTECTED BY LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL LAW. THIS POLICY APPLIES TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING RECRUITING, HIRING, PLACEMENT, PROMOTION, TERMINATION, LAYOFF, TRANSFER, LEAVES OF ABSENCE, AND COMPENSATION.</p></div>

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...