Lead Product Owner

In deze rol combineer je twee complementaire verantwoordelijkheden: je bent zowel people leader als Product Owner voor je eigen product of value stream. Deze balans tussen leiderschap en hands-on ownership maakt de rol zowel strategisch als operationeel.

Wat is jouw rol?

Als Lead Product Owner besteed je ongeveer de helft van je tijd aan het leiden en ontwikkelen van je team, dat kan bestaan uit een combinatie van Product Owners, Scrum Masters en Business Analysts. Je creëert een omgeving waarin zij kunnen groeien, effectief samenwerken en continu de value delivery verbeteren. Je treedt op als hun line manager, ondersteunt hun professionele ontwikkeling, geeft feedback en helpt hen navigeren in complexe stakeholderlandschappen.

De andere helft van je rol is gericht op Product Ownership binnen je eigen domein. Je definieert en communiceert de productvisie, beheert en prioriteert de backlog en werkt nauw samen met multidisciplinaire development teams om waarde in kleine increments te leveren. Je zorgt voor alignment tussen klantbehoeften, technische haalbaarheid en businessprioriteiten.

Je maakt deel uit van het bredere leadership team binnen Product Development en draagt bij aan het verbeteren van product management practices, alignment over domeinen heen en de manier waarop we waarde leveren aan onze klanten.

Your main responsibilities

• Leading and developing a team of Product Owners, Scrum Masters and Business Analysts, with focus on coaching, performance, growth, and team wellbeing.
• Creating clarity in roles, expectations, and collaboration within the product software development group.
• Acting as Product Owner for your own product or value stream, defining product vision and translating strategy into a clear and prioritized backlog.
• Ensuring effective stakeholder management across Product Management, Engineering, and other business domains.
• Driving value delivery through incremental releases and data-informed prioritization.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of Agile ways of working and product management practices within Lely.

Wat is jouw ervaring?

You are an empathetic and confident leader who combines strategic thinking with hands-on product ownership. You enjoy developing people just as much as developing products. You are able to create alignment without losing sight of individual perspectives and team dynamics.

You bring:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience as a Product Owner within a technical or software-driven environment.
• Experience in leading and coaching Product Owners or comparable roles.
• Strong understanding of Agile development methodologies (such as Scrum or Kanban).
• The ability to balance long-term product vision with short-term delivery priorities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across multidisciplinary environments.
• An analytical mindset with a structured and value-driven approach to decision-making.

Wat bieden wij jou?

Working at Lely means contributing to sustainable progress within one of the most innovative organizations in the Netherlands. You help make the agricultural sector more futureproof, and we ensure you have the space, resources, and support to do so.

• An international work environment that values collaboration, initiative, and diverse perspectives.
• A culture that encourages learning, experimentation, and ownership of ideas.
• Excellent employment conditions, including up to 8 weeks of vacation per year and a strong pension scheme.
• A salary range of €6600 - €9400 gross per month, with clear opportunities for growth within the scale.
• Full ownership of your own development, with access to a wide range of courses through the Lely Academy.
• Daily access to outstanding sports facilities at the Lely Campus: an indoor gym, outdoor padel courts, basketball and volleyball courts, table tennis, and table football. You can join Hyrox workouts or sign up for personal training and challenge your colleagues during an active break.
• Fresh coffee and tea from our own barista (with milk from our own farm) and a healthy, affordable company restaurant.

Work-life balance

• A healthy work-life balance thanks to our hybrid working policy: you work at least three days a week on Campus, with flexible hours and plenty of opportunity to spend additional time onsite (between 06:00 and 20:00).
• A free shuttle bus that takes you to and from the metro station in Maassluis, ensuring your workday starts and ends smoothly.
• And of course: we love to celebrate! Whether it’s an anniversary or the annual Christmas party.

We are also proud that our vision and efforts have been recognized with the Rotterdam Entrepreneurs Award 2025.

Over Lely

Lely ontwikkelt robots en datasystemen voor de agrarische sector, met focus op het verbeteren van animal welfare, flexibiliteit en productiviteit op dairy farms, en het ondersteunen van duurzame voedselproductie.