State of Iowa

IT Product Portfolio Manager

State of Iowa$81K — $124K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Proven experience in IT product management and full lifecycle oversight.
  • Ability to lead cross-functional teams and engage diverse stakeholders.
  • Strong communication skills for effective stakeholder engagement and training.
  • Expertise in budgeting, vendor management, and compliance standards.
  • Strategic mindset focused on continuous improvement and risk management.

Responsibilities

  • Manage a portfolio of IT products ensuring alignment with business needs.
  • Serve as Product Owner, guiding products from ideation to deployment.
  • Collaborate with teams and vendors to define product scope and identify solutions.
  • Create and prioritize product backlogs and maintain strategic roadmaps.
  • Oversee product releases and monitor performance while managing risks.
  • Define and track performance metrics with business and IT leadership.
  • Manage vendor relationships and oversee adherence to service agreements.

Benefits

  • Flexible work environment
  • Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS)
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Generous vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Retirement savings options (RIC)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
Full Job Description
Salary : $81,203.20 - $124,883.20 Annually
Location : Des Moines - 50309 - Polk County, IA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 27-00369
Agency: 532 Iowa Department of Management
Opening Date: 08/05/2026
Closing Date: 8/16/2026 11:59 PM Central
LinkedIn Tag: #LI-POST
Point of Contact:

Job Description
The Department of Management (DOM), Division of Information Technology (DoIT), is seeking an Information Technology Specialist 5 - Product Portfolio Manager. This pivotal role will guide several complex technology products through their entire lifecycle-from initial concept to successful delivery-ensuring they align with strategic goals and meet evolving user needs. The position involves close collaboration with business and IT leadership, oversight of cross-functional fusion teams, and a commitment to continuous improvement driven by performance data and user feedback. The ideal candidate brings proven experience in agile environments and a strong history of delivering impactful, user-centered digital solutions.
What You Will Do
  • Manage a portfolio of IT products and applications, ensuring successful delivery and alignment with business needs for both internal and external users.
  • Serve as a Product Owner to guide products through all lifecycle stages-from ideation through deployment-ensuring efficiency, quality, and alignment with strategic goals.
  • Work with business SMEs, internal teams, external agencies, and vendors to define product scope, identify IT-enabled solutions, and support procurement and implementation processes.
  • Create and prioritize product backlogs and maintain roadmaps that align with long-term IT strategies and changing user and state needs.
  • Oversee product releases, ensure readiness for deployment, monitor performance, gather feedback, and manage risks affecting delivery or budget.
  • Collaborate with business and IT leadership to define and track performance metrics, ensuring all products and processes meet state, federal, and IT governance requirements.
  • Manage relationships with vendors and service providers, overseeing performance, resolving issues related to interoperability, and ensuring adherence to service level agreements (SLAs) and availability targets.
  • Oversee product IT financials, including budget planning and monitoring, while providing leadership with regular updates on product status, risks, and strategic roadmap progress.
  • Lead and manage cross-functional fusion teams, ensuring effective collaboration among IT, vendors, and business units to deliver solutions that align with business needs and budget constraints.
  • Partner with DoIT supervisors to allocate appropriate technical resources, monitor team performance, and provide ongoing support to fusion team staff.
  • Facilitate agile meetings and lead sprint reviews, ensuring team alignment on priorities and presenting outputs to stakeholders.
  • Use feedback and metrics to identify product needs and collaborate on acceptance criteria, testing, and feature delivery.
  • Collaborate with Executive Technology Officers (ETOs) and product teams to prioritize and manage product development efforts, ensuring alignment with agency needs and effectively transitioning products to enterprise services.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with client/business teams, establishing regular communication and fostering trust to ensure successful collaboration and issue resolution.

What We Are Seeking

  • Experience in IT product management and full product lifecycle oversight.
  • Ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
  • Strong communication skills for stakeholder engagement and training.
  • Expertise in budgeting, vendor management, and compliance with governance standards.
  • Strategic mindset focused on continuous improvement and risk management.

What We Offer

  • Flexible work environment
  • Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS)
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Generous vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Retirement savings options (RIC)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts

Working Arrangement

This position requires onsite work in Des Moines, IA each week. Employees meeting all expectations of their work responsibilities may request remote work and develop a hybrid/remote schedule collaboratively with their manager.

Please note, candidates for this position must reside in the state of Iowa at the time of starting the role.

Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to three years of full-time work in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security.
2) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in computer science, computer applications, software engineering, computer engineering, management information systems, business analytics, or cyber security, and experience equal to two years of full-time work in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security.

3) All of the following (a and b):

a. Three years of full-time work experience in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security; and

b. A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in any field equals one year of full-time experience.

4) All of the following (a and b):

a. Five years of full-time work experience in application development and database management, business analysis, systems and network administration, technical training and reporting, IT vendor and purchasing management, IT project management, IT product management, system testing and quality assurance, mainframe and platform administration, and/or information technology security; and

b. Either of the following:

i. Certification from an authorized educational institution/major computer or software producer in one or more of the specialty areas listed in part a; or

ii. Eighteen semester hours from an accredited college or university in one or more of the specialty areas listed in part a.
5) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes six months of full-time work as an Information Technology Specialist 4.

About State of Iowa

The State of Iowa is a government entity responsible for providing services and programs to the residents of Iowa. The state government is divided into three branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Iowa, who is responsible for implementing and enforcing state laws. The legislative branch is responsible for making laws, while the judicial branch is responsible for interpreting laws and administering justice. The State of Iowa was admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, and has since become known for its agriculture, manufacturing, and renewable energy industries.
Learn more about State of Iowa
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