About Us - Values Overview

Department Summary

The Center for Human Identification (CHI) is an accredited forensic laboratory located on the campus of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. With funding from the state of Texas and various Federal Government agencies, CHI supports DNA testing, forensic genetic genealogy, anthropological examinations, CODIS operations, forensic training, and cutting-edge research and development initiatives. CHI also manages the Texas Missing Persons DNA Database.

Position Overview

The Senior Technical Product Manager is a key individual contributor on a small, high-impact IT development team embedded within a forensic science department. Reporting to the Director of IT Development, this role is responsible for leading the strategic planning, prioritization, and lifecycle management of custom software solutions, including Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), case management tools, system integrations, and other mission-critical applications used by forensic professionals.

This position bridges the gap between technical implementation and stakeholder needs—collaborating directly with forensic scientists, lab staff, law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, government officials, and international partners. The Senior Technical Product Manager plays a hands-on role in Agile project execution, user experience design, functional requirements gathering, backlog grooming, and quality assurance.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical fluency with excellent communication and analytical skills, and is comfortable working across disciplines to deliver modern software solutions in a sensitive, high-stakes environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in product management, business analysis, or technical project management.
• Demonstrated experience with Agile software development methodologies.
• Experience working directly with end users and technical teams to gather requirements and deliver solutions.
• Familiarity with modern web application stacks (e.g., React, .NET, Entity Framework, SQL).
• Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), version control, and QA practices.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep understanding of Agile methodologies, including backlog grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives, and story writing.
• Ability to translate complex business needs into clear, actionable product requirements.
• Comfort reviewing technical artifacts, including JSON, SQL queries, API documentation, and front-end code.
• Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills—particularly in multi-disciplinary, high-sensitivity environments.
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps (ADO) or similar tools for task management, sprint tracking, and documentation.
• Working knowledge of AI-assisted development tools and Gen UI (low-code/no-code) platforms.
• Ability to independently manage multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Commitment to ethical practices and data privacy, especially within forensic and law enforcement contexts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
• Experience in public safety, forensic science, or health data systems
• Experience working in a university, research, or government setting
• Familiarity with international collaboration or regulated data exchange

Job Duties

• Lead product strategy, planning, and prioritization for new and existing systems, including managing the product roadmap and backlog.
• Gather, document, and refine business and technical requirements by engaging stakeholders from across forensic units, labs, and external agencies.
• Collaborate with software developers and QA analysts to ensure successful sprint planning, functional testing, and delivery of software that meets end-user needs. 
• Manage and facilitate Agile ceremonies such as stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT), validate feature functionality, and contribute to quality assurance processes. 
• Create and maintain documentation for products, processes, and workflows; support knowledge sharing across the team. 
• Monitor system performance, user feedback, and stakeholder needs to drive continuous improvement and iterative design.
• Support external collaborations by coordinating with other labs, medical examiner offices, and partner agencies to gather input and align product goals. 

Physical Requirements

• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.

Environmental Hazards

• No adverse environmental conditions expected.

Work Schedule

8:00a - 5:00p, M - F, with possibility of hybrid/flexible schedule

Driving University Vehicle

No

Security Sensitive

This is a Security Sensitive Position.

Special Instructions

Applicants must submit a minimum of two professional references as part of their application. If needed, additional references can be added after the application has been submitted. Employment at HSC's Center for Human Identification is contingent upon your agreement to provide a DNA sample for purposes of quality control to detect sample contamination.

Benefits

For information regarding our Benefits, click here.

EEO Statement

The University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit -- and takes actions to prevent -- discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking) and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application, employment practices and facilities; nor permits race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sex discrimination and harassment in its admissions processes, and educational programs and activities, facilities and employment practices. The University of North Texas System promptly investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment and related retaliation and takes remedial action when appropriate. The University of North Texas System also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose any form of harassment or discriminatory practice, file a charge or report, or testify, assist or participate in an investigative proceeding or hearing.