Product Owner, Customer AI
Ulta Beauty, Bolingbrook, IL, United States
Overview
Live the experience. From professional empowerment to continual learning opportunities. From ongoing investment in new and emerging technologies to a career of self-determination. At Ulta Beauty, our tech team is critical to our scalability—and is recognized that way. We’ve been defined as a “mature start-up.” A place where interdepartmental exposure, open doors, and genuine collaboration is ubiquitous. Where challenges come fast and furious, requiring agility, mental dexterity, and creativity. Where our passion for better solutions drives us and is core to who we are. We’re engineering for the future of retail, and it’s no-holds-barred. For those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, and by whip‑smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you’ll find virtually nothing’s impossible at Ulta Beauty. Ulta Beauty is the largest U.S. beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin‑care, hair‑care products and salon services. We reinvented the beauty‑retail experience by offering a new way to shop for beauty – bringing together all things beauty, all in one place. We put our guests at the center of all we do, committing to offer unrivaled ways to be beautiful in an environment that provides the thrill of exploration and delight of discovery.
The Impact You Can Have The Product Owner, Customer AI plays a pivotal role in driving the development and execution of a personalized recommendations engine. This individual will own the roadmap and delivery of
personalized recommendation algorithms, promotion optimization models, and next‑best‑action capabilities
that power differentiated guest experiences. The Product Owner will work closely with data science, engineering, marketing, and personalization teams to strategically design how AI‑driven recommendations and decisions surface across digital channels, driving engagement, conversion, and loyalty.
Core Responsibilities As a core member of the Agile Scrum team, the Product Owner works closely with the Product Manager to align the product roadmap with strategic business objectives. They are responsible for managing the Product Backlog, defining and prioritizing user stories, and ensuring that the development team delivers impactful customer experiences. The role partners cross‑functionally with Marketing, IT, Analytics, and Design to identify and implement solutions that optimize the customer journey and drive measurable outcomes. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of Martech technologies, personalization frameworks, and agile methodologies, ensuring alignment between customer needs and business goals.
You’ll Accomplish These Goals By:
Facilitate sprint ceremonies, product demos, and release planning.
Drive agile best practices across the team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
Facilitate release planning with stakeholders and required product demos.
Set & communicate a clear product vision to team members & relevant stakeholders.
Partner with business and technical teams to lead the agile development lifecycle, from ideation to delivery.
Translate business needs into epics, user stories, and acceptance criteria, maintaining a prioritized and groomed Product Backlog.
Collaborate with Marketing, IT, Analytics, and Design teams to develop data‑driven, personalized digital products and experiences.
Manage dependencies across teams and act as a liaison between the delivery team and business stakeholders.
Continuously improve the product based on user feedback, A/B testing, and analytics.
Additional Responsibilities
Champion and advocate the adoption of personalized product recommendation and next‑best‑action capabilities to deliver personalized experiences.
Stay informed on Martech trends, innovations, and industry best practices to identify new opportunities for personalization.
Advocate for the voice of the customer by incorporating user feedback and insights into the product development process.
Align product priorities with organizational goals, ensuring value delivery.
The Essentials for Success
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field required.
4+ years relevant work experience, including 2+ years in a product owner role and experience operating in an agile (scrum) environment and AI/ML, personalization, or digital product recommendations.
Strong understanding of recommendation systems, predictive modeling, and optimization techniques.
Experience working with data science teams to design, test, and deploy models into production.
Knowledge of digital customer experiences, personalization strategies, and eCommerce or retail merchandising.
Experience using tools such as Jira, Confluence, Figma, and SharePoint.
Experience leading teams in an agile setting such as facilitating ceremonies, managing a backlog, developing a release plan, and writing user stories.
Domain‑specific expertise to support backlog development and blocker resolution.
Strong collaborator with cross‑functional teams across design, product, & technology.
Strong communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders, communicate complex concepts, and align the organization on required decisions.
Strong problem‑solver with the ability to manage and lead the team to a solution.
Experimental mindset to drive innovation, empower others to fail, learn, and grow.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience implementing and optimizing personalization capabilities leveraging Agentic AI tools.
Benefits & Compensation The pay range for this position is $88,200.00 - $125,000.00 per year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company’s bonus plan. Job‐level pay will be based on relevant education, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business needs. Full‑time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. Part‑time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page.
Hybrid This is a hybrid position.
About At Ulta Beauty, the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin‑care products, hair‑care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well‑established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full‑service salon in every store featuring hair, skin, brow, and make‑up services. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.
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The Impact You Can Have The Product Owner, Customer AI plays a pivotal role in driving the development and execution of a personalized recommendations engine. This individual will own the roadmap and delivery of
personalized recommendation algorithms, promotion optimization models, and next‑best‑action capabilities
that power differentiated guest experiences. The Product Owner will work closely with data science, engineering, marketing, and personalization teams to strategically design how AI‑driven recommendations and decisions surface across digital channels, driving engagement, conversion, and loyalty.
Core Responsibilities As a core member of the Agile Scrum team, the Product Owner works closely with the Product Manager to align the product roadmap with strategic business objectives. They are responsible for managing the Product Backlog, defining and prioritizing user stories, and ensuring that the development team delivers impactful customer experiences. The role partners cross‑functionally with Marketing, IT, Analytics, and Design to identify and implement solutions that optimize the customer journey and drive measurable outcomes. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of Martech technologies, personalization frameworks, and agile methodologies, ensuring alignment between customer needs and business goals.
You’ll Accomplish These Goals By:
Facilitate sprint ceremonies, product demos, and release planning.
Drive agile best practices across the team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
Facilitate release planning with stakeholders and required product demos.
Set & communicate a clear product vision to team members & relevant stakeholders.
Partner with business and technical teams to lead the agile development lifecycle, from ideation to delivery.
Translate business needs into epics, user stories, and acceptance criteria, maintaining a prioritized and groomed Product Backlog.
Collaborate with Marketing, IT, Analytics, and Design teams to develop data‑driven, personalized digital products and experiences.
Manage dependencies across teams and act as a liaison between the delivery team and business stakeholders.
Continuously improve the product based on user feedback, A/B testing, and analytics.
Additional Responsibilities
Champion and advocate the adoption of personalized product recommendation and next‑best‑action capabilities to deliver personalized experiences.
Stay informed on Martech trends, innovations, and industry best practices to identify new opportunities for personalization.
Advocate for the voice of the customer by incorporating user feedback and insights into the product development process.
Align product priorities with organizational goals, ensuring value delivery.
The Essentials for Success
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field required.
4+ years relevant work experience, including 2+ years in a product owner role and experience operating in an agile (scrum) environment and AI/ML, personalization, or digital product recommendations.
Strong understanding of recommendation systems, predictive modeling, and optimization techniques.
Experience working with data science teams to design, test, and deploy models into production.
Knowledge of digital customer experiences, personalization strategies, and eCommerce or retail merchandising.
Experience using tools such as Jira, Confluence, Figma, and SharePoint.
Experience leading teams in an agile setting such as facilitating ceremonies, managing a backlog, developing a release plan, and writing user stories.
Domain‑specific expertise to support backlog development and blocker resolution.
Strong collaborator with cross‑functional teams across design, product, & technology.
Strong communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders, communicate complex concepts, and align the organization on required decisions.
Strong problem‑solver with the ability to manage and lead the team to a solution.
Experimental mindset to drive innovation, empower others to fail, learn, and grow.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience implementing and optimizing personalization capabilities leveraging Agentic AI tools.
Benefits & Compensation The pay range for this position is $88,200.00 - $125,000.00 per year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company’s bonus plan. Job‐level pay will be based on relevant education, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business needs. Full‑time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. Part‑time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page.
Hybrid This is a hybrid position.
About At Ulta Beauty, the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin‑care products, hair‑care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well‑established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full‑service salon in every store featuring hair, skin, brow, and make‑up services. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.
#J-18808-Ljbffr