Hybrid Product/Project Manager

About the Role I'm looking for a Product Owner to permanently own projects on my behalf — someone who can bridge the gap between my business vision and the development team's execution. This is an ongoing collaboration, not a one-off gig: you'll be assigned projects and stay with them long-term as the primary point of contact. Because we're a small team, this role is a hybrid of Product Owner and Project Manager. In a large company, these are usually two separate people — a Product Owner owns the "what" (vision, requirements, priorities) while a Project Manager owns the "how and when" (scheduling, tracking, deadlines). Here, you'll do both: define what needs to be built AND keep the day-to-day organization on track (who's working on what, whether we're on schedule, following up when something slips). What You'll Be Responsible For 1. Staying in touch with developers Regular check-ins with the dev team, tracking progress, and unblocking issues as they come up. Example: if a developer is stuck because a requirement is unclear, you either make the call yourself or bring me options to decide. 2. Defining what needs to be built Turning business goals into clear, actionable requirements the dev team can execute without guessing. Example: instead of "we need a login system," you'd specify: "users log in with email and password, see an error message on incorrect password, and can reset their password via email." 3. Reviewing deliverables Checking what the team builds against requirements before it reaches me. Example: testing new functionality, confirming it meets spec, and sending clear feedback back if it doesn't. 4. Communicating with me and protecting the product vision (the most important part) Giving me regular updates (e.g. a weekly summary: what got done, what's next, any risks) and making sure everything being built stays aligned with the direction we agree on. Example: if a developer suggests a feature that's technically interesting but off-direction, you hold it back and bring it to me first. 5. Prioritization Deciding what gets worked on first based on business value when time or resources are limited. 6. Coordinating with designers (when applicable) On some projects we'll also involve designers. In those cases, you'll manage that relationship the same way you do with developers — communicating requirements, reviewing their output, and making sure design stays aligned with both the dev work and the overall vision. How We'll Work Together I'll hand you each project along with the underlying business need. How much direction I give will vary: On some projects, I'll be very specific — exact requirements, exact process. On others, I'll give you the general direction and trust you to make the key decisions — as long as the business need is met, you'll have real ownership over how we get there. The more defined a project is on my end, the closer you execute to spec. The more open it is, the more decision-making is yours — always in service of the underlying business goal. Requirements Proven experience as a Product Owner, Project Manager, or similar role coordinating technical teams Strong communication skills — comfortable talking to developers, designers, and business stakeholders Ability to translate business needs into clear technical requirements Comfortable working with ambiguity and taking ownership of decisions Organized and reliable — able to track progress across multiple workstreams Available for regular check-ins and ongoing collaboration (not a one-time project) Engagement Details Type: Ongoing / long-term, hourly Team size: Small — expect a hands-on, high-ownership role rather than a siloed one Communication: Regular updates expected (proposing weekly check-ins, adjustable) If this sounds like a good fit, please include a short note on your experience managing dev teams or product delivery, and your availability.