Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Affiliations
Timeline
References
Generic
Holly Estes

Holly Estes

Northglenn,CO

Summary

Dynamic professional with extensive experience at J3 Consulting LLC, adept in Agile methodology and strategic planning. Proven track record in backlog management and stakeholder engagement, driving project success and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Recognized for effective communication and leadership skills, consistently delivering value and optimizing performance metrics in complex environments.

Overview

33
33
years of professional experience
7
7
Certificate

Work History

SETA Project Lead

J3 Consulting LLC
01.2025 - Current
  • Company Overview: USDA FPAC Contract
  • Developed and managed project plans using Kanban methodology, ensuring adherence to timelines.
  • Oversaw consultant tasks and hours to maintain budgetary control.
  • Set priorities and managed workloads for timely task completion.
  • Coordinated cross-functional teams to achieve program objectives effectively.
  • Monitored program performance and risks, implementing corrective actions as needed.
  • Communicated progress and updates to J3 leadership and client stakeholders regularly.
  • Ensured compliance with government policies and regulatory requirements throughout project lifecycle.
  • Facilitated employee onboarding and access requirements to optimize team readiness.

Senior SAFe Agile Analyst

J3 Consulting LLC
06.2024 - 01.2025
  • Company Overview: USDA FPAC Contract
  • Collaborated with Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and stakeholders to align business goals and priorities.
  • Translated business needs into clear user stories and prioritized backlog items.
  • Analyzed Agile metrics to identify trends and optimize processes.
  • Presented insights on Agile metrics to stakeholders and leadership for informed decision-making.
  • Elicited, analyzed, and prioritized Agile requirements from business stakeholders.
  • Established strong relationships with stakeholders to foster collaboration throughout Agile delivery process.
  • Communicated project status, risks, and dependencies transparently to stakeholders.
  • Maintained solid understanding of SAFe Agile Processes and SDLC best practices.

Senior Product Owner/Technical Program Manager

Maxar Technologies
04.2022 - 06.2024
  • Collaborated with product owners, engineers, and program managers to refine requirements into user stories.
  • Developed roadmaps and release plans in conjunction with software teams across the program.
  • Facilitated formal sessions with Scrum teams for effective release planning and scrum-of-scrums.
  • Maintained design artifacts for system services, ensuring documentation remained up-to-date.
  • Contributed to the strategic vision of SPD SW architecture roadmap.
  • Assumed ownership of deliverables while working with multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Led design sessions with internal clients, emphasizing spacecraft flight software and dynamics analysis.
  • Resolved program requirement challenges through proactive engagement.

Product Owner III

Modivcare
09.2021 - 04.2022
  • Identified business opportunities through client engagement and market research.
  • Managed product roadmap while prioritizing product backlog effectively.
  • Drove requirement prioritization within agile sprint teams to enhance delivery outcomes.
  • Engaged internal stakeholders to gather comprehensive business requirements.
  • Defined success metrics for evaluating feature effectiveness post-release.
  • Assisted UX/UI designers with user research to inform design decisions.
  • Produced marketing collateral in collaboration with relevant departments for successful rollouts.
  • Participated in key sprint events, including planning, backlog refinement, and reviews.

Product Manager

Alethix/Intellibridge
10.2020 - 08.2021
  • Company Overview: USDA FPAC Contract
  • Primary responsibility is the creation and grooming of the program backlog.
  • Responsible for working with the business owners and product owners to calculate WSJF.
  • Participating in Program Increment (PI) Planning as well as Pre- and Post-PI Planning for Solution Trains.
  • Drive requirements discussions, adding to solution intent.
  • Drive discussions and coordination around dependencies.
  • Collaborating with Agile teams to fulfill the dependencies that occur during PI execution.
  • Primary responsible for System Demos and Solution Demos, and Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshops.
  • When appropriate, as many improvement backlog items may reflect challenges with the availability of specialized skills and dependencies.
  • Ensures alignment and focus on delivery of value.
  • Create and maintain a three (3) program increment roadmap.

Product Owner Liaison

ASRC Federal/TekSystems
08.2020 - 10.2020
  • Company Overview: USDA FPAC Contract
  • Coordinated with Scrum Master, Dev Team, and Product Managers to facilitate agile practices.
  • Managed backlog by building, editing, and maintaining items based on user value and dependencies.
  • Transformed solution themes and epics into comprehensible stories, defects, and enablers.
  • Reviewed and reprioritized backlog in preparation for Iteration Planning sessions.
  • Provided detailed story elaboration during Iteration Planning, accepting final iteration plans.
  • Ensured acceptance criteria met quality standards and aligned with user expectations.
  • Participated in team demos and retrospectives to drive continuous improvement.
  • Orchestrated Systems Demo for stakeholders, showcasing critical solution aspects.

Product Owner/Business Analyst

Travelport
03.2020 - 07.2020
  • Led Program Increment Planning (PI Planning) to align product development with strategic goals.
  • Managed and prioritized product backlog, ensuring alignment with overall product strategy.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders to develop user stories, incorporating non-functional requirements for optimal performance.
  • Communicated product vision during SAFe/Agile ceremonies to foster shared understanding among teams.
  • Planned release cycles according to roadmap, addressing key risks and removing blockers.
  • Worked closely with development teams to implement user stories and document edge cases.
  • Analyzed customer needs to drive innovation within Product Management and Delivery Team.
  • Conducted system demos at conclusion of PI to showcase progress and gather feedback.

IT Certified Scrum Product Owner - Portal Team

Nelnet/5280 Solutions
10.2016 - 02.2020
  • Company Overview: US Department of Education and Private Loan Servicing
  • Directed web development team, including mobile applications for iOS and Android.
  • Collaborated with product manager to achieve corporate objectives.
  • Championed Agile transformation and guided team in Agile principles.
  • Partnered with Scrum Master to foster team evolution under Agile framework.
  • Maintained and prioritized product backlog for optimal workflow.
  • Facilitated Agile ceremonies including daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and planning sessions.
  • Assisted development team in removing roadblocks and minimizing disruptions.
  • Engaged stakeholders to define product roadmap and requirements.

IT Business Analyst

Nelnet
12.2009 - 10.2016
  • Focused on production support and small enhancements for mainframe and web applications.
  • Mentored and trained new employees on business analysis processes and web support.
  • Facilitated team transition to Agile methodology, enhancing project adaptability.
  • Conducted Sprint Grooming and Sprint Planning meetings to prioritize tasks.
  • Maintained product backlog for web team, ensuring alignment with project goals.
  • Participated in all Agile ceremonies to promote collaboration and transparency.
  • Acted as web subject matter expert for cross-project teams, providing technical guidance.
  • Performed cost-benefit analysis to assess project feasibility and return on investment.

Product Analyst/Project Manager/Business Analyst

Fiserv ISS/Lincoln Trust Company
09.2006 - 12.2009
  • Obtained Series 6 License to enhance financial expertise.
  • Conducted cost-benefit analyses to assess project feasibility and ROI.
  • Completed comprehensive project documentation, including charters and detailed requirements.
  • Executed system and user testing to ensure functionality and performance.
  • Managed relationships between vendors, business units, and project teams for effective collaboration.
  • Reported project status to upper management, facilitating informed decision-making.
  • Maintained project schedules and budgets to meet organizational goals.
  • Applied Waterfall and Agile methodologies to optimize project execution.

Certified Paraplanner

Kathleen Lenover, Inc
05.2003 - 09.2006
  • Held Series 6 License.
  • Obtained Paraplanner Certificate.
  • Prepared documents/updates for Customer Quarterly Reviews.
  • Prepared Monte Carlo analysis for retirement planning.
  • Prepared applications/documents for customer investments.

Business Analyst

Oppenheimer Funds
12.1991 - 05.2003
  • Held Series 6 License.
  • Perform cost benefit analysis to determine feasibility and ROI of projects.
  • Complete project documentation including project charter, detailed project requirements, and project plans.
  • Perform system and user testing.
  • Manage relationships between vendors, business units and project teams.
  • Report project status to upper management.
  • Maintain project schedule and budget.
  • Practiced Waterfall.
  • Researched/corrected account issues.
  • Established and maintained new Funds in core system.

Education

Certificate - Certified Paraplanner - Financial Planning

College For Financial Planning
Denver, CO
01-2005

Skills

  • Agile methodology and program management
  • Backlog and use case management
  • Strategic planning and audience narratives
  • Acceptance criteria definition
  • User experience design
  • Government security clearance
  • RFP response management
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Continuous improvement
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Performance metrics analysis
  • Requirements analysis
  • Leadership skills
  • Effective communication
  • Conflict resolution strategies
  • Project management
  • Risk management practices
  • Data analysis techniques
  • Team leadership capabilities
  • JIRA and Confluence proficiency

Certification

  • Certified AI Product Owner, Scrum Alliance
  • Certified SAFe Agile Product Manager (APM), Scaled Agile, Inc
  • Certified SAFe Practitioner, Scaled Agile, Inc
  • Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO), Scrum Alliance
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Scrum Alliance
  • Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Scrum Alliance

Affiliations

Home Owners Association Board Member - Treasurer/Secretary

Timeline

SETA Project Lead

J3 Consulting LLC
01.2025 - Current

Senior SAFe Agile Analyst

J3 Consulting LLC
06.2024 - 01.2025

Senior Product Owner/Technical Program Manager

Maxar Technologies
04.2022 - 06.2024

Product Owner III

Modivcare
09.2021 - 04.2022

Product Manager

Alethix/Intellibridge
10.2020 - 08.2021

Product Owner Liaison

ASRC Federal/TekSystems
08.2020 - 10.2020

Product Owner/Business Analyst

Travelport
03.2020 - 07.2020

IT Certified Scrum Product Owner - Portal Team

Nelnet/5280 Solutions
10.2016 - 02.2020

IT Business Analyst

Nelnet
12.2009 - 10.2016

Product Analyst/Project Manager/Business Analyst

Fiserv ISS/Lincoln Trust Company
09.2006 - 12.2009

Certified Paraplanner

Kathleen Lenover, Inc
05.2003 - 09.2006

Business Analyst

Oppenheimer Funds
12.1991 - 05.2003

Certificate - Certified Paraplanner - Financial Planning

College For Financial Planning

References

References available upon request.
Holly Estes