Open to opportunities

Denise Ellis

@deniseellis

Message

I turn business needs into delivered software products and roadmaps.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm looking to lead product and software delivery work where I can translate business needs into clear requirements, roadmaps, and releases while partnering closely with engineering and cross-functional stakeholders.

I've spent 20+ years translating business needs into software solutions, from requirements and roadmaps through release. My foundation as a .NET developer and team lead helps me partner closely with engineering teams on practical, development-ready products.

At ADB SAFEGATE, I coordinate cross-functional teams delivering IoT software solutions across five simultaneous projects. I manage SDLC gate reviews spanning requirements, design, testing, security, and release readiness.

At MindForge, Enzee Health, and Satcom Direct, I owned requirements gathering, product discovery, feature definition, backlog prioritization, roadmaps, and release management for Agile teams. I've turned business objectives into user stories, acceptance criteria, sprint objectives, and actionable product requirements while guiding legacy modernization and greenfield initiatives.

Earlier, I led enterprise implementation work at NetJets, including a $7M application implementation with integrations, security, testing, and data conversion. I've also supported master data management, UAT planning and defect resolution, and large-scale PeopleSoft implementation governance.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Project Manager

Current

ADB SAFEGATE

Jan 2025 - Present (1 year 8 months)

Coordinated cross-functional teams delivering IoT software solutions for 5 simultaneous projects. Managed SDLC gate reviews to ensure requirements, design, testing, security, and release readiness criteria were met.

IoT SDLC Project Management Release Management

Project Manager

MindForge

Jan 2023 - Dec 2025 (2 years 11 months)

Owned requirements gathering, feature definition, backlog prioritization, and release management for two Agile development teams. Facilitated stakeholder workshops and translated business needs into actionable product requirements.

Agile Requirements Gathering Backlog Management Release Management Stakeholder Management

Product Owner & Scrum Master

Enzee Health

Jan 2022 - Dec 2023 (1 year 11 months)

Led product discovery, requirements elicitation, UX design, roadmap development, and backlog management. Translated business objectives into user stories, acceptance criteria, and development-ready requirements.

Product Discovery Elicit Requirements UX Design Roadmap Development Backlog Management User Stories Acceptance Criteria

Independent Consultant

Janus Henderson Investments

Jan 2021 - Dec 2022 (1 year 11 months)

Led requirements elicitation for enterprise master data management implementation. Documented business processes, data definitions, workflows, and acceptance criteria, and coordinated UAT planning and execution.

Master Data Management Business Process Documentation UAT

Product Manager / Product Owner

Satcom Direct

Jan 2017 - Dec 2020 (3 years 11 months)

Owned product roadmap, feature prioritization, and backlog management for multiple Agile teams. Defined initiatives, user stories, and sprint objectives while partnering closely with engineering teams.

Product Roadmap Product Feature Prioritization Backlog Management Agile User Stories Sprint Planning Release planning Stakeholder Communication

Consultant

Navigator Management Partners

Jan 2010 - Dec 2011 (1 year 11 months)

Supported large-scale PeopleSoft implementation through planning, reporting, scheduling, and governance.

Peoplesoft Project Planning Reporting Scheduling Governance

Project Manager / Senior Developer Analyst

NetJets

Jan 1999 - Dec 2010 (11 years 11 months)

Managed a $7M enterprise application implementation, including integrations, security, testing, and data conversion. Led cross-functional technical teams and developed enterprise applications using Visual Basic and .Net.