Scott Vail Cspo, Pspo
About Scott Vail Cspo, Pspo
Scott Vail is a Product Owner with extensive experience in API specifications and educational assessment platforms. He has worked at NWEA since 2019 and previously held positions at Verizon Wireless, KinderCare Education, and Take 2 Interactive.
Work at NWEA
Scott Vail serves as a Product Owner at NWEA, a position he has held since 2019. In this role, he leads the initiative for NWEA's state education assessment platform, focusing on the definition, exploration, planning, and delivery of the platform. He manages a delivery roadmap that coordinates the efforts of over 12 engineering teams across various platforms. Additionally, he serves as the Product Owner for a machine learning-derived AWS cloud-native adaptive testing engine, which supports over 500,000 student tests annually. His work involves defining and documenting API specifications that handle over 8,000 requests per second for integration partners.
Previous Experience
Before joining NWEA, Scott Vail held several positions in the technology and education sectors. He worked at KinderCare Education as a Lead Business Systems Analyst from 2006 to 2019, where he spent 13 years in the Portland, Oregon area. Prior to that, he was a Senior Quality Assurance Analyst at Verizon Wireless for one year, from 2004 to 2005. He also worked as a Quality Assurance Analyst at Take 2 Interactive from 2001 to 2003 for two years.
Education and Expertise
Scott Vail studied at the University of Maryland Baltimore County from 1995 to 2000. His educational background supports his expertise in product ownership and agile methodologies. He mentors individuals and teams on agile best practices, enhancing their product ownership capabilities. He utilizes tools such as PowerBI and Miro to effectively communicate complex technical changes to non-technical stakeholders.
Achievements in Cost Optimization
During his career, Scott Vail achieved significant cost reductions in educational simulations. He reduced the simulation cost per student from 8 cents to 1 cent, optimizing resource expenditure. This achievement reflects his focus on efficiency and effectiveness in product management.