Job Title: Product Owner – Automation for Transport, Fiber & Workforce Management
Location: Pune
Role Summary:
We are seeking an accomplished Product Owner to lead the automation-first roadmap for Transport, Fiber Networks, Workforce Management, and GIS-based Planning Tools.
This role will focus on planning, designing and delivering automation-driven solutions that transform planning, operations, and field force efficiency, while selecting the right partners and tools to support these initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
Automation-Driven Product Ownership
- Define and own the product vision, strategy, and roadmap with automation as the core enabler across Transport, Fiber, GIS, and Workforce domains.
- Identify and prioritize high-impact automation opportunities to streamline processes, improve SLAs, and reduce costs.
- Translate automation-focused initiatives into actionable backlogs and user stories with clear acceptance criteria.
Transport & Fiber Automation:
- Lead initiatives for IP, Optical, and Fiber transport technologies (DWDM, OTN, GPON, xPON, FTTH, Metro Ethernet).
- Deliver automation frameworks for provisioning, traffic engineering, service activation, fault detection, and performance monitoring across transport and fiber networks.
- Integrate APIs between OSS/BSS, NMS/EMS, and field systems to enable closed-loop automation.
Workforce Management Automation:
- Design and deliver automation solutions for field force scheduling, dispatching, and utilization for fiber rollout and maintenance.
- Automate job assignment, SLA tracking, KPI reporting, and compliance for contractors and internal teams.
- Enable mobile-first and self-service tools to improve first-time fix rates, reduce MTTR, and optimize partner/field resources.
GIS Tools (Selection & Integration):
- Evaluate and recommend GIS-based design and planning tools to support automation in network build-out and inventory management.
- Integrate GIS tools with OSS/BSS, NMS/EMS, and workforce applications to create automated, location-aware workflows.
- Enable spatial analytics and digital twin capabilities for predictive route planning and automated as-built updates.
Partner Identification (Support Activity):
- Identify and recommend automation-ready technology partners/vendors for GIS tools, fiber rollout, and workforce solutions.
- Collaborate with procurement and leadership to assess partner capabilities and ensure compatibility with automation strategy.
- Support onboarding and integration of selected partners to ensure smooth delivery of automation-led initiatives.
Stakeholder Management
- Act as the primary liaison between business, operations, engineering, and technology teams to drive automation-first initiatives.
- Communicate product updates, risks, and performance metrics to senior leadership.
- Ensure alignment with KPIs, regulatory standards, and customer commitments.
Qualifications & Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Telecom, Computer Science, or related field (MBA preferred).
- 8+ years’ hands on experience in transport and fiber networks (IP/MPLS, Optical, OTN, DWDM, GPON, xPON, Metro Ethernet).
- Proven track record delivering automation frameworks across telecom domains.
- Strong understanding of GIS-based planning tools and their integration with OSS/BSS and automation platforms.
- Familiarity with Workforce Management Platforms (ServiceMax, Salesforce Field Service, ClickSoftware, etc.).
- Experience evaluating and recommending automation-friendly technology partners/vendors.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
Preferred Attributes:
- Experience with 5G transport, SDN/NFV, cloud-native OSS/BSS, and AI/ML analytics for automation.
- Ability to build business cases and ROI models for automation initiatives.
- Certifications: SAFe POPM, CSPO, or equivalent.
KPIs / Success Metrics:
- % of processes automated in Transport, Fiber, GIS, and Workforce Management.
- Reduction in build and maintenance cycle times through automation.
- Increased GIS and workforce tool adoption driven by automated workflows.
- Successful identification and onboarding of automation-aligned partners/vendors.
- On-time delivery of roadmap features with measurable business impact.