Product Owner – Automation for Transport, Fiber & WFM

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.