Technical Product Owner

Job Description:

Job Summary

Are you passionate about fiber optics, network visibility, and cloud‑native software platforms? Do concepts like OTDR, Data Center Interconnect (DCI), Linux-based systems, API-driven architectures, and backlog ownership drive you to build products with real operational impact?

We’re looking for a Product Owner to shape and drive our Fiber Monitoring solutions, spanning outside plant (OSP), data centers, and DCI environments. Our application is built using Docker-based microservices, orchestrated with Docker Swarm, running on Linux distributions, and exposed primarily through APIs and command-line interfaces.

You will fully own the product backlog, collaborate closely with engineering and UX, and help deliver a scalable, reliable platform used daily by operators, integrators, and customers - all within a young, dynamic, and fast-growing company.

What You’ll Do

• Own, structure, and continuously refine the product backlog, ensuring clarity, prioritization, and alignment with product vision and business goals

• Translate the roadmap into well-defined epics, features, and user stories with clear acceptance criteria

• Act as the single point of accountability for backlog priorities and scope decisions

• Represent real-world fiber monitoring, OTDR, DCI, and inventory integration use cases within the development team

• Drive product capabilities related to:

  • OTDR-based fiber monitoring (fault detection, localization, degradation analysis)

  • Real-time and in-service fiber monitoring

  • Data Center Interconnect (DCI) visibility, performance, and resiliency

  • Integration with third-party IMS / inventory systems

• Work closely with engineering, UX, architects, and integration partners in a distributed, containerized environment

• Be comfortable interacting directly with the product via:

  • REST APIs (e.g. using Postman or similar tools)

  • Command-line interfaces (CLI) for validation and troubleshooting

• Participate actively in Agile ceremonies (backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives)

• Contribute to release planning, defining objectives, scope, and success criteria

• Engage with customers and internal stakeholders to stay aligned with operational and market realities

• Ensure high standards for performance, scalability, reliability, security, and maintainability

• Act as a domain expert in fiber monitoring, optical networking, and system integration

• Promote alignment and consistency across teams, services, and integrated solutions

What We’re Looking For

Technical Skills & Domain Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of fiber optic networks and architectures (access, metro, core)

• Solid understanding or experience with OTDR technologies, including:

  • Fiber event detection and fault localization

  • Fiber characterization and quality monitoring

  • Software-based exploitation of OTDR data

• Good understanding of Data Center Interconnect (DCI) environments:

  • Inter‑DC optical connectivity

  • Performance, latency, and resiliency monitoring

• Experience in telecommunications, optical networking, or service provider environments

• Knowledge of service assurance, SLA monitoring, and automation

• Strong understanding of microservices architectures:

  • Distributed services and APIs

  • Scalability and resiliency patterns

• Hands-on familiarity with containerized platforms:

  • Applications packaged with Docker

  • Orchestrated using Docker Swarm

• Comfortable working in Linux environments, including:

  • Navigating Linux-based systems

  • Understanding logs, configurations, and runtime behavior

• Strong understanding of API-driven platforms, including:

  • REST APIs

  • API validation and testing using tools such as Postman

  • CLI-based interaction with applications and services

• Knowledge of CI/CD, DevOps practices, and cloud-native principles

• Ability to write clear functional specifications and technical documentation

• Solid knowledge of Agile and Product Ownership best practices

Tools, Platforms & Integrations (Assets)

• Experience with third-party Inventory Management Systems (IMS) used in fiber and network environments

• Experience integrating with IQGeo is a strong asset

• Experience using GitLab for:

  • Backlog and issue management

  • Collaboration with development teams

  • CI/CD visibility

• Experience with Businessmap (formerly Kanbanize) or similar tools for:

  • Flow-based work management

  • Backlog visualization and dependency tracking

  • Delivery and predictability metrics

Aptitudes & Mindset

• Strong communicator capable of bridging business, users, engineering, and external systems

• Comfortable discussing optical-layer technologies, APIs, Linux environments, and distributed architectures

• Analytical, structured, and solution-oriented

• Curious and motivated to understand how complex systems behave in production

• Autonomous, accountable, and well-organized

• Collaborative team player with a proactive mindset

• Comfortable working in multicultural and distributed teams

• Detail-oriented while maintaining a strong product vision

Must Have

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent

• Solid experience in telecom, optical networking, or network software

• Proven experience as a Product Owner or similar product role

• Fluent in English and French (spoken and written)

EXFO is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.