Technical Product Owner

EXFO•Montreal, QC

22d

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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
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)

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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