Senior IT Product Owner

Location: Bucharest, Romania

Thales is a global technology leader trusted by governments, institutions, and enterprises to tackle their most demanding challenges. From quantum applications and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and 6G innovation, our solutions empower critical decisions rooted in human intelligence. Operating at the forefront of defence and security, aerospace and space, cybersecurity and digital identity, we’re driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust.

 

In Romania, we are advancing innovation through software engineering, research and development, delivering solutions in key markets in which Thales Group operates. Our engineers design, develop and integrate solutions that impact global industries – from fully operational systems and subsystems for naval warfare and maritime security operations, to air traffic management systems, satellite-based solutions, tactical indoor simulations, identity and biometric technologies and more.

The Company

Thales, a global technology giant, stands out in the Defense & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity sectors. With an annual investment of nearly 4 billion euros in Research & Development, Thales positions itself at the forefront of innovation in key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, and cybersecurity. The group employs 81,000 people across 68 countries and generated revenues of 18.4 billion euros in 2023.

The Organisation

The Engineering & Digital department defines, develops, and deploys processes, tools, and infrastructures to address the challenges faced by systems, software, and hardware engineers at Thales Group.

You will join our Engineering Competence Center Romania department, more specifically the team associated with CortAIx activity. CortAIx is the group’s new entity dedicated to innovation in defense AI. It is composed of three pillars: CortAIx Labs focuses its efforts on research, CortAIx Sensors aims at integrating AI into sensors, and finally CortAIx Factory seeks to industrialize advanced AI solutions within the systems of armed forces, aircraft manufacturers, and airports. This initiative reflects Thales’s ambition to significantly enhance data analysis and decision-making in critical contexts, meeting high requirements for cybersecurity, embeddability, and efficiency. CortAIx relies on the expertise of over 600 AI specialists and annually engages around one hundred doctoral candidates, demonstrating the importance placed on research and innovation. With an extensive network of industrial partners, start-ups, and academic institutions, Thales establishes itself as a leader in AI for critical systems, leading in patent filings in this field in Europe. This approach is part of Thales’s long-term vision for transparent, explainable, and ethical AI, affirming its role as a pioneer in developing embeddable and secure solutions that address the sovereignty and security challenges of its clients.

Who are you?

• You hold a master’s degree in engineering, computer science, or a related field. 
• You have at least 5 years of experience supporting agile teams in a software environment 
• You are pragmatic in your approach and focus on the "why" and on measuring the objectives to be achieved.
• You know how to review technical deliverables from engineering teams (customer needs, OCDs, requirements, architecture choices, etc.).
• You can lead and manage technical engineering projects, meeting requirements with a clear vision of risks and opportunities.
• You can engage and influence a diverse range of stakeholders around clear and achievable goals.
• You can make decisions even in uncertain contexts.
• You excel in maintaining a well-refined backlog, ensuring stories are clear, actionable, and aligned with business goals

Skills

• Jira (how to use and administrate project/board/workflow), Miro
• Organization of quarterly planning / PI planning  
• Roadmap follow-up tools 
• Ability to communicate the right elements to the right people
• Expert in value driven Product Management
• Knowledge of techniques for (vertical) functional slicing of requirements into Epics/User Stories 
• Knowledge of prioritization techniques (MOSCOW, RICE, ...)
• Proficiency in writing Epics, User Stories, acceptance criteria, test scenarios (knowledge of BDD a plus)
• You have a basic understanding of software development processes, architectures, and technologies to facilitate effective communication with the team
• You can balance competing priorities and negotiate trade-offs
• Knowledge of DDD (Event storming, ...) or Service Blue print workshop a plus