Specialist IoT Tech. Product Owner Lead

Join Us

At Vodafone, we’re not just shaping the future of connectivity for our customers – we’re shaping the future for everyone who joins our team. When you work with us, you’re part of a global mission to connect people, solve complex challenges, and create a sustainable and more inclusive world. If you want to grow your career whilst finding the perfect balance between work and life, Vodafone offers the opportunities to help you belong and make a real impact.

Joining Vodafone IoT’s team means being part of a growing, purpose-driven organisation at the forefront of innovation. Our teams are made up of curious minds, problem-solvers, and forward-thinkers across the world who thrive in a collaborative, high-performing, inclusive environment. 

Role Purpose

The Technology Product Owner manages the interface to the IoT Line of Business (LoB) and, in particular, to the Business Product Manager associated with your products/platform/developments. 
You will be assigned to one or more products, and their value-streams, for product development with the focus of this role on Network platforms, features and capabilities as well as Network integrations. It will be necessary to negotiate, manage and agree demand into the practice for these products and manage the backlog, new features definition, roadmap prioritisation and operational governance. IoT Network programme aims to provide new network technologies to support Vodafone IoT connectivity products and solutions like for example the introduction of 5G SA for IoT use cases.

You will work with wider practice leads, partners, technology and operations teams to build the technology plan to inform and deliver the product/platform strategy and roadmap. This will require you to have a strong technology understanding for the products that are to be developed with special focus on Network products and Network Core solutions that support for example connectivity technologies like 5G (SA and NSA), VoLTE, 4G, 2G/3G, data backhaul solutions (Internet, IP Sec or NNIs), GTP Proxy, Firewalls, Network integrations, Radius, Diameter, connectivity services provisioning. You will also align and prioritise technology innovation and customer co-creation for the practice.
You will negotiate, manage and agree demand into the practice and manage the finance and operational governance alongside other stakeholders. You will also discuss with technology functions to agree the scope of the technical integration as part of the product solution.

The product owner is responsible for the ‘how’, ensuring they support the LOB product manager (accountable for the ‘what’) to build the product roadmap, advising mandatory technology capabilities, progressing impact assessments and agreeing on behalf of the practice that the final prioritised roadmap is viable from a technology, cost and delivery perspective. 

You will work on the creation of capabilities and product feature requirements for developments working jointly with the LoB product manager. You will then translate these into lower level product/platform/operating model requirements ensuring these are underpinned by an E2E technical architecture (inc user journeys and service models) working with other roles in Technology (e.g architects and squad leads).

You will be aware and responsible for in-life technology management activities encompassing the E2E product architecture (inc service, operations etc) in so far that they relate to the 12 month feature level roadmap aligned to the product/portfolio strategy.

What you’ll do

• Manage the interface between the IoT Technology Practice and the IoT LoB Product Manager(s)
• Define the Network product features roadmap within Technology
• Agree with IoT LoB and technologies functions (VF Group Networks, suppliers) the technical product capabilities and features that support the business requirements
• Collate the Technology Strategy, Plan and requirements to inform, then deliver, the Product/Platform Strategy, Roadmap and features
• Interlock overall product/platform costs/budget/demands on the Practice with LoB Product manager, Pre-Sales, LPM, Finance and through governance. Ensuring continuous focus on cost management.
• Lead on the Network backlog management and technology planning process for the Practice (in line with Product roadmap). Support wider Network domain to manage mandatory technical debt and enablers to go onto the plan along with recommendations e.g. backlog, security & data privacy, technology insights and vendor roadmaps.
• Own demand assessment and impact analysis, ensuring the IoT Network roadmap is technically viable, cost‑optimised, and delivery‑ready.
• Drive value stream execution and governance, managing backlogs, EPICs, budgets, and sequencing into New Product Development.
• Partner with IoT Product Managers to shape network features and innovation, translating strategy into buildable requirements across global engineering teams.

Who you are

• Managing in multi-market and global environments
• Experience leading and delivering high performance through teams in Telecoms and or Technology industry roles
• Agile product development experience (e.g. SAFe, Spotify, Scrum) and qualifications
• Experience with product development tools e.g. Jira, Confluence.
• Technical product development (Network and IT integrations) / product owner experience
• Strong understanding of the Network products and technology (2G/3G/4G/5G SA and NSA, VoLTE, Radius, Diameter, Firewalls, data backhaul) – not as deep a technology understanding is required as a domain or solution architect
• Understanding of IT flows for service provisioning (previous experience on MVNO integration project is a plus)
• Brings a balance of customer, business and IoT technology understanding to relate technology solutions to product outcomes 
• Strong collaboration, communication, team working and influencing skills
• Relevant product, platforms and technology experience with exposure to Platform Eco-systems
• Ability to build E2E technology plans specific to products and platforms
• Customer centric focus ideally with experience defining capabilities and features through customer co-creation
• In-life technology management and KPI performance relevant to products
• Roll out and manage in-life vendor cost and service performance specific to products Budget management and performance
• Experience building technical specifications for products and in turn user stories, service models, in conjunction with business and technology teams
• Backlog management and prioritisation
• Working knowledge of data privacy and security by default and by design principles and alignment to Information Security frameworks

Not a perfect fit?

Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? At Vodafone we are passionate about empowering people and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to still apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another opportunity.

What's in it for you

• Bonus on top of the gross salary.
• Meal voucher (Ticket Restaurant), additional to gross salary.
• Flexible working hours from Monday to Thursday, and an intensive schedule on Fridays.
• Intensive Summer Schedule during July and August.
• Up to 20 days per year of 100% remote work from other locations.
• Private Health and Life Insurance for employees.
• 25 vacation days, plus December 24th and 31st off.
• Optional Pension Plan.
• Access to an online learning platform for continuous training.

Who we are

With more than 200 million device connections around the world, Vodafone IoT is a global leader in managed IoT connectivity – connecting people, places and devices. We help create a smarter, more sustainable, and more connected world - from enabling smart cities and autonomous vehicles to transforming healthcare, agriculture, and logistics. Our work shapes the digital future of businesses – allowing them to effectively manage and monitor their operations using IoT. As a global leader in IoT connectivity – operating in more than 180 countries across the globe - we empower individuals, businesses, and entire industries to unlock their potential through technology that’s secure, scalable, and future-ready. Vodafone IoT is a subsidiary of Vodafone Group.  

Vodafone Group is a leading international Telco, serving millions of customers.  At Vodafone, we believe that connectivity is a force for good. If we use it for the things that really matter, it can improve people's lives and the world around us. Through our technology we empower people, connecting everyone regardless of who they are or where they live and we protect the planet, whilst helping our customers do the same. 

Belonging at Vodafone isn’t a concept; it’s lived, breathed, and cultivated through everything we do. You’ll be part of a global and diverse community, with many different minds, abilities, backgrounds and cultures.  We’re committed to increase diversity, ensure equal representation, and make Vodafone a place everyone feels safe, valued and included.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey, for example, extended time or breaks in between online assessments, please refer to https://careers.vodafone.com/application-adjustments/ for guidance.

Together we can.