Associate Product Owner at Thales in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Associate Product Owner Location: Noida Berger Tower Location: Noida Berger Tower, India 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 aerospace and space, cybersecurity and digital identity, we’re driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust. Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Noida focused on Cyber & Digital business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs. The Group has also established an MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility in Gurugram to provide comprehensive avionics maintenance and repair services to Indian airlines and support the growth of the local aviation industry. Key Responsibilities Set priorities and outcomes (6‑week cadence): align Product, Engineering, and Architecture on cycle objectives and measurable OKRs/KPIs (adoption, reliability, security posture, cost/performance). Collaborate with Security, Compliance, and Operations to balance customer value with security risk, readiness, and constraints; and bring clear options/trade‑offs to Planning Day (scope, dependencies, capacity). Partner with discovery/exploration (intake + feedback loop): collaborate with PM, UX, Architecture, and Security during Continuous Exploration (CE) to clarify the problem, define success metrics, and shape solution options. Align early with Engineering and Operations on implementation approach, operability, and rollout constraints; and ensure hand‑offs include decisions, assumptions, and acceptance criteria. Feed production learnings back into exploration (usability, risk signals, cost/performance). Own the delivery backlog: maintain and prioritize the backlog in partnership with Engineering and Architecture, balancing value, risk, and dependencies. Collaborate with Security/Compliance to embed policy and audit needs, and with Operations to capture reliability/observability requirements. Keep scope, acceptance criteria, and NFRs clear, and ensure items are implementation‑ready before commitment. Refine for Planning Day and execution: run collaborative refinement with Engineering, Architecture, Security, and UX to break down work into executable stories. Agree acceptance criteria and edge cases, capture NFRs (security, privacy, performance, reliability, auditability), and align on test strategy. Maintain a lightweight dependency/risk register with partner teams and secure timely decisions before committing. Enable predictable delivery and adoption: collaborate with Dev Managers and the squad(s) to set clear iteration goals, manage trade‑offs, and adjust scope through mid‑cycle checkpoints. Coordinate with Operations and Security on release readiness (runbooks, monitoring, access, incident playbooks) and drive release planning and progressive rollout with measurable success criteria. Ensure end‑of‑cycle demos/retrospectives convert into backlog and process improvements. Champion the AI‑First SDLC (secure + responsible): drive shared adoption of AI‑assisted ways of working with Product and Engineering (refinement, test ideation, defect triage, incident learnings, release notes) while maintaining human accountability. Co‑define tool/data guardrails with Architecture, Security, and Compliance; validate AI outputs; and embed automated quality/security gates across build and release. Ensure SDLC artifacts (PRDs, designs, threat models) are complete and reviewable. Qualifications Experience: 5+ years as Product Owner / Product Manager / Business Analyst in software delivery; experience in IAM, cybersecurity, or platform products preferred. AI literacy (required): strong hands‑on use of AI assistants in product + SDLC work (discovery, story writing, test ideation, review) with human accountability. You will apply Thales’ GenAI principles: CONFIDENTIALITY, QUALITY, RESPONSIBILITY, and BIAS ELIMINATION (e.g., protect sensitive data, validate outputs, ensure independent review, avoid circular validation). Leadership & communication: influence without authority; align stakeholders; model Leadership@Thales (Imagine the Future, Inspire to Engage, Deliver User‑Centric Solutions, Act with Agility, Grow Others & Self, Include Others). Preferred Skills and Experience AI‑enabled product delivery tooling: experience with tools such as Jira/Aha!/Craft.io and AI‑assisted workflows that improve refinement, traceability, and delivery speed. IAM platform mindset: experience with APIs and architecture collaboration; understanding of IAM journeys (registration, login, MFA, recovery, admin) and operability (monitoring, incident response, audit). At Thales, we’re committed to fostering a workplace where respect, trust, collaboration, and passion drive everything we do. Here, you’ll feel empowered to bring your best self, thrive in a supportive culture, and love the work you do. Join us, and be part of a team reimagining technology to create solutions that truly make a difference – for a safer, greener, and more inclusive world.