About this role
RRF_[TBD]
Product
Owner – Platform & Roadmap
Culinary Digital | Fulcrum Worldwide
Position Title
Product Owner – Platform & Roadmap
RRF Number
RRF_[TBD]
Reports To
Associate VP of Product
Location
Pune, India (Hinjawadi)
Employment
Full-Time
Experience
12–15 years total; 8+ years in product management; B2B SaaS experience
mandatory
Delivery Model
Scrum
Company Overview
Culinary
Digital, part of Fulcrum Worldwide, is a B2B SaaS company building the
Operating System for Institutional Foodservice. Our platform serves 2.5M+ meals
daily across seven verticals, including healthcare, senior living, K–12, higher
education, corrections, and food service management companies.
Our
products — CulinarySuite, CD MealPlanner, and CD Signage — connect procurement,
inventory, recipes, production, compliance, and diner experience in one
integrated system. We operate in regulated environments (HIPAA, HL7, USDA/NSLP,
audit-ready corrections records) and are actively building AI and intelligence
capabilities on an enterprise-scale platform.
Position Overview
The
Product Owner – Platform & Roadmap owns delivery of the committed product
roadmap and the platform foundation that powers all Culinary Digital products.
The role is accountable for outcomes, not activity: roadmap scope delivered,
platform stability strengthened, and commitments met on schedule.
The role
spans two layers:
• Roadmap delivery — new
modules and capabilities on the CulinarySuite roadmap, including AI-driven
insights, operational modules (e.g., commissary and catering workflows), and
enterprise client programme commitments.
• Platform foundation — architecture-level
improvements, data integrity, concurrency and infrastructure reliability,
observability, and AI/data enablement.
This is a
senior, technically strong PO role. You will make informed trade-offs with
Engineering and Architecture, then explain those decisions in business terms to
leadership, Client Delivery, and Sales.
Key Responsibilities
Committed Roadmap Delivery
• Own the Platform & Roadmap backlog end to end — prioritised,
groomed, and sprint-ready at all times
• Drive delivery against agreed roadmap scope sprint over sprint, measured
as items delivered vs. items committed into sprint
• Conduct structured discovery before development; write user stories with
clear, testable acceptance criteria (Gherkin preferred)
• Translate roadmap and client programme commitments into sequenced,
deliverable increments
Platform Technical Delivery & Stability
• Partner with Engineering and Architecture to own the platform roadmap —
scalability, reliability, and performance
• Define requirements for architecture-level work, data integrity
improvements, and concurrency/race-condition fixes that close defect classes at
the root
• Own data platform requirements — data models, data quality standards,
pipeline reliability, and cloud DB/BI access for clients
• Define requirements for AI and analytics capabilities, including
governance and benchmarking
• Drive observability, CI/CD, and environment readiness for compliance,
load testing, and scaling
• Lead root-cause analysis for critical incidents in owned areas;
distinguish requirement gaps from engineering failures
Delivery Predictability
• Deliver committed sprint scope on schedule; flag risk at least one
sprint ahead, never at sprint close
• Sequence concurrent platform priorities with explicit trade-offs
• Own Definition of Done enforcement for both feature releases and
platform capability delivery
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Visibility
• Maintain a live dependency and risk tracker across Engineering, Product,
QA, UX, and Client Delivery
• Run a recurring sync cadence with teams affected by platform sequencing
decisions
• Communicate platform investment rationale to non-technical stakeholders
in terms of business value
• Support Client Delivery and Sales with release readiness artifacts —
demo flows, release summaries, and CS briefs
Process & Documentation
• Document major decisions in real time — scope changes, architecture
trade-offs, and reprioritisation rationale
• Close the loop on deprioritised or rejected requests with documented
reasoning
• Present delivery outcomes and platform progress clearly in leadership
forums
Qualifications
Required
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology,
Engineering, or a related field
• 12–15 years of total experience, with a minimum of 8 years in product
management (Product Owner / Product Manager roles)
• Mandatory: hands-on product experience in a B2B SaaS company
• Hands-on ownership of platform, infrastructure, or technical backlogs
alongside customer-facing features
• Strong understanding of web application architecture, APIs, databases,
and integrations — enough to make informed trade-offs with Engineering
• Proven delivery against committed sprint scope, with a track record of
surfacing risk early
• Proficiency with Jira or equivalent agile tooling
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to explain technical
decisions to non-technical audiences
• Based in Pune or willing to relocate
Preferred
• Exposure to data platforms — data pipelines, data quality, BI/reporting,
or cloud database access
• Experience defining requirements for AI/ML features, including
benchmarking and governance
• Familiarity with observability, CI/CD, and performance/load testing
concepts
• SAFe or LeSS exposure
• Enterprise SaaS experience in regulated domains (healthcare/HIPAA,
public sector, education)
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or equivalent certification
What Success Looks Like
• Committed roadmap delivery rises sprint over sprint against an agreed
target
• Platform work measurably strengthens stability — root-cause fixes close
defect classes rather than patching symptoms
• Sprints have few surprises; risks are visible at least one sprint ahead
• Leadership and dependent teams have a current, trusted view of platform
dependencies and sequencing
• Key decisions are documented as they happen, making the track's choices
defensible and repeatable
• Platform investments are articulated in business value, not just
technical outcomes
Why Join Us
• Work on an enterprise-scale SaaS platform serving 2.5M+ meals daily
across the US
• Direct exposure to AI, data, and platform modernisation initiatives
• Flat structure with direct access to product leadership
• High-ownership culture with clear accountability and visible impact
• Close collaboration with US-based client and leadership teams
Culinary Digital | Fulcrum Worldwide · Pune, India · culinarydigital.com
Requirements
Scrum Facilitation and Agile
Coaching:
- Facilitate Scrum Ceremonies:
Organize and facilitate all Scrum ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, sprint
planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, ensuring they are conducted
effectively and efficiently.
- Agile Coaching: Act as a coach to
the development team, Product Owners, and other stakeholders in Scrum and Agile
best practices, promoting an understanding and adoption of Agile principles.
Continuous Improvement:
- Encourage continuous improvement within the team by
facilitating retrospectives and identifying actionable steps to enhance
processes and productivity.
Sprint Planning and Execution:
- Sprint Goal Setting: Collaborate
with the Product Owner to define sprint goals and ensure they are clearly
understood by the development team.
- Backlog Refinement: Assist the
Product Owner in refining and prioritizing the product backlog to ensure that
the team works on the highest-value features that align with business goals.
- Monitoring Progress: Track and
monitor the team’s progress against sprint goals and velocity, ensuring that
the team stays on track to meet commitments.
Impediment Removal:
- Identify and Resolve Blockers:
Proactively identify and address any impediments or blockers that may impact
the team’s ability to deliver on sprint commitments, facilitating solutions
that keeps the team moving forward.
- Advocate for Resources: Advocate
for necessary resources, tools, and support required by the team to achieve
optimal productivity and quality.
Team Development and
Performance:
- Foster Collaboration: Create a
collaborative and inclusive team environment that encourages open
communication, knowledge sharing, and a strong sense of team unity.
- Team Coaching: Provide guidance and
support to team members to enhance their skills, address challenges, and
promote career development.
- Performance Management: Support the
performance management process by providing input on individual and team
performance, helping to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
Quality and Deliverable
Management:
- Ensure Quality Standards: Work with
the development team and Product Owner to ensure that deliverables meet quality
standards and acceptance criteria before being released.
- Velocity Optimization: Monitor and
optimize team velocity to improve the predictability and efficiency of sprint
delivery.
- Commitment Management: Ensure that
the team commits to realistic and achievable sprint goals and holds the team
accountable for meeting these commitments.
Collaboration and
Communication:
- Cross-Functional Coordination:
Collaborate with Product Owners, Product Directors, and other stakeholders to
ensure alignment between development efforts and business objectives.
- Stakeholder Communication: Provide
transparent communication to stakeholders regarding sprint progress, potential
risks, and areas of improvement.
- Alignment with Product Vision:
Ensure that the team’s work aligns with the broader product vision and strategy
set by the Chief Product Officer and Product Director.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer
science, Information Technology, Business, or a related field; relevant work
experience may be considered.
- 3+ years of experience as a Scrum
Master or in a similar role within an Agile environment.
- Strong understanding of Scrum,
Agile, and Lean principles, with experience applying these methodologies in
real-world scenarios.
- Excellent facilitation, coaching,
and conflict resolution skills.
- Strong organizational skills and
attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Ability to build relationships and
work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM),
Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), or similar Agile certifications are
preferred.
- Familiarity with Agile project
management tools (e.g., JIRA, Trello, or equivalent) is preferred.
Benefits
Hiring Requirements – Product Owner, Platform & Roadmap
21 Oct 2026 · @Abhinandan Arkade
We need a senior B2B SaaS Product Owner with 12–15 years of experience (8+ in product management) to own the Platform & Roadmap track. Target hire date: 20 Nov 2026.
Role Snapshot
Field
Requirement
Position
Product Owner – Platform & Roadmap
RRF Number
RRF_[TBD]
Total Experience
12–15 years
Product Management Experience
Minimum 8 years in dedicated PO / PM roles
Industry
B2B SaaS product company — mandatory
Location
Pune (Hinjawadi); relocation candidates acceptable
Notice Period
Immediate to 30 days preferred
Budget Band
[To be confirmed]
Reports To
Associate VP of Product
Confidentiality
Need-to-know; do not disclose the team or track internally
Must-Have Criteria (Knockout)
A profile missing any one of these should not be shared.
#
Criterion
How to Verify
1
12–15 years total experience
CV timeline adds up; no unexplained gaps
2
8+ years in dedicated PO / PM roles
Count only pure PO/PM titles; blended BA/QA/delivery/PMO titles do not count
3
B2B SaaS product company experience
At least one substantial stint (2+ years) in a SaaS product company, not a services/IT consulting firm
4
Platform or technical backlog ownership
Owned infrastructure, data, architecture, or integration backlogs — not only UI features
5
Strong technical grounding
Can discuss APIs, databases, integrations, and architecture trade-offs with engineers
6
Scrum delivery experience
Has run backlog, refinement, and sprint planning as the PO
7
Strong English communication
Clear, structured spoken and written English; US stakeholder-facing
8
Pune-based or willing to relocate
Confirmed in writing before submission
Good-to-Have Criteria
These strengthen a profile but are not grounds to reject.
- Data platform exposure — pipelines, data quality, BI/reporting, cloud database access
- AI/ML feature ownership — requirements, benchmarking, or governance
- Observability, CI/CD, or performance/load testing involvement
- SAFe or LeSS exposure
- Regulated-domain SaaS — healthcare/HIPAA, public sector, education, foodservice, or supply chain
- CSPO, SAFe POPM, or equivalent certification (active, not expired)
- Experience working directly with US-based clients or leadership
Evaluation Framework
Every round assesses candidates on the same four pillars. TAG prescreens should collect early evidence against each.
Pillar
What We Look For
Evidence Expected
Business Domain Knowledge
Understands how B2B SaaS products create value; links platform work to customer and revenue outcomes
Can explain the business case behind a platform investment they owned
Agile / Scrum Process Experience
Mature PO practice — backlog ownership, discovery, acceptance criteria, sprint commitment, DoD
Can write a Gherkin scenario on the spot; explains how they flagged sprint risk early
Adaptability Within the Team
Works across Engineering, QA, UX, Client Delivery; handles shifting priorities and pushback
Specific example of resolving a priority conflict or a missed commitment
Enterprise Systems Experience
Has handled scale, integrations, data, and reliability in enterprise products
Can describe an architecture or data trade-off they made with Engineering, and its result
Prescreen Checklist
TAG must confirm every item below before a profile is shared.
- Total experience and dedicated PO/PM tenure, broken down by employer and title
- Name of the SaaS product(s) owned, the company type (product vs. services), and tenure there
- Type of backlog owned — platform/technical, customer-facing, or both
- Team size and engineering setup they worked with as PO
- Current CTC and expected CTC, with any fixed vs. variable split
- Notice period, LWD if serving notice, and buyout possibility
- Current location and relocation willingness
- Certifications held, with issue/expiry status
- Reason for change
- Any other offers in hand or interviews in final stages
Red Flags and Auto-Drop Rules
Auto-drop
- Services-only or IT consulting career with no SaaS product company stint
- PO/PM tenure built from blended titles (BA/PO, QA Lead/PO, Delivery Manager/PO)
- Total or PM experience below the band once titles are verified
- Only feature/UI backlog ownership; no platform, data, or technical exposure
Flag in prescreen notes (do not auto-drop)
- Concurrent or overlapping titles on the CV
- Expected CTC structured to land just inside the band alongside stretched tenure
- Precise improvement percentages with no baseline or context
- Expired or "in progress" certifications listed as held
- Unexplained employment gaps longer than 6 months
- Single-client career or unrelated domains (e.g., fintech, telecom) with no product ownership
Sourcing Guidance
Source from B2B SaaS product companies with enterprise customers, ideally in Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, or Mumbai.
Prioritise
Avoid
Enterprise B2B SaaS product companies (ERP, supply chain, HR/payroll, healthcare IT, field service, hospitality tech)
Pure IT services and outsourcing firms with no own product
Senior POs / PMs owning platform, data, or integration tracks
Project managers, delivery managers, or Scrum Masters relabelled as PO
Profiles with US client or leadership exposure
Consumer/B2C-only product backgrounds with no enterprise exposure
Candidates who have scaled or re-architected a live product
Profiles whose only product work is early-stage MVPs
Suggested search titles: Senior Product Owner, Lead Product Owner, Technical Product Manager, Platform Product Manager, Senior Product Manager – Platform.
Interview Process
- TAG prescreen — must-haves and checklist confirmed; profile submitted in the format below
- L1 – Hiring Manager (Abhinandan Arkade) — in-person or virtual; technical depth, platform trade-offs, live acceptance-criteria writing
- L2 – CPO (Abilash Krishnaswamy) — product leadership, business alignment, stakeholder handling
- HR round — compensation, notice period, culture fit
- Final – CEO (Ian Worden) — leadership fit and final approval
Target feedback turnaround is 48 hours per round.
Profile submission format (per candidate)
Field
Detail
Name / Current Company / Title
Total Exp / Dedicated PO-PM Exp
SaaS Product(s) Owned
Backlog Type (Platform / Customer-facing / Both)
Current CTC / Expected CTC
Notice Period / LWD
Location / Relocation
Certifications (with status)
Recruiter Notes and Flags