Senior Product Owner AI

The IT department is in full build mode: we are growing and structuring the team to support a major ERP transformation, an AI automation portfolio, and a NIS2 compliance program all running in parallel. Joining now means being part of the architecture, not inheriting a finished department. The right profile is comfortable with ambiguity, thrives in a context where processes are being defined rather than followed, and brings a genuine appetite for continuous improvement.

The Senior PO AI is the hands-on product owner for the ARIANE portfolio (Naturacare’s internal AI-driven automation and application program). The role spans the full value chain: frame use cases against business outcomes, write the functional specs and user stories, and directly build and ship lightweight AI-powered applications and automation flows using LLMs and Claude Code as the primary delivery tools. This is not a coordination profile: the Senior PO AI ships the first working version, validates it with business sponsors, and hands off to the AI Full Stack Developer (joining H2 2027) when scope requires a full three-tier production application. The role also enforces the non negotiable read-and-propose guardrail and aligns IT and business functions across all 5 sites

1. ARIANE Backlog, Portfolio Governance and Agile Facilitation

• Own the ARIANE backlog at portfolio level: intake, scoring, prioritization, and sequencing of AI use cases across all business functions and all 5 sites
• Frame each use case as a product increment: problem statement, value hypothesis, acceptance criteria, and KPIs
• Arbitrate between business value, technical complexity, and risk; escalate to CIO when trade-offs exceed the team’s authority
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies for ARIANE: backlog refinement, sprint planning, sprint review, and retrospective
• Coordinate with Domain Leads for Commercial and Supply Chain & Manufacturing as use-case sponsors for ERP-adjacent automations
• Maintain the ARIANE backlog documentation in Slite; keep stakeholders informed of delivery status

2. Hands-on Delivery: Lightweight Apps, Specs, and AI-Assisted Shipping

• Write functional specifications and user stories for each ARIANE use case; own the acceptance criteria and sign-off with the business sponsor
• Build and iterate lightweight AI-powered applications (prompt interfaces, simple data forms, reporting tools, internal dashboards) using LLMs and Claude Code as copilot
• Use n8n as the integration layer when the use case is event-driven or requires connecting multiple systems
• Write the technical handover spec when a use case requires the AI Full Stack Developer (three-tier app, custom agent, CI/CD pipeline)
• Maintain documentation for every shipped asset: architecture decision, guardrail confirmation points, rollback procedure

3. AI Governance and Guardrail Enforcement

• Own and maintain the guardrail register: document each ARIANE automation’s human-in-the-loop confirmation point and escalation path
• Enforce the read-and-propose guardrail without exception: no AI-triggered write to any production system without explicit human confirmation
• Monitor ARIANE automations in production; flag behavioural drift or out-of-scope actions to the CIO
• Evaluate new LLM capabilities, vendor changes, and model upgrades against the guardrail framework; recommend adoption or rejection with rationale
• Prepare and maintain AI governance documentation for NIS2 audit packs and corporate governance audit readiness

Education

• Desired: Degree in product management, business, computer science, or any field combined with strong product and AI practice
• Required: No mandatory certification; demonstrated AI product delivery experience is the true qualifier

Experience

• Minimum 3 years in software product management or AI product ownership
• Direct, hands-on experience building and shipping lightweight applications or AI-powered tools in a live production context
• Experience writing functional specs and user stories that feed a delivery team; comfort owning the full cycle from brief to validated production
• Exposure to industrial, regulated, or multi-site operational environments is a strong plus (CDMO, pharma, food manufacturing, or logistics)
• Proven ability to operate in a build-from-scratch context: no pre-existing playbook, no mature process to inherit

Technical skills

• LLM-assisted product delivery: using Claude Code or equivalent to design, build, iterate, and ship lightweight applications without a dedicated developer
• Agile/Scrum: backlog refinement, sprint ceremonies, product increment framing; certified or equivalent hands-on experience
• Comfortable reading API documentation, understanding data contracts, and configuring integrations
• n8n or equivalent workflow automation tooling: sufficient fluency to design and operate event-driven integration flows
• AI governance concepts: guardrails, human-in-the-loop design, model drift awareness, responsible AI frameworks

Soft skills

• Strategic judgment: distinguishes between high-value automations and noise; comfortable saying no and defending the priority call
• Hands-on bias: moves from spec to working prototype without waiting for a developer to be available
• Clear communicator across technical and non-technical audiences, in French and English
• Comfortable in a structuring environment: builds process as they go, contributes to continuous improvement

Languages

• French: required (primary language at the NFR Montaigu base site)
• English: required (group working language for cross-site stakeholder communication, vendor relations, and LLM tooling documentation)

NATURACARE (€100 million, 400 employees), headquartered in France (Pays de la Loire region), specializes in the design and manufacture (contract manufacturing and packaging) of dietary supplements and cosmetics at five sites across four European countries.

Special Conditions / Job Constraints

• Base location: NFR Montaigu (Vendée, France)
• Multi-site travel: 1 to 2 visits per year to each of the 5 Naturacare entities (FR, BE, IT, NL) for on-site stakeholder alignments and use-case workshops
• Role is operational from day one: the ARIANE backlog and guardrail framework require immediate ownership; onboarding grace period is 4 weeks

What Naturacare Offers

• A pioneer mandate in a company actively investing in AI: build the AI product function from scratch with full CIO backing
• Direct access to the CIO and COMEX: your work is visible, consequential, and not buried in a layer of middle management
• A growing IT team in structuring: processes and ways of working are being built, not imposed; your contribution shapes how the department operates
• A modern AI-powered delivery stack (Claude Code, LLMs, Azure, n8n) used daily to build and ship real applications; AI is the primary tool, not a side feature
• A team that grows with you: the AI Full Stack Developer and the Digital Platforms Lead join progressively from 2027, expanding what you can deliver without adding bureaucracy
• Group-wide scope: real operational complexity across 5 European plants, not a single-site sandbox
• A permanent CDI contract in a growth-stage industrial group with a strong digital transformation agenda