Senior Product Owner – Research & Ontology

Challenge yourself and us

At AdvanceWorks, we learn together, grow together, and have fun together. And we do all this while creating great software solutions for clients across many industries and geographies.

We are constantly challenging ourselves and each other to use the latest technologies and the best methodologies and make sure we walk the talk.

About the project

You will join a project as part of the team responsible for its AI research initiatives, semantic search capabilities, ontology and metadata frameworks, and AI-powered product features. These capabilities support AI products and the strategic AI initiatives across its product portfolio.

The work sits where research and product delivery meet. New ideas in semantic search, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), knowledge discovery, ontology evolution and metadata enrichment are explored, tested and prototyped. The team then turns the ones that work into scalable, customer-facing solutions. Part of the challenge is making sure promising research becomes a product with clear business value, clear ownership and clear delivery expectations.

The team works closely across Product Management, Engineering, Architecture, AI, Research, Data, Platform, UX and business teams. Together, they define how systems interact, how knowledge is retrieved and structured, and how metadata standards and ontology models support AI-powered experiences. Every initiative must also meet governance, security, privacy, regulatory, explainability and customer requirements.

The problems are complex and connected. They involve distributed systems, cloud-based software, information retrieval, Large Language Models (LLMs), vector databases and knowledge representation, all within a wider product ecosystem. Product decisions here need to balance what customers need now with scalability, maintainability, discoverability and long-term business goals.

What will be your role

We are looking for a Senior Product Owner – Research & Ontology to lead the strategic development of AI research initiatives, semantic search capabilities, ontology and metadata frameworks, and AI-powered features within AI products.

In this role, you will help shape and execute the vision, roadmap and priorities for areas such as semantic search, RAG, knowledge discovery, ontology evolution, metadata management and AI content experiences. You will need a deep understanding of both the technical and functional sides of the product: how it works, what makes it unique, and how it fits into user needs and the company’s overall strategy.

A key part of your role will be guiding initiatives from discovery and experimentation through validation, productisation and delivery. You will make sure that success criteria, business value, ownership and delivery expectations are clear before implementation starts. You will also manage smooth handoffs between Research, Ontology and Delivery, and coordinate dependencies across multiple products.

You will work closely with Product Managers, Architecture, Engineering Managers, Tech Leads, researchers, ontology specialists, engineers, designers and business stakeholders. Your job is to keep everyone aligned and to explain complex AI, ontology and technical concepts in clear language. As a senior member of the team, you will also coach other Product Owners and share your experience and good practices.

Your responsibilities will include

• Collaborating with Product Managers, Engineering, Architecture, AI teams and business stakeholders on the vision, roadmap and strategic direction of Enhesa’s AI research initiatives, ontology capabilities and AI-powered products.
• Defining and prioritising AI research initiatives, semantic search capabilities, ontology improvements, metadata enrichment strategies and AI-powered customer experiences.
• Contributing to the strategy, roadmap and priorities for semantic search, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), knowledge discovery, ontology evolution, metadata management and AI content experiences.
• Ensuring that AI research initiatives, ontology models, metadata frameworks and AI features meet governance, security, privacy, regulatory, explainability and customer requirements.
• Working with Architecture, Engineering and AI teams to define system interactions, knowledge retrieval approaches, metadata standards, ontology structures and AI solution capabilities.
• Coordinating delivery across multiple products and making sure dependencies, ownership transitions and delivery handoffs are clearly defined and managed.
• Moving initiatives from research, experimentation and prototyping into product delivery, with success criteria, business value, ownership and delivery expectations agreed before implementation begins.
• Giving teams enough customer context, business understanding, user workflows, prototypes and solution goals to make informed product and technical decisions throughout the product lifecycle.
• Coordinating with Architecture, Engineering Managers, Tech Leads, researchers and engineers so everyone shares the same understanding of requirements, priorities, technical constraints and business objectives.
• Prioritising complex AI and ontology backlog items based on business value, customer impact, technical dependencies, risk and delivery sequencing.
• Writing user stories and acceptance criteria that clearly describe product requirements, expected behaviours, customer outcomes and quality standards.
• Delivering as much business value as early as possible through effective planning, prioritisation and stakeholder alignment.
• Working with Product Management, UX and business stakeholders to validate customer workflows, AI adoption patterns, usability expectations and future product opportunities.
• Keeping stakeholders aligned on priorities, features, delivery status, risks, dependencies, blockers and strategic objectives.
• Coaching Product Owners within the team by sharing experience, good practices and expertise to support their professional growth.

What should you bring to the team?

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related field.
• At least 3–5 years of experience as a Product Owner.
• Experience delivering cloud-based software projects.
• Strong knowledge of Agile methodologies and prioritisation frameworks, with hands-on implementation experience.
• Knowledge of distributed systems, APIs, microservices and modern software architectures, and an understanding of how AI, search, ontology and data capabilities fit into wider product ecosystems.
• Experience working with data platforms, metadata management, information retrieval systems and system interoperability.
• Knowledge of ontology management, taxonomy design, knowledge representation, semantic technologies, metadata frameworks or information architecture concepts.
• Experience with semantic search, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, knowledge discovery and AI-powered user experiences.
• Familiarity with AI solutions, Large Language Models (LLMs), retrieval-based systems, AI evaluation approaches and AI governance concepts.
• Experience working with Research, Architecture, Engineering, Data and Platform teams to turn technical designs and research outcomes into product requirements, roadmaps and customer-facing capabilities.
• Experience guiding initiatives from discovery, experimentation and research through validation, productisation and delivery.
• Experience moving initiatives from research and experimentation into scalable product capabilities is a plus.
• Knowledge of Jira, Confluence and other product management and collaboration tools.
• Strong written, verbal and visual communication skills, with the ability to explain complex AI, ontology, metadata and technical concepts in language stakeholders can easily understand.
• Experience managing a wide range of stakeholders across Product Management, Research, Engineering, Data, Architecture, business teams and internal clients.
• Ability to align teams and drive results without direct authority, encouraging collaboration, resolving conflicts and building shared accountability.
• Systems thinking, with the ability to assess complex product ecosystems, knowledge domains, ontologies, metadata frameworks, AI capabilities, content workflows and organisational dependencies.
• Ability to anticipate, assess and address risks, uncertainties and dependencies through critical thinking and adaptability.
• Ability to turn strategic objectives into actionable priorities and deliverables, balancing business value, technical complexity, dependencies and risk.
• Strong problem-solving skills, balancing customer needs, business value, technical feasibility and strategic priorities.
• Experience coaching junior Product Owners and helping them grow in a safe environment, based on good industry practices.
• Availability to work in a hybrid model, with 4 days per month at the office in Lisbon.

What is in it for you

• An amazing informal culture of smart, hardworking, and friendly people who support and care about each other.
• A mentorship program from day one.
• The opportunity to work with real-world operational data from tolling and Intelligent Transportation Systems.
• The opportunity to work on large-scale data and cloud projects using modern technologies.
• Formal training and certifications in data, cloud, and engineering excellence.
• Access to cutting-edge tools and technologies.
• A dynamic company where your ideas matter more than job titles.
• Flexibility with responsibility.
• A Rubber Duck to help you debug those tricky data pipelines.

Don’t hold off any longer and apply now!

• If you have any questions, drop us a line at people@advanceworks.ai