Product Owner - UX Oriented

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Owner - UX Oriented

Company: Cryptonext Security

Location: Paris, Île-de-France, France

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Management / Operations

Date Posted: May 18, 2026

Experience Level: Junior (0-2 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on translating complex business and user requirements into actionable product specifications and user stories, ensuring a user-centric approach.

• It involves deep collaboration at the intersection of Product, UX/UI, and Engineering to drive feature development from conception to delivery.

• The position requires a strong emphasis on UX/UI design principles, wireframing, and ensuring functional quality through detailed acceptance criteria and validation.

• Successful candidates will contribute to continuous improvement by analyzing user behavior and leveraging data to propose product iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Owner," the detailed responsibilities and required skills (UX/UI focus, wireframing, user journeys, specification writing) strongly indicate a role that bridges Product Management with a heavy emphasis on the operationalization of user experience. This is a key differentiator for candidates applying for this role, as it requires more than just traditional product backlog management. The "UX Oriented" aspect means a deep dive into user flows, usability, and the practical application of design principles, making it a hybrid role with strong operational implications for the R&D team.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Specification & Delivery: Structure product vision into coherent EPICs, write detailed User Stories with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and business rules, and produce clear functional specifications for developers.

• End-to-End Traceability: Ensure seamless traceability from EPICs to User Stories, Tasks, and final delivery, maintaining organized product documentation within Jira.

• UX Integration & User Empathy: Actively participate in product discovery, translate business needs into user-centric UX intents, build and maintain Personas and User Journeys, and identify/propose improvements for user experience friction points.

• UI/UX Design Collaboration: Produce low-fi and mid-fi wireframes in Figma, collaborate effectively with UX/UI designers and developers, and precisely describe interface states and interactive behaviors.

• Functional & UX Validation: Define testable acceptance criteria, actively participate in product acceptance testing (functional and UX verification), and ensure delivered features align with original product and UX intent.

• Continuous Improvement & Data Analysis: Measure and analyze user behavior, leverage qualitative feedback and usage data, and propose concrete product iterations based on insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a structured approach to product development, emphasizing the operational aspects of translating vision into tangible deliverables. The focus on "end-to-end traceability," "structured product documentation," and "functional verification" points to a need for meticulous process adherence, which is critical in operations-focused roles. The integration of "UX validation" and "continuous improvement loops based on usage and data" also underscores the operations-like function of optimizing product performance and user satisfaction.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Design, Business, or a related field is often expected for Product Owner roles. Relevant certifications in Agile or Product Management could be beneficial.

Experience: 0-2 years of experience in a role involving product specification, UX/UI design, or product management. Internship or project experience demonstrating contribution to UX deliverables is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Specification Writing: Proven ability to write clear, exploitable deliverables for developers, including EPICs, User Stories, and usage-oriented functional specifications.

• Figma Collaboration: Proficiency in using and collaborating within Figma for wireframing and iterating on designs.

• UX/UI Fundamentals: Demonstrated experience with UX deliverables such as personas, user journeys, wireframes, and usability work, gained through internships, junior positions, side projects, or coursework.

• Structured Mindset: Ability to prioritize, break down complex problems into manageable parts, and approach delivery iteratively.

• Product/User Empathy: A strong understanding and starting point from the user's reality, rather than solely focusing on isolated features.

• Language Proficiency: Professional working proficiency in both English and French (written and spoken).

Preferred Skills:

• Jira Proficiency: Hands-on experience with Jira for product management.

• Agile/Scrum Exposure: Familiarity with Agile/Scrum ceremonies (refinements, sprint planning, reviews, retrospectives).

• Product Analytics: Basic familiarity with product analytics tools or usage data analysis.

• Industry Curiosity: Interest in cybersecurity, cryptography, or B2B deeptech environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "specification writing," "Figma collaboration," and "UX/UI fundamentals" points to a role that requires operational rigor in defining product requirements. The "structured mindset" and "product/user empathy" are critical for translating abstract needs into concrete, actionable plans. The requirement for both English and French proficiency is a practical operational consideration for a European company working with diverse clients.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Specification Examples: Showcase examples of well-defined EPICs, User Stories, and functional specifications that clearly articulate user needs and acceptance criteria.

• Wireframing & UX Flows: Include wireframes and user journey maps demonstrating your ability to visualize user interactions and flows in Figma or similar tools.

• User Research & Persona Documentation: Present examples of user personas and user journey documentation that illustrate your understanding of user needs and behaviors.

• Case Study on Product Iteration: Detail a project where you analyzed user feedback or data to propose and implement product improvements, highlighting the process and impact.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Demonstrate experience in breaking down complex product visions into manageable workflows and user stories.

• Agile Methodology Application: Illustrate how you have applied Agile principles (e.g., Scrum ceremonies, iterative development) in previous projects.

• Data-Driven Iteration: Provide examples of how you have used user data or feedback to inform product iterations and improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a junior Product Owner role with a strong UX focus, the portfolio should emphasize the operational execution of product definition. Candidates should be prepared to showcase their ability to create clear, structured documentation (EPICs, User Stories, functional specs) and demonstrate their understanding of user-centric design through wireframes and user journey maps. The ability to articulate a process for translating user needs into tangible product requirements is paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Junior Product Owner with 0-2 years of experience in Paris, France, the estimated salary range is between €40,000 and €55,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in the Paris tech market, considering the company's focus on deeptech and cybersecurity, which often commands competitive compensation.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: A salary package tailored to your experience and skills.

• Hybrid Working Model: Flexibility to work remotely and from the Paris office.

• International Travel Opportunities: Potential for travel based on project needs, offering exposure to global clients and initiatives.

• Collaborative Environment: Work within a forward-thinking team that values innovation and collaboration.

• Career Growth: Opportunities to develop within a pioneering deeptech company.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, likely around 35-40 hours per week, with a hybrid arrangement offering flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on typical junior-level tech roles in Paris, France, factoring in the specialized nature of the company (deeptech, PQC) which may influence compensation. The benefits listed are standard for tech companies but are framed to appeal to professionals seeking growth and impact.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Deeptech / Cybersecurity (Post-Quantum Cryptography - PQC). Cryptonext Security operates at the cutting edge of cybersecurity, providing solutions to protect against future quantum computing threats. This involves a highly technical, research-driven, and innovation-focused environment.

Company Size: The company is a growing deeptech startup, likely ranging from 50-200 employees based on its description as a pioneer with leading clients and recent funding rounds (implied by "March 2025" milestone). This size offers a dynamic environment with opportunities for significant impact, while still maintaining a focused team structure.

Founded: Founded in 2019, Cryptonext Security is built on over 20 years of academic research from prestigious institutions (INRIA, CNRS, Sorbonne University). This strong academic foundation suggests a culture that values rigorous research, scientific excellence, and long-term vision.

Team Structure:

• Product Team: The Product Owner will be part of a dedicated Product team, likely working closely with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, and Engineering leads.

• R&D Focus: The core of the company is its R&D team, which the Product Owner will directly support by translating requirements into actionable tasks.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Close collaboration is expected with UX/UI designers and the Engineering team for feature development and validation.

Methodology:

• Agile/Scrum: The role description explicitly mentions Jira, User Stories, EPICs, and Agile/Scrum ceremonies, indicating a strong adoption of Agile methodologies.

• User-Centric Design: A significant emphasis is placed on user needs, UX intent, and continuous improvement based on user feedback and data.

• Data-Driven Decisions: The role involves measuring and analyzing user behavior, suggesting a data-driven approach to product development and iteration.

Company Website: https://cryptonext-security.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's deeptech and PQC focus implies a highly technical and innovative culture. A junior Product Owner will likely experience a fast-paced environment where scientific rigor meets product development. The team structure suggests a collaborative model where clear communication and documentation are essential for bridging research and product delivery.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Junior Product Owner role, designed for individuals early in their product management or operations career, with a specific focus on translating user experience needs into technical requirements. It's an entry point into product development operations.

Reporting Structure: The Product Owner will likely report to a Senior Product Manager or Head of Product, working closely with UX/UI designers and R&D engineering teams. This structure emphasizes collaboration and direct contribution to product roadmaps.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is operational: ensuring that the R&D team has clear, well-defined, and user-centric specifications to build high-quality, usable products. Success here directly influences development efficiency, product quality, and ultimately, customer satisfaction and adoption of Cryptonext's PQC solutions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Management Specialization: Grow into a full Product Manager role, taking on more strategic roadmap planning and market analysis.

• UX/UI Expertise: Deepen UX skills, potentially specializing in user research, interaction design, or usability testing.

• Technical Domain Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of post-quantum cryptography and cybersecurity, becoming an expert in a cutting-edge field.

• Agile/Scrum Leadership: Progress to roles like Scrum Master or Agile Coach, facilitating team processes and continuous improvement.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Transition into roles that require broader stakeholder management and strategic alignment across departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for this role is heavily focused on developing core product management and operational skills within a specialized, high-growth tech sector. The emphasis on UX and structured requirements definition provides a solid foundation for various career trajectories within product, design, or even specialized operations roles focused on R&D efficiency.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. The role is based in Paris with a hybrid working model, suggesting a modern office environment designed for collaboration and focused work, alongside remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Paris, Île-de-France, France. This location places Cryptonext Security within a vibrant European tech hub.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect modern office spaces equipped for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional collaboration with design and engineering teams.

• Tools & Technology: Access to essential tools like Jira and Figma, facilitating efficient workflow and design processes.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with R&D, UX/UI, and Product teams, fostering a dynamic and integrated work environment.

• Innovation Culture: The environment likely encourages experimentation and learning, aligning with the company's deeptech and PQC focus.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time, likely around 35-40 hours per week, with the hybrid model allowing for flexibility in balancing office and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model in Paris indicates a modern work setup balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. This is crucial for operations roles that require tight-knit team communication but also benefit from focused, uninterrupted work periods.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application Screening: Review of resume and portfolio, focusing on specification writing, Figma skills, and UX contributions.

2. Initial Interview (Hiring Manager/Recruiter): Discussion of background, motivation, and initial assessment of fit with the role and company culture. Expect questions about your approach to user needs and problem-solving.

3. Technical/Skills Interview: Deeper dive into your experience with User Stories, EPICs, acceptance criteria, and Figma. You may be asked to walk through a portfolio example or discuss a hypothetical product scenario.

4. Case Study/Assignment (Optional): A small assignment to test your ability to write user stories or create wireframes for a given feature, or a more in-depth product problem to solve.

5. Team/Cultural Fit Interview: Meeting with potential team members (UX/UI, Engineering) to assess collaboration style and cultural alignment.

6. Final Interview: Possibly with a senior leader, focusing on strategic thinking, career aspirations, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Clarity: Emphasize clarity and structure in your specification writing examples. Ensure user stories are actionable and acceptance criteria are testable.

• Demonstrate UX Thinking: Highlight how your wireframes and user journeys reflect an understanding of user needs, pain points, and desired outcomes. Explain your design rationale.

• Detail Your Process: For any case study or project, clearly articulate your process from understanding requirements to delivering specifications, including any user research or validation steps.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): Even for junior roles, try to demonstrate the impact of your work, e.g., "reduced back-and-forth with developers by X%," or "improved user task completion rate."

• Tool Proficiency: Explicitly mention your proficiency with Figma and Jira, and how you've used them to facilitate product definition and collaboration.

Challenge Preparation:

• User Story Writing: Practice writing user stories with clear "As a [user]," "I want [goal]," "So that [benefit]" formats, and robust acceptance criteria covering happy paths, edge cases, and validation rules.

• Wireframing Skills: Be ready to sketch or wireframe a simple user flow on the spot or discuss your process for creating wireframes in Figma.

• Problem Decomposition: Prepare to break down a hypothetical product request into EPICs, User Stories, and key requirements.

• UX Principles: Refresh your understanding of core UX principles, accessibility, and user-centered design methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application of skills, particularly in specification writing and UX design. A strong portfolio showcasing structured deliverables and clear UX rationale will be crucial for advancing. The interviewers will likely probe for a systematic approach to product definition, reflecting the operational demands of the role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Jira: Essential for managing backlogs, creating EPICs, User Stories, and tracking development progress. Proficiency in using Jira for product documentation and workflow management is expected.

• Figma: The primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, and collaborating on UI/UX designs. Candidates must be comfortable creating and iterating on designs within Figma.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics): Familiarity with tools used to measure user behavior, track feature adoption, and gather insights for product improvements is a plus.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly mentioned, understanding how product features integrate with customer data and workflows (potentially managed in a CRM) can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirements revolve around Jira and Figma, highlighting the operational tools for product definition and design. Familiarity with analytics tools is a significant advantage, indicating a data-informed approach to product operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the end-user's needs, ensuring products are not just functional but also intuitive and easy to use.

• Clarity & Precision: Emphasis on clear, unambiguous documentation and specifications to minimize misinterpretation and ensure efficient development.

• Collaboration: A strong belief in teamwork, open communication, and cross-functional partnership between Product, UX/UI, and Engineering.

• Data-Driven Improvement: Utilizing user feedback and usage data as key inputs for decision-making and continuous product enhancement.

• Innovation & Rigor: A culture that balances groundbreaking research and development with meticulous execution and quality assurance.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly integrated approach where Product Owners work hand-in-hand with UX/UI designers and engineers from discovery through validation.

• Feedback Loops: An environment that encourages constructive feedback, iterative refinement, and continuous learning.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that promote sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across teams to foster collective growth and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values a blend of user empathy and technical rigor. For operations professionals, this means embracing a systematic approach to product definition while remaining adaptable and collaborative. The focus on "clarity and precision" in documentation is a direct operational requirement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Technical & User Needs: Translating complex, cutting-edge cybersecurity concepts (PQC) into user-friendly product specifications can be challenging.

• Balancing Stakeholder Input: Effectively managing and prioritizing input from various stakeholders (R&D, Sales, Marketing, Customers) while maintaining a clear product vision.

• Rapidly Evolving Technology: Keeping pace with advancements in cryptography and cybersecurity to ensure product relevance and competitive advantage.

• Junior Role Ramp-Up: Navigating a junior role in a highly specialized, fast-paced deeptech environment requires quick learning and proactive engagement.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deeptech Immersion: Gain in-depth knowledge of post-quantum cryptography and cybersecurity, a critical and growing field.

• Product Management Fundamentals: Develop core skills in product discovery, specification writing, backlog management, and Agile methodologies.

• UX/UI Skill Enhancement: Refine wireframing, user journey mapping, and UX validation techniques through practical application and collaboration.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Work closely with diverse teams, gaining insights into R&D, design, and business operations.

• Industry Exposure: Potential for attending industry events or conferences related to cybersecurity and product management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working in a cutting-edge tech field and a junior role. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a strong foundation in product operations and specialized domain knowledge.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• User Story & Specification Design: "Describe your process for writing a User Story. How do you ensure your acceptance criteria are clear and testable?" "Walk me through how you would break down a complex feature, like secure key exchange, into EPICs and User Stories for an R&D team."

• UX Integration: "How do you ensure user needs are translated into actionable UX requirements?" "Describe a time you identified a UX friction point and proposed a solution. What was your process?"

• Collaboration & Communication: "How do you collaborate with developers and designers to ensure requirements are understood and implemented correctly?" "How do you handle conflicting feedback on a product specification?"

• Problem Solving: "Imagine a user is struggling to understand a critical security alert. How would you approach defining a clearer user experience for this?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about post-quantum cryptography and Cryptonext Security specifically?"

• "How do you approach learning about new technologies or complex domains like cybersecurity?"

• "Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to a collaborative culture."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project or by skill demonstration (e.g., specification writing, wireframing).

• Tell the Story: For each piece, explain the context, the problem you were solving, your approach, the tools you used, and the outcome or learnings.

• Highlight UX Contribution: Clearly articulate your role and contribution to the UX aspects of each project.

• Demonstrate Process: Show, don't just tell, your process for creating specifications and wireframes. Be ready to discuss your decision-making.

• Engage Your Audience: Be prepared to answer questions about your work and discuss alternative approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a structured, user-centric approach to product definition and a proactive attitude towards learning in a technical domain. Be ready to articulate your process and justify your design/specification decisions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Owner position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your ability to write clear specifications, create wireframes in Figma, and demonstrate user empathy. Focus on projects where you had a direct impact on defining user experience or product functionality.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description such as "User Stories," "EPICs," "Acceptance Criteria," "Figma," "UX/UI," "Product Discovery," and language proficiencies (English/French). Quantify achievements where possible.

• Practice Your Pitch: Prepare to articulate your understanding of the role, your motivation for joining Cryptonext Security, and how your skills align with their needs, especially your UX-oriented approach.

• Research Cryptonext Security: Understand their mission, their technology (PQC), their market position (Gartner, NIST), and their clients. This will help you tailor your answers and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.