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Job OverviewChief Product Operations Officer – operational right hand and senior leader of the Product organization.
Location: Madrid, ES
Company: Telefónica
The RoleEnsuring CDO's portfolio executes with excellence through world‐class product operations while coaching Product Leads to deliver outcomes. Build the operational infrastructure that makes teams effective, ship quality work from 8–12 active projects, represent Product function across CDO's business partners, and develop career paths for PMs and designers.
What You Do?Product Operations (50%)
Own how product teams work at CDO
Process frameworks—decision rights, squad models, escalation paths
Tooling strategy—Jira, analytics platforms, documentation systems
Metrics infrastructure—what gets tracked, instrumentation, visibility
Cross‐project coordination—spot dependencies, find synergies, prevent redundancy
Run Product Forums and set standards for product practice
Partner with CPSO on professional progression paths for PMs and designers
Core Portfolio Oversight (50%)
Ensure funded projects deliver results
Portfolio health monitoring—catch struggling projects early through pattern recognition
Coach Product Leads via dotted‐line relationships on stakeholders, discovery, prioritization
Resourcing and unblocking—coordinate support, clear friction, expedite escalation appropriately
Quality intervention—coach first, refine process second, accelerate when necessary
Strategic stakeholder support—partner with Project Leads on complex OB relationships
Success Metrics
6 months: Product Ops framework live and used. Portfolio health diagnosed. Product Leads value your coaching. Metrics instrumented. CPSO trusts your judgment.
12 months: Product practice measurably improving. Cross‐project coordination preventing blockers. Product Leads more effective. Product Ops seen as enabler. Portfolio issues caught before CPSO escalation.
24 months: CDO known for execution excellence. Your frameworks copied by OBs. Product Leads you coached ready for bigger roles. Portfolio predictably high‐quality. Product Ops function scales beyond you.
Your Team
Direct reports (3–5 initially): Product Ops Specialists handling tooling, metrics, process implementation. Product Principals doing deep‐review, squad coaching, modeling best practice.
Dotted‐line to all Product Leads in Core Portfolio (~8–12, growing). Coach and guide while they own execution. Small core team building infrastructure, broad coaching network spreading practice.
RequirementsMust have:
10+ years product experience as Product Lead or Head of Product
Built or scaled product operations at 50+ person product org
Strong coaching ability—people seek your counsel and improve from it
Systems thinking—spot patterns, design better organizational systems
High judgment on when to coach vs intervene vs escalate
Business model understanding and P&L basics—evaluate project viability, work effectively with Finance on portfolio decisions
Executive presence—effective representing Product function to Finance, Legal, HR and external forum
Leadership skills: Client focus, Deliver excellence, Digital Innovation, Clarity & courage, Ownership, Growth
Nice to have:
Explicit product ops background beyond just managing products
Transformation experience at scale
Spanish + English fluency
Telco or platform experience
The RealityDual focus is demanding. Matrix complexity across OBs and markets. Influence without authority requires earned credibility. Culture change meets resistance. Incomplete information early. But you design how an entire product organization works. Make 12+ Product Leads more effective. CPSO's operational partner on portfolio strategy. Build operational excellence and shape CDO's evolution from feature factory to a strong product culture.
Reporting StructureWeekly 1:1s with CPSO focused on portfolio health, strategic challenges, and organizational effectiveness. Partner closely with CTO (engineering dependencies), Chief Data & AI (analytics and AI), Director of Discovery & Innovation (handoffs), and Horizontal Leaders (business priorities).
How We'll EvaluateProduct Ops
Are teams more effective because of systems you've built?
Do Product Leads see enablement or bureaucracy?
Are best practices spreading organically?
Does infrastructure scale with headcount?
Portfolio Health
Catching problems early before escalation?
Product Leads measurably more effective with coaching?
Dependencies and synergies being managed?
Execution predictable and high‐quality?
Strategic Partnership
Does CPSO trust your judgment on portfolio decisions?
Are you bringing insights that improve strategic direction?
Unblocking organizational friction effectively?
Shaping CDO's culture evolution?
Team Development
Product Leads growing in their roles?
Your Product Ops team effective and valued?
Building capability that outlasts your direct involvement?
Clear career progression paths for PMs and designers?
External Partnership
Effective POC with Finance, Legal, People/HR?
Product function well‐represented in internal and external forums?
Smooth business planning and compliance processes?
BenefitsTransformational projects
At Telefónica, you will be part of high‐impact projects that set trends and address the major challenges of connectivity and digital transformation in our society. You will contribute to initiatives that create real value for people, businesses, and communities.
Professional development
We offer you a strong professional journey and continuous learning on a global scale, supported by our presence across multiple geographies. You will have access to development opportunities, ongoing training, and internal mobility options. We want to grow together and build the future with you.
Flexibility and work‐life balance
We are strongly committed to balancing professional and personal life. At Telefónica, we promote flexibility and new ways of working, positioning ourselves as a benchmark in work‐life balance and employee well‐being.
Vacation
You will enjoy 27 business days of paid vacation, allowing you to disconnect and recharge.
Employee Benefits
Life and accident insurance
Medical insurance for you and your family unit (spouse and children)
Meal vouchers
A flexible compensation plan with a wide range of options to choose from
Pension plan
You will be enrolled in a pension plan to help you plan for the future with greater peace of mind.
En Telefónica tenemos el compromiso de construir un entorno de trabajo diverso, inclusivo y sostenible, donde cada persona se sienta valorada, respetada y libre. Nuestra cultura se basa en la igualdad de oportunidades y en la inclusión, porque tenemos la responsabilidad de transformar la sociedad y hacer un mundo mejor.
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