Available to hire
I am Edith Octavia Petcu, an experienced Program Manager, Product Owner and E2E Test Manager with over 20 years in telecommunications and retail. I have a track record of leading globally distributed teams to deliver complex transformations, Telco Cloud networks, and multi-platform system integrations, always focused on customer value and measurable outcomes. I thrive on bridging business and technical teams, driving data-driven improvements, and mentoring colleagues to achieve collective excellence.
Fluent in English, Italian, and Romanian, I enjoy travel and reading, and I actively combine my creative writing background with a strong technical foundation to deliver engaging, well-communicated solutions across organisations.
Skills
Language
English
Fluent
Italian
Fluent
Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
Fluent
Work Experience
Product Owner, Programme Manager and Project Manager at Nokia
August 27, 2018 - December 13, 2024Led the Maya programme (UK's first cloud-based IMS, SDM, Firewall) ensuring the product vision and roadmap aligned with programme objectives and organisational strategy. Maintained a cohesive strategy across multiple products, coordinating with programme managers, scrum masters, developers, testers, and UX/UI teams. Managed cross-team dependencies and risk, tracked KPIs, and ensured features met acceptance criteria, business requirements, and compliance standards (SOX, GDPR, accessibility). Regularly communicated progress to senior stakeholders and governance boards, using agile metrics to drive continuous improvement and timely value delivery.
Product Owner at PMC
August 15, 2016 - August 26, 2018Led the product backlog and stakeholder alignment for retail-focused initiatives, managing internal and external stakeholders and supporting end-to-end software lifecycle delivery. Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams to define goals, user stories, acceptance criteria, and roadmaps, ensuring a consistent high-quality user experience across platforms and geographies.
IT Programme Test Manager at Vodafone UK
December 15, 2014 - August 1, 2016Oversaw testing activities for Retail and Consumer portfolios from inception to production delivery. Defined test strategies, governance, and defect management processes; ensured high-quality releases and alignment with business requirements and compliance standards. Worked with cross-functional teams to improve testing efficiency and delivery quality.
Test & Defect Manager at CACI
May 19, 2014 - December 14, 2014Created standard testing templates and led testing execution for a small UK-focused team. Implemented consistent test practices, defect management, and quality assurance support for client projects.
Test Manager at Tech Mahindra
February 1, 2014 - May 9, 2014Managed testing activities post-TUPE transition, contributing to internal projects and reallocation to new teams. Focused on maintaining testing quality and aligning with client requirements during transition.
Quality Assurance and Test Manager at Comptel
October 1, 2011 - March 31, 2014Led QA and testing for a Telecom OSS portfolio; helped develop and implement automated testing practices and best-practice delivery models to support global projects.
Software Engineer at Comptel
July 1, 2008 - September 30, 2010Contributed as a Software Engineer with responsibilities spanning architecture, development, and system testing in a telecoms environment, collaborating across international teams.
Technical Analyst at Altran
June 30, 2003 - June 30, 2008Worked at Vodafone Italy on manual and automated test scripting, contributing to delivery of OSS/BSS solutions and improving testing efficiency and quality.
Programmer – App Support and Tester at Assioma Net
July 18, 2002 - February 18, 2003Supported application delivery with SQL and Unix shell scripting to identify defects and support testing activities in a fast-paced environment.
Education
MA in Creative Writing at Oxford Brooks University
January 1, 2016 - January 1, 2018Certificate of Higher Education in Creative Writing (FHEQ level 4) at University of Oxford
January 1, 2016 - January 1, 2018BSc in Computer Science and Technology at State University of Milan
January 1, 1995 - January 1, 2002Diploma in Computer Science and Technology at ITIS Paleocapa, Bergamo
January 1, 1991 - January 1, 1995Qualifications
Industry Experience
Telecommunications, Retail, Software & Internet, Professional Services, Computers & Electronics
Skills
Hire a Project Manager
We have the best project manager experts on Twine. Hire a project manager in Reading today.