Hi, my name is
Afaq Ul Haq Babar
Product Owner, Cloud & DevOps Engineer
I help German tech companies scale cloud-native infrastructure with SAFe practices. With 12+ years of experience, I've led the evolution of Open Telekom Cloud's compute platform—launching GPU-enabled AI workloads, managing 1000+ servers, and delivering products that combine rigorous product discovery with deep technical expertise.
About Me
I'm a Product Owner and Cloud Engineer specializing in cloud-native infrastructure and SAFe product development. My journey spans telecommunications, cloud computing, and product management—always at the intersection of technical depth and strategic thinking.
At T-Systems, I led the evolution of Open Telekom Cloud's compute platform, working with OpenStack, Kubernetes, and GPU-accelerated infrastructure. I've launched products enabling databases, AI workloads, and HPC through continuous product discovery.
What sets me apart is bridging product thinking with engineering execution. I don't just define what to build—I understand how to build it, with hands-on experience in infrastructure automation, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud security.
Currently expanding into AI engineering, combining product management with machine learning to build next-generation cloud-powered AI solutions.
Languages
- ▹English (Fluent - C2)
- ▹German (Proficient - B2)
- ▹Urdu (Native)
Education
M.Sc. Information and Communication Systems
Chemnitz University of Technology
2014 - 2017
B.Sc. Telecommunication Engineering
National University, Pakistan
2004 - 2008
Experience
Expert Product Owner
T-Systems International GmbH2022 — 2025
Darmstadt, Germany
Led product ownership for Open Telekom Cloud, defining and prioritizing compute services product backlog.
- Launched GPU-based compute capabilities enabling AI workloads with NVIDIA integration
- Drove platform evolution using OpenStack and Kubernetes
- Collaborated with stakeholders to improve cloud offerings
- Leveraged data-driven insights for product strategy
Cloud Engineer
T-Systems International GmbH2019 — 2022
Darmstadt, Germany
Managed cloud infrastructure and automated provisioning for enterprise-scale deployments.
- Automated provisioning using GitLab CI/CD
- Strengthened security ensuring GDPR compliance
- Managed 1000+ servers infrastructure running OpenStack
- Coordinated incident resolution with cloud-native tools
DevOps Engineer
t3.it GmbH2017 — 2019
Wiesbaden, Germany
Designed and implemented cloud-native infrastructure and automation solutions.
- Reduced deployment times using Docker and Kubernetes
- Designed monitoring with Grafana and Prometheus
- Infrastructure automation using Terraform and Ansible
Work Student
Nokia Solutions and Networks2016 — 2017
Germany
Telecommunications network support and operations.
Products & Projects
Cloud Cost Calculator
Interactive calculator comparing OTC, AWS, and Azure pricing for compute resources. Helps engineering teams make informed cloud provider decisions.
OTC Compute Case Study
Deep dive into evolving Open Telekom Cloud's compute platform from VMs to GPU-enabled AI workloads. Showcases product discovery process and SAFe implementation.
Kubernetes Health Dashboard
Real-time K8s cluster monitoring with resource optimization recommendations. Built for platform teams managing multi-cluster environments.
Skills & Certifications
Technical Skills
Product Ownership
- ▹SAFe 6 PO/PM
- ▹Product Discovery
- ▹Agile/Scrum
- ▹Product Roadmap
- ▹Backlog Management
- ▹Stakeholder Management
Cloud Technologies
- ▹OpenStack
- ▹Open Telekom Cloud
- ▹Kubernetes
- ▹AWS (foundational)
- ▹Azure (foundational)
DevOps & Automation
- ▹Docker
- ▹Terraform
- ▹Ansible
- ▹GitLab CI/CD
- ▹GitHub Actions
- ▹Jenkins
Monitoring & Observability
- ▹Prometheus
- ▹Grafana
- ▹Icinga
- ▹Graylog
Programming
- ▹Python
- ▹Golang
- ▹JavaScript
- ▹Bash
Systems
- ▹Linux (Ubuntu, RedHat)
- ▹LAMP Stack
- ▹Apache
- ▹MySQL/MariaDB
Certifications
SAFe 6 Certified Product Owner/Product Manager
Scaled Agile, Inc.
2023
PMP ATP Bootcamp
Skillsoft
2024
Open Telekom Cloud Architect
T-Systems International
2021
Security Champion Advanced Training
T-Systems International
2021
OpenStack II, Implementation & Operation
ExperTeach GmbH
2020
Blog & Writing
Product Discovery at Scale: Lessons from Open Telekom Cloud
How we used continuous discovery to launch GPU-enabled AI workloads for enterprise customers.
From Product Owner to AI Engineer: My Learning Journey
Bridging product thinking with AI engineering capabilities in 2025.
Get In Touch
Contact Form
Send me a message and I'll get back to you shortly.
Schedule a Call
Book a 30-minute consultation directly.
Alternative contact options:
Available for remote and on-site projects