Product Owner Vehicle Development

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Product Owner – Vehicle Development to lead and coordinate end-to-end vehicle development programs, from concept definition and product planning through engineering development, prototype builds, validation, and production launch.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in automotive product development, complete vehicle integration, product lifecycle management, and cross-functional program execution. This role will serve as the primary interface between product management, vehicle engineering, design, CAE, testing, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and other functional teams to ensure successful delivery of vehicle programs.

The Product Owner will define product requirements, manage feature and engineering priorities, drive technical decisions, monitor development milestones, and ensure that the vehicle meets performance, safety, quality, cost, timing, and manufacturability targets.

Key Responsibilities

·       Own and drive the complete vehicle development lifecycle from concept definition and feasibility through detailed engineering, prototype development, validation, and production launch.

·       Define product vision, vehicle-level requirements, functional specifications, product features, and development priorities in alignment with business and customer expectations.

·       Coordinate cross-functional teams across vehicle architecture, body-in-white (BIW), chassis, powertrain, electrical and electronics, interior, exterior, thermal management, and vehicle integration.

·       Translate customer and business requirements into vehicle-level technical requirements, system specifications, and engineering deliverables.

·       Manage product scope, feature prioritization, development schedules, engineering dependencies, and change requests throughout the vehicle development lifecycle.

·       Drive vehicle architecture, package layout, system interfaces, component integration, and overall vehicle-level design decisions.

·       Coordinate engineering activities across mechanical design, CAD, CAE, simulation, testing, homologation, manufacturing, and supplier engineering teams.

·       Lead design reviews, technical reviews, product readiness assessments, and cross-functional issue-resolution meetings.

·       Track vehicle development milestones, prototype builds, design maturity, validation status, and production readiness.

·       Ensure successful execution of vehicle-level validation, durability testing, performance testing, safety assessments, and regulatory compliance activities.

·       Review engineering analysis, simulation results, test reports, and prototype feedback to drive corrective actions and product improvements.

·       Manage product risks, technical issues, engineering changes, and issue-resolution plans to minimize impact on cost, quality, and project timelines.

·       Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), serviceability, reliability, and cost optimization across vehicle systems.

·       Coordinate with suppliers and manufacturing teams to ensure component availability, technical feasibility, tooling readiness, and production feasibility.

·       Manage engineering documentation, product configuration, requirements traceability, and design release through PLM systems such as Windchill or equivalent platforms.

·       Ensure compliance with applicable automotive standards, safety regulations, quality requirements, and customer specifications.

·       Facilitate communication between engineering teams, program management, business stakeholders, and customer representatives.

·       Drive continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and lessons learned throughout the vehicle development process.

Required Skills & Experience

·       7–12+ years of experience in automotive product development, vehicle engineering, vehicle integration, or automotive program execution.

·       Proven experience managing or coordinating complete vehicle development programs from concept through production launch.

·       Strong understanding of the end-to-end automotive product development lifecycle, including concept design, engineering development, prototyping, validation, and industrialization.

·       Experience working across multiple vehicle engineering domains, including body, chassis, powertrain, electrical and electronics, interior, and exterior systems.

·       Strong understanding of vehicle architecture, package integration, system interfaces, and vehicle-level requirements management.

·       Experience translating customer and business needs into product requirements, engineering specifications, and development priorities.

·       Proven ability to manage product scope, requirements, technical dependencies, development milestones, and engineering changes.

·       Experience coordinating cross-functional teams comprising design, CAE, testing, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and program management.

·       Strong knowledge of vehicle validation, durability, performance, reliability, safety, and production readiness processes.

·       Experience with automotive APQP, DFMEA, DVP&R, FMEA, root-cause analysis, and corrective action processes.

·       Familiarity with automotive product lifecycle management (PLM) systems such as Windchill, Teamcenter, or equivalent.

·       Experience with requirements management and product development tools is preferred.

·       Strong stakeholder management, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

·       Ability to manage competing priorities and drive timely resolution of technical and program-related issues.

Preferred Qualifications

·       Experience in complete vehicle development for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, EVs, or hybrid vehicles.

·       Familiarity with Agile product development, product backlog management, and prioritization frameworks.

·       Understanding of automotive safety and regulatory standards, including FMVSS, ECE, and applicable AIS requirements.

·       Experience supporting prototype builds, vehicle-level integration, homologation, and manufacturing launch.

·       Experience working with global engineering teams, OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and automotive technology partners.