Vehicle Feature Owner (VFO) - Feature Requirements Definition & ManagementPosition SummaryThe Vehicle Feature Owner (VFO) is responsible for defining, maintaining, and governing the functional intent of assigned vehicle features throughout the product development lifecycle.
The VFO serves as the primary owner of feature functionality and customer expectations, ensuring that all feature requirements accurately reflect intended vehicle behavior, regulatory needs, and program objectives.
Working closely with Systems Engineering, Requirements Management, Architecture, Design Engineering, and Validation organizations, the VFO assesses feature changes, identifies technical impacts, and drives the evolution of system requirements needed to support the feature.
This role operates primarily in defining requirements, analyzing issues (from SW validation and overall system).
System Domains (Priority Order)Candidates should possess experience in one or more of the following vehicle system domains, with priority given to:
- Energy & Propulsion
- Thermal Systems
- Cabin & Visibility
- Chassis
- Access / Access Operations
- Cabin Climate & Comfort
- Vehicle Rights Management / Connectivity
Key ResponsibilitiesFeature Requirements Ownership- Own the functional definition of assigned vehicle features.
- Define feature behavior, performance expectations, operating conditions.
- Ensure feature requirements are complete, consistent, and aligned with business and vehicle program objectives.
- Act as the authoritative source for feature intent and expected system behavior.
- Provide clarification and interpretation of feature requirements throughout the development lifecycle.
Requirements Impact Assessment- Evaluate impacts of:
- New vehicle features
- Feature enhancements
- Feature modifications
- Carry-over content
- Regulatory changes
- Identify when feature changes require updates to existing system requirements.
- Assess downstream impacts across affected vehicle systems and interfaces.
- Initiate requirements updates when changes affect functional behavior or vehicle performance.
- Support technical impact analysis and change justification.
Requirements Development Support- Collaborate with Requirements Management SMEs and Systems Engineers to translate feature intent into system requirements.
- Participate in requirements reviews and approval activities.
- Ensure system requirements accurately capture intended feature functionality.
- Resolve ambiguity, conflicts, and gaps within feature requirements.
Cross-Functional Coordination- Communicate feature changes and requirement impacts to stakeholders.
- Drive alignment on feature functionality and requirement content.
- Support resolution of technical disagreements related to feature definition.
Risk & Change Management- Identify risks associated with feature changes and requirement modifications.
- Assess potential impacts to timing, complexity, and vehicle functionality.
- Support decision-making regarding requirement releases and feature evolution.
- Escalate risks and unresolved issues as appropriate.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline.
- Experience in systems development, systems engineering, or product engineering.
- Strong understanding of:
- System requirements
- Feature requirements
- Requirements decomposition
- Requirements traceability
- Vehicle system interactions
- Engineering change management
- Systems engineering principles
- Experience working with requirements management tools such as:
- DOORS
- DOORS Next
- Codebeamer
Preferred ExperienceExperience within one or more of the following domains:
- Energy & Propulsion
- Thermal Systems
- Cabin & Visibility
- Chassis
- Access / Access Operations
- Cabin Climate & Comfort
- Vehicle Rights Management / Connectivity
Knowledge of:
- INCOSE Systems Engineering principles
- Automotive development processes
Critical CompetenciesRequirements-Oriented Thinking- Strong understanding of how features are translated into system requirements.
- Ability to identify requirement gaps, conflicts, and ambiguities.
- Focus on requirement quality and completeness.
Systems Thinking- Understands feature interactions across multiple vehicle systems.
- Evaluates impacts beyond a single subsystem.
- Recognizes integration and architectural implications.
Assertiveness- Capable of defending feature intent and requirement changes.
- Able to challenge unsupported assumptions or pushback.
- Drives technically sound decisions despite competing priorities.
Communication & Stakeholder Management- Strong presentation and facilitation skills.
- Ability to synthesize complex technical information.
- Effective communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
Ideal Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate is a
System Engineer, Feature Owner, Design Lead, or Functional Architect with experience defining vehicle functionality and managing requirement impacts. The individual understands how customer-facing features are translated into system requirements and can confidently drive requirement decisions and cross-functional alignment during early vehicle development phases.
