Systems Engineering Product Owner (EPO) - Japan Market

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced and customer-focused Systems Engineering Product Owner (EPO) to build up our System Platforms and Products (SPP) team in Shanghai. This role serves as the primary engineering interface between Japanese customers, the global engineering organizations, the procurement and supply chain, manufacturing, quality and commercial teams, driving the successful development and implementation of platform-based system products to customers.

The EPO combines strong power electronics system expertise, power core & power semiconductor technology knowledge, project management skills (deliverables, cost, milestones, quality), customer engagement capabilities, and technical leadership to bridge market / customer needs with platform innovations. Working closely with customers, global product development teams, external technology partners, sales, and FAEs, the EPO shapes and influences customer architectures & requirements based on onsemi platform technologies towards innovative and value-creating system products for the customer. The EPO works with customers in an early phase in co-innovation collaboration, and takes later full responsibility in the system product development phase from SOE (Start of Engineering) until SOP (Start of Production) of the system product.

This role requires a proactive and collaborative individual who thrives in multinational environments, influences stakeholders without direct authority, and translates market opportunities into sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Engagement

• Serve as the primary engineering interface for strategic customers in Japan, building trusted relationships and establishing the company as a professional co-innovation and system product development partner.
• Engage with customers in an early phase / co-innovation collaboration (e.g. through workshops, executive conversations and transform onsemi platform-based business opportunities to the system product development phase.
• Provide technical leadership and commercial insights to support customer negotiations and business negotiations, ensuring alignment between onsemi and the customer.
• Collaborate with Sales and FAEs to understand customers’ product roadmaps, core needs, technical pain points and long-term goals, translating these insights into actionable technical strategies.

Product Development

• Develop and maintain deep expertise in platform products, technologies, architectures, and roadmaps.
• Define differentiated, customer-centric system products based on onsemi platform technology and influence customer roadmaps, architectures, and requirements.
• Lead end-to-end customer co-innovation, covering concept design, feasibility assessment, prototype validation and transformation to the system product development phase.
• Drive system product development to on-time delivery, balancing customer value, technical feasibility, quality, cost, risk and time-to-market requirements.
• Develop the WPP (Whole Project Plan), standardized execution frameworks and proactive risk management strategies to ensure on-budget, on-quality and on-time delivery.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver project outcomes, aligning with customer commitments, quality benchmarks and business objectives.
• Lead end-to-end problem-solving for project challenges, identifying root causes, developing solutions and preventing recurrence through continuous improvement.
• Monitor project progress (incl. risk management), track key indicators and adjust plans to address changing requirements (incl. commercial change management). Report on the progress of the project to a steering committee.

Project management

Cross-function Collaboration

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive environment across global multicultural teams, promoting engineering excellence and knowledge sharing.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities (engineering, procurement and supply chain, manufacturing, quality, sales, FAEs, etc.) to ensure aligned execution and consistent customer value delivery.
• Proactively communicate program status, identify risks and implement measures, dependencies and escalation plans to stakeholders, driving decision-making and resolving bottlenecks.

Documentation

• Develop and maintain the WPP (Whole Project Plan), comprehensive technical documentation (e.g., design documents, test reports, user guides, etc) to ensure accuracy and accessibility.
• Standardized documentation templates and processes to enhance consistency, facilitate knowledge sharing and ensure smooth team involvement, delegation, and handover.
• Ensure compliance of documentation with internal policies, customer contracts and industry standards, supporting effective collaboration and audit readiness.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical/Power Electronics/Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in systems engineering and project management, system product development in combination with technical leadership roles.
• Proven track record working successfully with customers and delivering complex technical system products.
• Strong understanding of platform-based system product development, systems architecture, and product lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and complex customer programs without direct managerial authority.
• Strong technical problem-solving, decision-making, project management, and risk management skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, negotiation, presentation, and conflict-resolution capabilities.
• Experience working effectively within multinational and multicultural organizations.
• Fluent in Chinese, English and Japanese, both written and verbal.
• Strong cultural awareness of Japanese business norms and practices and communication styles
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (25%-40%).