Sr. PLM Architect

Pentair•Apex, NC

About The Position

The Senior PLM Architect is Pentair Pool’s senior individual contributor and technical authority for Product Lifecycle Management data architecture, platform configuration, and integrations. The role defines and implements the next generation of engineering data management and remains the internal architect for the platform throughout its lifetime. It owns Pentair Pool’s engineering data architecture and influences the adoption of scalable architectural patterns by Pentair Flow and Pentair Filtration. The position has no direct reports and leads through technical authority, mentorship, and cross-functional influence. The architect defines and governs the PLM engineering data model, including item structures, classifications, attributes, engineering, manufacturing, and service BOMs, document types, lifecycle states, engineering change management, effectivity, revision control, and configuration management. The role establishes taxonomies, naming conventions, metadata standards, and data governance to unify data currently spread across more than 20 legacy tools. The role serves as the deepest internal expert on the selected PLM platform, configuring and optimizing data models, workflows, lifecycles, access controls, CAD data management, and BOM capabilities. It owns the integration architecture connecting PLM with enterprise systems and design tools, and leads the architecture for consolidating legacy data into PLM, including profiling, cleansing, mapping, migration sequencing, validation, reconciliation, and cutover controls. The Senior PLM Architect provides technical leadership throughout vendor selection, implementation, go-live, hypercare, and steady-state ownership. It advances the digital thread by connecting product data across concept, design, manufacturing, service, and end-of-life, and works with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, IT, and Customer Service to translate business needs into PLM capabilities. Program management, platform hosting and operations, and functional business-process ownership are outside this role’s direct scope; the architect provides technical direction and requirements in partnership with the responsible teams. The role is associated with Pentair’s Apex, North Carolina team. Travel may be up to 20% during implementation and approximately 10% in steady state. The anticipated annualized base pay range is $128,500–$238,600, with possible eligibility for an annual incentive bonus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
At least 12 years of progressive experience in engineering data management, PLM architecture, or enterprise product-data systems in a hardware product development environment; 10 or more years is acceptable with a master’s degree or equivalent depth.
Deep hands-on expertise with at least one enterprise PLM platform, such as PTC Windchill, Siemens Teamcenter, Dassault 3DExperience, Aras, or an equivalent platform, including data model design, workflow configuration, CAD data management, and BOM management.
Demonstrated experience architecting PLM integrations with SAP ERP, preferably S/4HANA, MCAD tools such as SolidWorks or SolidWorks EPDM, ECAD tools such as Altium, and adjacent systems such as QMS, CRM, or MES.
Strong command of engineering data governance, including item and BOM management, ECR/ECO processes, configuration management, revision and effectivity control, attribute standards, and data quality metrics.
Working knowledge of integration technologies and patterns, including REST/SOAP APIs, middleware or iPaaS, message queues, ETL, and event-driven architectures.
Experience leading or contributing to a full PLM implementation lifecycle, from selection or definition through configuration, integration, go-live, and steady-state ownership.
Experience architecting large-scale legacy-to-PLM data migrations, including profiling, cleansing, mapping, loading, and validation strategy.
Excellent technical communication skills, including translating architectural decisions for executive audiences and leading design reviews with engineers and vendors.
Ability to operate as a senior individual contributor, set technical direction without direct reports, and partner effectively with IT, engineering leadership, and external implementation partners.
Willingness to travel up to 20% during implementation and approximately 10% in steady state.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
PLM platform certification, such as PTC Windchill or Siemens Teamcenter certification, or equivalent.
TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification.
Experience delivering PLM in a regulated hardware environment, such as UL, FCC, or safety-critical consumer or industrial products.
Familiarity with hardware product domains such as pumps, motors, controls, connected products, or similar electromechanical systems.
Track record of scaling PLM data architectures across multiple business units or acquisitions.

Responsibilities

Define and own Pentair Pool’s PLM engineering data model, including item structures, part classifications, attribute libraries, eBOM, mBOM, sBOM, document types, and lifecycle states.
Establish and govern engineering change management architecture, including ECR and ECO processes, effectivity, revision control, and configuration management across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and chemistry disciplines.
Create and maintain taxonomies, naming conventions, metadata standards, and a PLM data governance framework covering ownership, stewardship, quality metrics, and master-data change control.
Serve as the internal technical expert for the selected PLM platform and configure, extend, and optimize its objects, attributes, lifecycles, workflows, reports, queries, CAD data management, access controls, and BOM management.
Lead technical platform design reviews, performance tuning, and platform administration strategy with IT Operations; evaluate and pilot new PLM capabilities and modules.
Own the integration architecture between PLM and enterprise systems and design bi-directional data flows, API contracts, and schema mappings that preserve data integrity and reduce manual handoffs.
Partner with IT architecture, integration engineering, implementation partners, and vendors to deliver production-grade integrations, testing, and cutover plans while mitigating integration risks.
Own legacy-to-PLM data migration architecture, including profiling, cleansing standards, mapping specifications, load strategy, validation criteria, migration sequencing, and cutover gates.
Coordinate with data stewards and functional leads on legacy data remediation and establish reconciliation, audit, and rollback procedures for cutover and hypercare.
Serve as technical lead across PLM vendor selection, implementation, go-live, hypercare, and steady-state ownership; translate requirements into architectural decisions, configuration specifications, and integration designs.
Maintain technical architecture decision records and provide technical guidance to program management and functional partners.
Advance the digital thread by connecting PLM with adjacent product-data platforms across concept, design, manufacturing, service, and end-of-life.
Partner with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, IT, and Customer Service leaders to model end-to-end product lifecycle workflows and translate business needs into PLM capabilities.
Coach and enable engineering data stewards, key users, and role champions on PLM standards, best practices, and data quality expectations.
Represent Pentair Pool’s PLM technical direction in enterprise architecture discussions and influence scalable adoption by Pentair Flow and Pentair Filtration.
Contribute technical content, demonstrations, and reference documentation to change management and training efforts.