PLM Operations Manager

The PLM Operations Manager is responsible for driving the operational excellence, stability, and scalability of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform. This role ensures PLM processes, data, and system capabilities are aligned with business priorities—enabling product teams, supply chain, and manufacturing to operate efficiently and make decisions with confidence across the product lifecycle.

Value to the Department

This role strengthens PLM execution by establishing clear operating discipline, governance, and transparency across the organization through:

• Driving execution consistency and reliability by standardizing PLM operating rhythms, intake, and delivery practices to reduce friction, rework, and cycle time.
• Enforcing data and process governance to ensure PLM data quality, standards adherence, and controlled change—enabling downstream teams (sourcing, planning, manufacturing) to operate with confidence.
• Providing a clear execution bridge between business stakeholders, product teams, and IT by translating needs into well-governed, actionable PLM capabilities and workflows.
• Improving communication and accountability through standardized reporting, dashboards, and forums that make progress, risks, and decisions visible and measurable.

Key Responsibilities

• Own PLM execution cadence including sprint planning, reviews, retrospectives, and quarterly planning support.
• Manage PLM intake processes and ensure consistent backlog hygiene using Jira and related delivery tools.
• Coordinate execution and dependencies across multiple PLM platforms, TPMs, teams, and workstreams.
• Track vendor execution against SOWs, milestones, SLAs, and deliverables; surface risks early.
• Maintain visibility into PLM operational budgets, forecasts, and actuals.
• Own PLM operational communications, newsletter, dashboards, and Confluence documentation as the system of record.

AI, Data, and Automation Focus

• Apply AI-assisted tools to improve intake triage, backlog quality, and execution visibility.
• Leverage delivery data from Jira, vendors, and financial systems to identify risks and bottlenecks.
• Use generative AI to support status reporting, documentation summarization, and operational insights.
• Partner with PLM Data and Platform teams to ensure operational data is AI-ready and well-governed.
• Continuously evaluate tools and methods that reduce manual operational overhead.

Skills and Experience

• 7–12 years of experience in technology operations, delivery management, or program operations.
• Strong hands-on experience with Jira, Confluence, and Agile or Kanban delivery models.
• Experience coordinating multiple concurrent initiatives across internal teams and external vendors.
• Working knowledge of PLM, CAD, PDM, or engineering systems and related business processes.
• Demonstrated experience using data, metrics, and dashboards to drive execution improvements.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted tools, automation platforms, or analytics for operational workflows.

Education and Background

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
• Master’s degree (MBA or MS) preferred but not required.
• Agile, SAFe, PMP, or equivalent delivery, operations, or program management certifications are a plus.

Success Measures

• Predictable and transparent PLM execution cadence across teams and vendors.
• High-quality intake and backlog hygiene with reduced execution friction.
• Clear operational visibility through dashboards and AI-assisted insights.