PLM Manager

Product Lifecycle Manager (Engineering / IT)
Engineering IT / PLM Manager – Cambridge/Hybrid – £70-75k & Benefits.
The Product Lifecycle Manager is responsible for the ownership, management, optimisation and continuous improvement of Engineering IT systems, with a primary focus on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).
The role will act as the key interface between Engineering, IT, PLM users, vendors and wider business stakeholders, ensuring that Engineering IT systems are fit for purpose, effectively supported, and aligned to operational and strategic requirements.
RESPONSIBILITIES
List key responsibilities and tasks that sit within this role
· PLM Ownership & Roadmap: Own the lifecycle, configuration, roadmap and continuous improvement plan for PLM and associated Engineering IT applications, including upgrades, enhancements and decommissioning decisions.
· Application Portfolio Management: Manage core Engineering IT applications that support PLM, CAD integration, data management, reporting and configuration control.
· PLM Champion: Champion PLM across Marshall Land Systems, promoting effective use of the system and identifying opportunities to improve Engineering delivery, control and efficiency.
· Strategic Business Support: Identify business opportunities where PLM and Engineering IT systems can improve process efficiency, data quality, reporting, configuration management and programme delivery.
· Vendor & Contract Management: Manage relationships with PLM vendors, CAD vendors, outsourced service providers and internal IT teams, ensuring performance against support agreements, contract requirements and business needs.
· Service & Issue Resolution: Act as the escalation point for PLM and Engineering IT issues, supporting incident resolution, root cause investigation, workaround definition and long-term corrective actions.
· Third Line Support: Provide third-line support where required, working with IT, vendors and users to investigate complex incidents, resolve problems and create knowledge articles to support future incidents.
· Architecture Oversight: Ensure PLM solution designs, integrations, workflows and system changes meet Engineering requirements, enterprise architecture standards, cybersecurity policies and business needs.
· Change Management: Manage configuration changes, system updates, upgrades, patches and enhancements to PLM and Engineering IT applications, ensuring appropriate testing, communication and deployment.
· Governance & Compliance: Ensure PLM and Engineering IT applications meet regulatory, cybersecurity, export control, ITAR and corporate policy requirements, including defence-related standards where applicable.
· Process Ownership & Improvement: Review, approve and improve PLM processes, procedures, workflows and user guides to ensure they remain effective, controlled and aligned to Engineering ways of working.
· Data Management & Reporting: Support Engineering data management, reporting, audit activity and business intelligence requirements through effective use of PLM data and reporting tools.
· Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with Engineering, IT, programme teams, business owners, PLM super users and cross-functional stakeholders to align PLM capability with organisational goals.
· Budgeting & Forecasting: Support financial planning by providing input on PLM licensing, support costs, maintenance agreements, upgrades, vendor services and future investment requirements.
· Asset & Licence Management: Coordinate software licence, maintenance agreement and asset lifecycle management activities, including requisition, inventory, installation, maintenance, updates and disposal.
· System Maintenance & Availability: Ensure appropriate PLM system maintenance, health checks, performance reviews and availability monitoring are in place to support business continuity.
· Knowledge & Documentation: Create and maintain technical specifications, process documents, user guides, support material, FAQs and knowledge articles to improve user support and reduce repeat issues.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
·Experience managing, supporting or administering PLM systems within an Engineering or manufacturing environment.
·Experience working with Engineering teams using CAD and PLM tools.
·Experience of PLM system configuration, administration, support and continuous improvement.
·Experience supporting or managing data transfer between PLM and ERP platforms, including IFS Cloud, covering parts, BoMs, documents, change data, lifecycle states and release-to-manufacture processes.
·Experience managing PLM-related incidents, problems, root cause investigations and corrective actions.
·Experience working with IT teams, vendors and business stakeholders to deliver system improvements.
·Experience leading or supporting PLM upgrades, deployments, migrations or process changes.
·Experience managing a small technical team or leading cross-functional improvement activities.
·Experience of Windchill would be highly desirable.
·Experience with CAD tools such as Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD or similar would be beneficial.
·Experience with Engineering configuration management, change control and product data management would be beneficial.
TECHNICAL SKILLS/EDUCATIONS REQUIRED:
·Degree, HND or equivalent qualification in Engineering, ICT, Computer Science, Information Systems or a related discipline.
·Equivalent experience in an Engineering IT, PLM, CAD administration or Engineering systems management role would also be considered.
·Strong understanding of PLM capability, administration and configuration management.
·Ability to document technical specifications, user requirements, process flows and system changes.
·Good logical diagnostic skills with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve PLM-related problems.
·Understanding of CAD integration with PLM, ideally including tools such as Inventor, AutoCAD or similar.
·Understanding of PLM reporting, data extraction and business reporting methods.
·Awareness of database queries and reporting tools such as SQL, MS PowerQuery, REST APIs or Query Builder would be beneficial.
·Awareness of PLM customisation, workflows, XML configuration, Java, JavaScript or Windchill development would be desirable.
·Understanding of application maintenance, upgrades, testing and deployment activities.
·Understanding of IT service management processes, incident management and problem resolution.
· Configuration Management / CMII training would be desirable.
·Experience of virtualised environments such as VMware would be beneficial.
·Able to support process improvement and system improvement activities across Engineering IT applications.
·Strong understanding of IFS ERP is highly desirable.
·Experience in a regulated industry, particularly aerospace and defence, is strongly preferred.
·Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills