Sr. PLM Architect

At Pentair, you will work alongside passionate problem-solvers who are committed to the future of our planet. We put our mission into practice, helping the world sustainably move, improve and enjoy water, life's most essential resource. From our residential water filtration to industrial water management to pool products and more, our 9,000 global employees serve customers in more than 150 countries, working to help create a better world for people and the planet through smart, sustainable water solutions.

We have an opportunity for a Senior PLM Architect to join our Apex, NC team. This is the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) data architecture and integrations subject-matter expert at Pentair Pool — a senior individual-contributor role that owns the engineering data model, the platform configuration strategy, and the integration architecture that will make our next-generation PLM the authoritative source of truth for engineering data. The Senior PLM Architect leads to the definition and implementation of Pentair Pool's next generation of engineering data management, then remains the permanent internal architect for the platform's lifetime. This role has direct authority for Pentair Pool engineering data architecture and provides consultative influence on Pentair Flow and Pentair Filtration segments adoption of the same architectural patterns, ensuring the data model, taxonomies, and integrations we establish scale beyond Pool over time. This role has no direct reports; it leads through technical authority, mentorship, and cross-functional influence.

You will:

• PLM Data Architecture & Standards
  • Define and own the engineering data model in PLM — item structures, part classifications, attribute libraries, engineering BOM (eBOM), manufacturing BOM (mBOM), service BOM (sBOM), document types, and lifecycle states — as the single source of truth for Pentair Pool product data.
  • Establish and govern engineering change management architecture: Engineering Change Request (ECR), Engineering Change Order (ECO), effectivity and revision control, and configuration management across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and chemistry disciplines.
  • Establish taxonomies, naming conventions, and metadata standards that unify data currently fragmented across 20+ legacy tools, and design them to scale to Flow and Filtration segments.
  • Author and maintain the PLM data governance framework, including data ownership, stewardship roles, quality metrics, and change-control disciplines for master data.
• Platform Configuration & Deep Technical Ownership
  • Serve as Pentair Pool's deepest internal expert on the selected PLM platform (e.g., Siemens Teamcenter, Dassault 3DExperience, PTC Windchill or equivalent), including data model configuration, workflow and lifecycle design, access control, CAD data management (electrical and mechanical), and BOM management.
  • Configure, extend, and optimize the PLM platform directly — building object types, attributes, lifecycles, workflows, reports, and queries to support engineering, quality, manufacturing, supply chain, and service use cases.
  • Lead technical platform design reviews, performance tuning, and platform administration strategy in partnership with IT operations.
  • Evaluate and pilot new PLM capabilities and modules as the platform and the business evolve.
• Integration Architecture
  • Own the integration architecture between PLM and enterprise systems, including SAP S/4HANA (ERP), SolidWorks EPDM, Altium 365, AutoCAD, CADAM Drafting, QMS, and Salesforce.
  • Design bi-directional data flows, API contracts, and schema mappings that preserve data integrity across systems and remove manual handoffs.
  • Partner with IT architecture, integration engineering, and external implementation partners to deliver production-grade integrations, including end-to-end testing and cutover strategy.
  • Proactively identify and mitigate integration risks, especially given Pool's recent SAP S/4HANA implementation, and drive a design approach that avoids custom modifications to ERP or CAD tools.
• Data Migration Architecture
  • Own the data migration architecture for consolidating 20+ legacy tools into PLM, including legacy data profiling, cleansing standards, mapping specifications, load strategy, and validation criteria.
  • Define the sequencing and cutover strategy for migrating product data domains — items, BOMs, documents, CAD, and change records — with clear success gates at each wave.
  • Partners with data stewards and functional leads to drive legacy data quality remediation ahead of migration.
  • Establish reconciliation, audit, and rollback procedures that protect data integrity through cutover and hypercare.
• Implementation Leadership & Steady-State Ownership
  • Serve as the technical lead for PLM implementation from vendor selection through go-live, hypercare, and long-term steady-state ownership, providing continuity across program phases.
  • Collaborate with the implementation partner and PLM vendor to translate business requirements into architectural decisions, configuration specifications, and integration designs.
  • Own the technical architecture decision record, ensuring decisions are documented, traceable, and consistent with the leadership intent for the initiative.
  • Provide technical guidance to program management, quality, manufacturing, supply chain, and service partners across the implementation lifecycle.
• Digital Thread & Cross-Functional Enablement
  • Advance Pentair Pool's digital thread strategy by connecting PLM to adjacent product data platforms so that product information flows without loss of fidelity from Voice of Customer through concept, design, manufacturing, service, and end-of-life.
  • Partner with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, IT, and Customer Service leaders to translate business needs into PLM capabilities and to model end-to-end product lifecycle workflows.
  • 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-level architecture conversations, influencing scalability decisions for Pentair Flow and Pentair Filtration adoption.
  • Contribute to changing management and training strategy by providing authoritative technical content, demonstrations, and reference documentation.
• Scope Boundaries
  • This role is the technical architecture authority for PLM at Pentair Pool. Program management for the PLM initiative sits with the PLM PMO; this role provides technical direction and architectural governance to that program.
  • Platform hosting, infrastructure operations, and network security sit with IT Operations; this role sets the architectural requirements that IT Operations executes against.
  • Functional business-process ownership (engineering change, document control, item master governance) sits with the respective functional leaders; this role architects the PLM capabilities that enable those processes.

Key Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline; master’s degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in engineering data management, PLM architecture, or enterprise product-data systems within a hardware product development environment (10+ years acceptable with a master’s degree or equivalent depth).
• Deep hands-on expertise with at least one enterprise PLM platform (PTC Windchill, Siemens Teamcenter, Dassault 3D Experience, Aras, or equivalent), including data model design, workflow configuration, CAD data management, and BOM management.
• Demonstrated experience architecting PLM integrations with SAP ERP (S/4HANA strongly preferred), MCAD tools (SolidWorks / SolidWorks EPDM), ECAD tools (Altium), and adjacent enterprise systems (QMS, CRM, MES).
• Strong command of engineering data governance principles: item and BOM management (eBOM, mBOM, sBOM), ECR/ECO change processes, configuration management, revision and effectivity control, attribute standards, and data quality metrics.
• Working knowledge of integration technologies and patterns: REST/SOAP APIs, middleware/iPaaS, message queues, ETL, and event-driven architectures.
• Experience leading or contributing to a full PLM implementation lifecycle — from selection or definition, through configuration and integration, to go-live and steady-state ownership.
• Experience architecting large-scale legacy-to-PLM data migrations, including profiling, cleansing, mapping, load, and validation strategy.
• Excellent technical communication skills, including the ability to translate architectural decisions for executive audiences and to lead technical design reviews with engineers and vendors.
• Comfort operating as a senior individual contributor with cross-functional influence — setting technical direction without direct reports and partnering effectively with IT, engineering leadership, and external implementation partners.
• PLM platform certification (PTC Windchill, Siemens Teamcenter, or equivalent) is a plus.
• TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification is a plus.
• Experience delivering PLM in a regulated hardware environment (UL, FCC, safety-critical consumer or industrial products) is a plus.
• Familiarity with hardware product domains such as pumps, motors, controls, connected products, or similar electromechanical systems is a plus.
• Preferred qualification: Track record of scaling PLM data architectures across multiple business units or acquisitions.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time during implementation for implementation partner, PLM vendor, and Pentair site engagements; approximately 10% in steady state.

Compensation:

For this full-time position working at this location, the anticipated annualized base pay range will be from $128500 - $238600 / year. At Pentair, it is not typical for an individual to be hired near the bottom or top of the pay range. Pentair considers various factors in determining actual compensation for this position at the expected location. Actual compensation will be commensurate with demonstrable level of experience and training, pertinent education including licensure and certifications, work location, and other relevant business or organizational needs. This position may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as, annual incentive bonus.

Benefits:

As a Pentair employee, you would enjoy a wide array of benefit options to help keep you and your family healthy and protected, health benefits, a generous 401(k), employee stock purchase program, disability benefits, life insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, parental leave, caregiver leave, tuition reimbursement, plus paid time off and wellness programs to encourage a healthy work/life balance.

Pentair is an Equal Opportunity Employer. With our expanding global presence, cross-cultural insight and competence are essential for our ongoing success. We believe that a diverse workforce contributes different perspectives and creative ideas that enable us to continue to improve every day.