Director of Engineering - PLM & Governance

The Director of Engineering – PLM & Data Governance is the enterprise owner of FLANDERS' digital engineering ecosystem. This leader defines the strategy, architecture, governance framework, and operational reliability of our Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), CAD configuration management, and engineering data infrastructure.

This role ensures that all engineering artifacts — CAD models, BOMs, specifications, requirements, revisions, and change records are accurate, secure, compliant, and accessible across the organization. The Director drives the modernization of engineering systems and enables a seamless digital thread from product concept through sustainment and field support.

• Establishment of a single source of truth for product data
• Reliable, automated change management processes
• Seamless PLM to ERP integration
• Measurable improvements in engineering efficiency and data integrity
• Scalable systems that support complex global product life cycles

• Provide strategic direction and lifecycle management for PLM, CAD, configuration management, and related engineering platforms.
• Own system architecture, configuration standards, lifecycle schemes, and long‑term roadmap.
• Ensure system reliability, scalability, security, and performance.

• Establish enterprise policies, standards, and controls for engineering and product data.
• Define naming conventions, metadata structures, and ownership models.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, traceability, and audit readiness.
• Lead master data governance efforts for product‑related information.

• Drive integration of PLM with ERP, MES, QMS, analytics platforms, and downstream business systems.
• Ensure automated, error‑free transfer of:
  • BOMs
  • Item masters
  • Revisions
  • Engineering change data
  • Enable visibility into engineering utilization and product lifecycle performance.

• Standardize and automate ECR, ECO, ECN, and deviation workflows.
• Establish structured, configurable BOM management:
  • Synchronization between EBOM and MBOM
  • Centralized configuration rules and variant management
  • Ensure stakeholders receive automated workflow notifications and task assignments.

• Lead and develop the Data Management team, including PLM administrators, data engineers, and system architects.
• Leverage and coordinate international resources.
• Establish clear process ownership and accountability across engineering domains.
• Build capability in systems administration, governance, and analytics.

• Identify and execute system enhancements, automation opportunities, and workflow simplification.
• Lead multi‑year transformation initiatives including:
  • PLM upgrades
  • ERP integrations
  • Data governance rollouts
  • Enterprise system integrations
  • Drive measurable reductions in rework, errors, and manual processes.

Define and standardize training approaches, documentation, and handover criteria.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related fields
• 10+ years of experience in PLM, engineering systems, or product data leadership roles.
• Proven experience owning and administering PLM platforms (Autodesk Vault Professional strongly preferred).
• Strong understanding of CAD data management, BOM structures (EBOM/MBOM), and ECO/ECN workflows.
• Experience integrating PLM with ERP or other enterprise systems.
• Demonstrated leadership of technical teams, including global or distributed resources.
• Experience driving data governance standards and system/process improvements.