Product Owner – Windchill PLM

Permanent | Novi, MI (primary), expanded to Mankato, MN and Aiken, SC | Relocation assistance available

Cielo is partnering with a global power systems manufacturer to hire a Product Owner – Windchill PLM to drive the strategy, optimization, and continuous improvement of the PTC Windchill environment and engineering toolchain that supports gas, diesel, and hybrid engine systems.

This role sits at the intersection of IT and Engineering. You will bridge engineering, manufacturing, quality, and business stakeholders, translating real-world needs into a Windchill roadmap that drives measurable business value while partnering closely with technical teams to deliver solutions. Candidates may come from Product Owner, Business Analyst, Windchill Administrator, Engineering Systems, Configuration Management, or other business-facing Windchill backgrounds.

What you'll be doing

• Define and execute the Windchill product vision and roadmap. Gather and prioritize requirements from engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain stakeholders; translate business needs into user stories and acceptance criteria; manage the product backlog; and define KPIs to measure platform performance, adoption, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Own and optimize core Windchill processes, including Document Management, Change Management, Part & BOM Management, CAD Data Management, Workflow Automation, and Configuration Management. Govern platform enhancements, upgrades, testing, deployments, and compliance with security, product integrity, and regulatory requirements.
• Advance Digital Thread and engineering integration by applying Digital Thread principles to improve data continuity and traceability across engineering disciplines, support engineering users, and lead integration initiatives between Windchill and enterprise systems including ERP, MES, and CAD applications.
• Lead Agile delivery and cross-functional collaboration, working with distributed, multidisciplinary, and international Agile/Scrum teams to deliver high-quality platform enhancements, manage stakeholder expectations, support UAT and production deployments, and drive user training and change management initiatives to maximize adoption.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline, with experience supporting PTC Windchill or similar engineering systems within a Product Lifecycle Management environment.
• Experience may have been gained through Product Ownership, Business Analysis, Windchill Administration, Engineering Systems, Configuration Management, or related roles.
• Knowledge of engineering change management, product structures, BOM management, document control, and configuration management within a Windchill environment.
• Ability to translate business and engineering requirements into actionable platform improvements, process enhancements, and user-focused solutions.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Nice to have

• Demonstrated experience working in Agile/Scrum environments, including defining requirements, writing user stories, and managing product backlogs.
• Experience supporting Windchill enhancements, upgrades, testing, deployment, administration, or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience working as a Product Owner, Business Analyst, Windchill Administrator, Engineering Systems Lead, Configuration Management professional, or similar role supporting engineering and manufacturing processes.
• Advanced expertise in PTC Creo and familiarity with ECAD environments (EPLAN, Zuken E3, or CR8000).
• Enterprise integration technologies: REST APIs, SQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, XML.
• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), SAFe certification, or equivalent Agile credential.
• Understanding of mechanical and/or electrical engineering design methodologies, Systems Design Integration, Digital Thread concepts, and product integrity, liability, and certification frameworks, ideally gained in an industrial, manufacturing, or engineering environment.
• Proficiency in German, given close collaboration with a global team.

Why it's a great move

You will own the strategy and continuous improvement of a mission-critical Windchill platform for a globally recognized manufacturer. You'll shape how engineering data flows from design through manufacturing and quality, with direct influence on platform adoption across a global engineering organization.

This is an opportunity to work closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and business stakeholders while helping evolve key Windchill capabilities that support product development, engineering change management, BOM management, and digital transformation initiatives across the enterprise.