The Principal Business Administration Engineering Applications is Rocketdyne's subject matter expert, architect, and owner for the engineering tool ecosystem including PLM (Windchill, Teamcenter), requirements management (DOORS), modeling and simulation tools, and the CAD/PLM integration layer that connects engineering to manufacturing and ERP. This role carries no direct-report headcount, but it does carry real management authority: this person directs and manages the outsourced delivery partners (AMS/implementation vendors and specialty consultants) who perform day-to-day configuration, support, and project work on these systems, and is accountable for their output, quality, and schedule. The mandate is to be the deepest technical authority on how these systems are configured, integrated, and performing, and to drive continuous optimization as the TSA exit moves these systems off cloned/inherited environments and onto Rocketdyne's own infrastructure. MES (DELMIA Velocity) is owned by the ERP & Manufacturing Applications Principal; this role partners closely with that principal on the PLM-to-MES integration and the design-release handoff from engineering to manufacturing. The role also partners closely with engineering, manufacturing, and program leadership — these are their tools; IT owns making them fast, reliable, integrated, and compliant — largely through a well-directed outsourced delivery model rather than an internal team.
Key Responsibilities
PLM & Engineering Tool Ownership
- Serve as the outcome owner for Windchill and/or Teamcenter PLM — configuration, workflow design, customizations, and upgrade planning
- Own engineering tool administration and any integration points into the PLM/engineering environment including design, modeling and sim tools, Cameo, Creo, Solidworks, Doors, Atlassian suite, etc...
- Own the PLM-to-MES integration design between engineering data (Windchill/Teamcenter) and manufacturing execution, partnering with the ERP & Manufacturing Applications Principal, who owns DELMIA Velocity (MES) itself
- Partner with engineering leadership to translate design/release process needs into PLM configuration and workflow changes
Outsource Partner Management
- Direct and manage outsourced AMS/implementation partners performing day-to-day configuration, support, and project delivery on PLM and DOORS
- Own technical acceptance of outsourced partner deliverables — review, test, and approve work before it moves to production
- Set technical priorities and work assignments for outsourced partner teams, translating the engineering tool roadmap into partner-executable scopes of work
- Escalate and manage partner performance issues (quality, schedule, cost) in partnership with vendor management/procurement
- Evaluate outsourced partner statements of work and level-of-effort estimates for technical soundness before commitment
Performance & Optimization
- Continuously assess engineering tool performance (system responsiveness, data throughput, integration latency) and drive optimization work — this is a standing mandate, not a one-time project
- Identify and eliminate technical debt inherited from the former parent's environment as systems migrate off cloned infrastructure
- Right-size PLM environments for Rocketdyne's actual scale rather than the inherited L3Harris footprint
- Establish performance baselines and monitoring for the engineering application stack
TSA Exit & Migration
- Lead technical migration of Windchill, Teamcenter, and other engineering apps off of exiting environments onto Rocketdyne-owned infrastructure (on-prem or cloud, per architecture decisions), coordinating cutover timing with the ERP & Manufacturing Applications Principal for DELMIA Velocity
- Validate data integrity and integration continuity through each cutover, coordinating with the Infrastructure & Identity Engineer and Applications team on hosting and authentication
- Support the software license reconciliation effort for engineering tools — confirming which licenses transfer vs. require net-new purchase
Architecture, Integration & Compliance
- Design and maintain integration architecture between PLM, MES (owned by the ERP & Manufacturing Applications Principal), ERP (Oracle EBS / Deltek Costpoint), and the Atlassian suite where engineering workflows intersect
- Ensure engineering tool configuration supports CMMC Level 2, ITAR, and DFARS requirements, including CUI handling and data segregation within PLM
- Partner with the Principal Cybersecurity Engineer & Architect on secure configuration of engineering systems
- Provide technical direction to outsourced partner engineers and any internal staff supporting the application stack
Required Qualifications
- 8+ years supporting PLM systems (Windchill and/or Teamcenter) in an engineering or manufacturing environment, with deep hands-on configuration/administration experience
- Experience integrating PLM with MES and/or ERP systems (as an integration partner — this role does not administer MES itself)
- Working knowledge of typical engineering tool capabilities (mechanical, electrical ,requirements management, collaboration, etc..)
- Demonstrated track record of driving system performance/optimization initiatives, not just keeping systems running
- Experience operating engineering systems within a regulated environment (CMMC, ITAR, DFARS, or equivalent export-control/compliance framework)
- U.S. Person status required (ITAR data access)
- Demonstrated experience directing and managing outsourced/AMS vendor teams — assigning work, reviewing deliverables, and holding partners accountable for quality and schedule without formal supervisory authority over them
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working alongside MES/DELMIA Velocity teams on PLM-to-MES integration (familiarity with the platform helpful; ownership sits with the ERP & Manufacturing Applications Principal)
- Prior experience migrating PLM/engineering systems off a shared or inherited (carve-out/divestiture) environment
- Aerospace, defense, or complex discrete manufacturing background
- Familiarity with Oracle EBS and/or Deltek CostPoint integration points