Principal PLM Configuration Manager

The era of pervasive AI has arrived. In this era, organizations will use generative AI to unlock hidden value in their data, accelerate processes, reduce costs, drive efficiency and innovation to fundamentally transform their businesses and operations at scale.

SambaNova Suite™ is the first full-stack, generative AI platform, from chip to model, optimized for enterprise and government organizations. Powered by the intelligent SN40L chip, the SambaNova Suite is a fully integrated platform, delivered on-premises or in the cloud, combined with state-of-the-art open-source models that can be easily and securely fine-tuned using customer data for greater accuracy. Once adapted with customer data, customers retain model ownership in perpetuity, so they can turn generative AI into one of their most valuable assets.

About the team

The PLM team runs product data and configuration control for our AI systems and semiconductor hardware programs, sitting between Hardware and System Engineering, Silicon, NPI, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality. It owns the PLM platform, the change control board, the release schedule against NPI gates, and the EBOM to MBOM handoff into ERP for products spanning silicon, PCBAs, racks, thermal and power subsystems, cables, firmware, and enclosures. The team is small and each person owns a product line end to end, so you will hold decisions rather than route them.

About the role

The PLM Configuration Principal owns product lifecycle and configuration management at the product level — running PLM the way a technical program manager runs a program, not the way a helpdesk runs a ticket queue. This role is the single accountable owner for how a product's data is structured, released, changed, and audited from first schematic through end of life.

It is a dual-hat position. Roughly half is platform ownership: you hold administrator rights in the PLM system and personally configure object models, item and document types, BOM structures, lifecycle phases, change workflows, roles, and privilege masks. The other half is program execution: you chair the change control board, hold the release schedule against NPI gates, keep the EBOM-to-MBOM handoff clean into ERP, and unblock cross-functional decisions across Hardware/System Engineering, Ops PM, Supply Chain, Quality and Contract Manufacturer.

The environment is high-mix, fast-revision AI systems and semiconductor hardware — L5-L12 (silicon, active/passive components, PCBs, PCBAs, racks, thermal and power subsystems, cables, firmware, and mechanical enclosures) — where a single mis-scoped ECO can strand inventory, slip a build, or ship a non-conforming rack. Precision is the job.

Responsibilities

PLM Platform Administration & Configuration (~40%)

• Serve as the named functional administrator for the PLM application — configure and maintain object and subclass models, item and document types, attributes and page-three fields, autonumber schemes, lifecycle phases, revision and effectivity rules, and part numbering standards.

• Build and maintain change workflows (ECR, ECO, ECN, MCO, deviation and waiver, stop-ship, and NCMR routings) including approval matrices, escalation timers, notification rules, and conditional routing logic.

• Administer roles, privilege masks, and criteria-based access controls; enforce least privilege and segregation of duties across internal users, contract manufacturers, ODMs, and foundry or OSAT partners.

• Own the PLM-to-ERP and PLM-adjacent integrations at the functional level: EBOM-to-MBOM transfer, item and AML/AVL synchronization, change-order publication, and reconciliation of failed transactions. Partner with IT on middleware and API-level defects.

• Manage sandbox-to-production promotion, regression testing, patching and upgrade validation, and configuration documentation. Maintain a written configuration baseline of the PLM system itself.

• Build reports, dashboards, and saved searches that give leadership real visibility into change aging, release readiness, and BOM health.

Configuration & Change Management (~30%)

• Chair the Change Control Board for the assigned product line: set the agenda, drive disposition, force decisions on stalled changes, and publish minutes and actions.

• Establish and hold configuration baselines at each NPI gate (EVT, DVT, PVT, MP) — functional, allocated, and product baselines — with documented traceability from requirement to released design artifact.

• Perform configuration status accounting: know at any moment what revision is released, what is in flight, what is deviated, and what configuration is in prototype, production and end-of-life.

• Assess change impact across hardware, firmware, mechanical, test, documentation, and supply chain; drive effectivity decisions (date, serial, lot, or unit-based) and coordinate inventory disposition, rework, and field-affected units.

• Run configuration audits (FCA and PCA) and support internal, customer, and ISO 9001 / AS9100 / ITAR / trade-compliance audits with evidence pulled directly from the system.

• Control the release of drawings, specifications, test procedures, source-controlled and vendor-item drawings, firmware images, and approved manufacturer lists.

Product-Level Program Management (~20%)

• Own the PLM workstream on the product program plan — deliverables, dependencies, and gate exit criteria — and report status into the core team as a peer of the hardware, silicon, and operations program managers.

• Hold NPI documentation gates. A gate does not pass because the schedule says so; it passes because the data package is complete and released.

• Drive cross-functional alignment across Design, Silicon, NPI, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Compliance, and Finance on data standards, part strategy, and change velocity.

• Identify, escalate, and close risks tied to product data: unreleased parts on a build, uncontrolled documents, phantom or mis-structured BOMs, cost roll errors, obsolete or EOL components, and single-source exposure.

• Deliver executive-level status and risk narrative — concise, quantified, and decision-oriented.

Governance, Training & Continuous Improvement (~10%)

• Author and maintain PLM SOPs, work instructions, data standards, and the configuration management plan.

• Train and certify engineers, operations staff, and external partners on PLM usage and change discipline; act as the escalation point for complex user issues.

• Measure and improve process health — change cycle time, first-pass approval rate, BOM accuracy, data completeness at gate — and run the improvement projects those metrics justify.

• Mentor PLM analysts and provide functional direction to contractors or offshore support.

Required qualifications

• B.S. in Engineering, Supply Chain, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline

• 8+ years in product lifecycle management, configuration management, or engineering program management

• 3+ years operating at the product-owner or program-owner level

• Administrator-level, hands-on ownership of at least one enterprise PLM platform (Oracle Agile PLM 9.3.x, Oracle Fusion Cloud PLM, Arena PLM, SAP PLM/ECTR, or PTC Windchill), including workflows, object models, and privilege structures personally built and modified in production

• PLM administrator certification or training completed within the last 3 years

• Deep working command of engineering change management (ECR, ECO, ECN, MCO, deviation), revision and effectivity control, and multi-level EBOM and MBOM structures

• Demonstrated experience with PLM-to-ERP integration (Oracle EBS, Oracle Fusion ERP, SAP, or NetSuite) including item and BOM synchronization and resolution of failed transactions

• Hardware NPI experience across EVT, DVT, PVT, and MP in a high-complexity electromechanical, semiconductor, server/datacenter, or comparable regulated hardware environment

• Proven ability to run a change control board and drive decisions among senior engineering and operations stakeholders without direct authority

• Advanced Excel, plus SQL or report-builder proficiency sufficient to query and audit PLM data independently

Preferred qualifications

• Direct experience in AI infrastructure, semiconductor, or datacenter hardware: silicon and tapeout data, package and substrate BOMs, HBM and memory sourcing, PCBA and board assemblies, rack and system integration, thermal and power subsystems, or firmware release control

• Experience standing up a PLM instance from scratch or leading a platform migration (Agile to Oracle Fusion Cloud PLM, Arena to Windchill, or similar)

• Familiarity with CAD and EDA data management and PLM connectors (Cadence Allegro, Altium, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, Teamcenter)

• Experience supporting contract manufacturers and ODMs with controlled external access to product data and with JDMs nice to have

• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, IPC standards, EAR/ITAR, RoHS/REACH, and conflict-minerals reporting obligations

Base Salary Range:

Base Pay Range$215,000—$240,000 USDSubmission Guidelines
Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at SambaNova Systems, you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. 

EEO Policy
SambaNova Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Benefits Summary for US-Based, Full-Time Employment Positions
SambaNova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits. We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution. We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D; insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care. Our library of well-being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.

Department: Hardware