Technical Director, PLM Platform Engineering

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

## Description

The Director, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Platform Engineering is responsible for defining and executing the engineering strategy, platform governance, modernization, and long-term evolution of the enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform supporting global Research & Development, Product Development, Quality, Manufacturing, and Regulatory business capabilities.

Reporting to the Executive Director, ERP & Value Chain Platform Engineering, this role provides strategic leadership for the engineering realization, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement of the enterprise PLM platform while ensuring alignment with business priorities, enterprise architecture standards, and enterprise technology strategy. The Director partners closely with Product and Technology leaders, Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Business Services (EBS), Operations & Infrastructure, Cyber Security, and strategic technology partners to deliver secure, scalable, and reliable PLM capabilities that enable product innovation and lifecycle management across the enterprise.

This leader will play a key role in the organization's PLM modernization strategy by providing technical leadership during enterprise platform evaluations, solution assessments, vendor demonstrations, technical proof-of-concept activities, and implementation planning supporting the selection and adoption of future-state Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) PLM solutions. The role requires practical experience with enterprise PLM implementations, modernization initiatives, and migration strategies from legacy or custom PLM environments to enterprise-grade platforms.

The Director is responsible for ensuring the PLM platform effectively supports the broader enterprise application landscape by enabling efficient collaboration across upstream product development processes and downstream enterprise capabilities, including ERP, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory systems. Success in this role requires balancing strategic platform modernization with engineering excellence, operational stability, platform scalability, and long-term business value.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise with enterprise Product Lifecycle Management platforms such as Dassault ENOVIA, Siemens Teamcenter, SAP PLM, or similar enterprise-grade solutions, along with demonstrated success leading complex PLM transformations, platform engineering organizations, and large-scale enterprise technology initiatives.

## Key Roles & Responsibilities

Platform Strategy, Ownership & Lifecycle (35%)

• Own the platform roadmap, lifecycle strategy, modernization initiatives, and long-term evolution of the enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform supporting global Research & Development, Product Development, Quality, Manufacturing, and Regulatory business capabilities.
• Develop and execute platform strategies that improve scalability, engineering efficiency, business value, and long-term technology sustainability while aligning with enterprise architecture standards and organizational priorities.
• Provide technical leadership for the evaluation, selection, and adoption of enterprise Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platforms, including solution assessments, technical proof-of-concept activities, implementation planning, and migration strategy.
• Develop enterprise migration strategies that enable the successful transition from legacy or custom Product Lifecycle Management solutions to modern Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) PLM platforms while minimizing business disruption and preserving critical product lifecycle information.
• Lead the Enterprise Platform Engineering organization's engagement with the selected System Integrator (SI) throughout the implementation of the enterprise PLM platform, providing technical direction, engineering governance, design oversight, implementation guidance, and quality assurance while ensuring successful knowledge transfer, operational readiness, and long-term platform sustainability.
• Establish enterprise engineering standards, platform roadmaps, lifecycle plans, modernization strategies, and technical governance that enable the organization to maximize the long-term value of the PLM platform.
• Partner with Enterprise Architecture to ensure PLM platform capabilities align with enterprise technology standards, engineering principles, security requirements, and long-term architectural direction.

## Key Roles & Responsibilities (Continued)

Platform Ownership & Delivery Governance (30%)

• Provide strategic oversight for engineering realization across Enterprise Business Services (EBS), strategic technology partners, and the Enterprise Platform Engineering organization, ensuring high-quality delivery, platform stability, and operational excellence.
• Establish engineering governance, release management, platform lifecycle management, environment strategy, and delivery standards supporting enterprise PLM capabilities.
• Establish and mature the long-term engineering operating model for the enterprise PLM platform following implementation, including engineering governance, release management, platform lifecycle management, technical standards, enhancement delivery, and effective partnership with Enterprise Business Services (EBS).
• Ensure engineering solutions are scalable, maintainable, secure, and aligned with enterprise quality standards while supporting long-term platform sustainability.
• Ensure GxP-relevant PLM capabilities, implementations, and lifecycle changes adhere to established Computer System Validation (CSV), quality management, data integrity, and regulatory requirements throughout the platform lifecycle.
• Govern validation readiness and execution for GxP-relevant platform implementations and changes, ensuring appropriate risk-based validation, qualification, requirements traceability, testing, documentation, deviation management, and release approval processes are completed in partnership with Quality and Validation teams.
• Ensure validated PLM capabilities remain in a controlled state throughout their lifecycle, including upgrades, patches, configuration changes, integrations, releases, and environment migrations.
• Drive platform optimization through continuous improvement, technical debt reduction, engineering automation, platform modernization, and operational efficiency initiatives.
• Manage platform risks, engineering dependencies, technology roadmaps, software lifecycle planning, and technical decision-making to ensure long-term platform success.

## Key Roles & Responsibilities (Continued)

Product Partnership & Platform Realization (20%)

• Partner with Product and Technology leaders to define platform priorities, engineering roadmaps, modernization strategies, and long-term investment plans supporting enterprise Product Lifecycle Management capabilities.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture, Operations & Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Enterprise Business Services (EBS), business stakeholders, strategic technology partners, and the selected System Integrator (SI) to successfully deliver enterprise PLM capabilities and modernization initiatives.
• Partner with Quality, Validation, Regulatory, Cyber Security, and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure GxP-relevant platform capabilities meet applicable validation, compliance, security, and data integrity requirements.
• Ensure the PLM platform effectively supports enterprise business processes while enabling seamless interoperability with upstream product development processes and downstream enterprise capabilities, including ERP, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory systems.
• Provide engineering leadership for major platform initiatives, ensuring technical quality, delivery excellence, operational readiness, and successful business adoption.
• Balance business priorities, engineering capacity, platform sustainability, and modernization objectives while driving continuous improvement across the PLM platform.

## Key Roles & Responsibilities (Continued)

Engineering Leadership, Platform Excellence & Organizational Capability (15%)

• Build and develop a high-performing engineering organization by mentoring engineering leaders, strengthening technical capabilities, fostering innovation, and promoting engineering excellence across the PLM platform.
• Lead Enterprise Business Services (EBS), strategic technology partners, and the Enterprise Platform Engineering organization through clear engineering governance, technical leadership, delivery accountability, and organizational alignment.
• Champion modern engineering practices, AI-enabled engineering capabilities, automation, reusable engineering assets, and continuous improvement to enhance engineering productivity, platform quality, and organizational effectiveness.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and engineering excellence while developing organizational capability to support the long-term success of the enterprise PLM platform.
• Promote knowledge transfer, technical documentation, and engineering standards that ensure long-term platform sustainability and organizational readiness.

## Qualifications

Enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Leadership & Platform Expertise

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Product Development, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience governing enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platforms, engineering applications, or enterprise technology organizations within complex global enterprises.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering organizations responsible for enterprise PLM platforms supporting Research & Development, Product Development, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory business capabilities.
• Deep understanding of enterprise Product Lifecycle Management processes, platform architecture, product structures, engineering change management, configuration management, and product development workflows.
• Proven ability to develop long-term platform strategies that balance business priorities, technical sustainability, modernization objectives, engineering capacity, and operational excellence.
• Experience supporting global Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Manufacturing, Life Sciences, or similarly complex multinational organizations is strongly preferred.

## Qualifications (Continued)

Enterprise PLM Modernization, Implementation & Engineering Leadership

• Demonstrated experience leading or providing technical leadership for an end-to-end enterprise Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) implementation, including platform evaluation, solution selection, engineering realization, legacy data migration, deployment, and post-implementation operational transition, is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience evaluating and implementing enterprise Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Product Lifecycle Management platforms such as Dassault ENOVIA, Siemens Teamcenter, SAP PLM, PTC Windchill, Oracle Agile PLM, or similar enterprise-grade solutions.
• Experience providing technical leadership during enterprise platform evaluations, solution assessments, technical proof-of-concept activities, implementation planning, and vendor selection initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with System Integrators (SI) to successfully deliver large-scale enterprise technology implementations while ensuring engineering quality, architecture alignment, knowledge transfer, and long-term platform sustainability.
• Proven experience planning and executing migration strategies from legacy or custom Product Lifecycle Management platforms to enterprise-grade COTS PLM solutions while minimizing business disruption and preserving critical product lifecycle information.
• Experience implementing or modernizing enterprise platforms within GxP-regulated environments, with practical understanding of Computer System Validation (CSV), quality-management processes, and the requirements for maintaining validated systems throughout their lifecycle, is highly desirable.

## Qualifications (Continued)

Platform Engineering, Governance & Enterprise Technology

• Demonstrated experience leading engineering realization across Enterprise Business Services (EBS), strategic technology partners, and global engineering organizations while maintaining accountability for engineering quality, delivery excellence, and platform stability.
• Proven ability to establish engineering governance, release management, platform lifecycle management, engineering standards, technical roadmaps, and long-term platform operating models.
• Strong understanding of enterprise application architecture, cloud technologies, APIs, integration patterns, security principles, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile delivery methodologies, and modern engineering practices.
• Strong understanding of risk-based Computer System Validation (CSV) principles and validation lifecycle practices, including qualification, requirements traceability, testing, validation documentation, deviation management, release approval, and maintenance of validated state through platform changes.
• Familiarity with Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ) concepts and their application to enterprise platform implementations, upgrades, integrations, and production releases.
• Experience ensuring enterprise platforms effectively support upstream product development processes and downstream enterprise business capabilities, including ERP, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory systems.
• Ability to balance platform modernization, engineering quality, operational stability, technology risk, and long-term business value across complex enterprise application landscapes.

## Qualifications (Continued)

Modern Technology & Continuous Improvement

• Experience developing modernization roadmaps for enterprise PLM platforms, including cloud adoption, platform upgrades, technology rationalization, and continuous platform optimization.
• Strong understanding of modern engineering practices, automation, AI-enabled engineering capabilities, reusable engineering assets, and continuous delivery methodologies.
• Experience leveraging data migration strategies, engineering automation, and platform optimization techniques to improve engineering productivity, platform quality, and operational efficiency.
• Understanding of data integrity and compliance controls applicable to regulated enterprise platforms, including access controls, audit trails, electronic records and signatures, backup and recovery, retention, and traceability requirements.
• Experience supporting audit-ready technology environments through effective platform governance, controlled change, validation documentation, technical documentation, and lifecycle management is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with SAP ERP, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), enterprise integration platforms, and modern cloud-based enterprise application ecosystems is highly desirable.
• Commitment to innovation, engineering excellence, continuous improvement, and long-term platform sustainability.

## Qualifications (Continued)

Leadership, Collaboration & Organizational Development

• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing engineering teams across complex enterprise technology organizations.
• Proven ability to build trusted partnerships with Product and Technology leaders, Enterprise Architecture, Operations & Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Enterprise Business Services (EBS), business stakeholders, System Integrators, and strategic technology partners.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Quality, Validation, Regulatory, and other compliance stakeholders while maintaining clear accountability for platform engineering and technology outcomes.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, organizational influence, and executive presentation skills with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to build organizational capability through mentoring, coaching, succession planning, knowledge transfer, and engineering leadership development.
• Ability to lead enterprise transformation initiatives through strategic vision, technical leadership, collaboration, engineering governance, and organizational influence while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Pay Range:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $139,850.00 to $241,550.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program as well as participation in the share incentive plan. In addition,

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program with the possibility for overachievement based on performance and company results. In addition, The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, and many others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact [email protected].

Michigan Applicants: Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for employment must notify the company in writing of the need for an accommodation within 182 days after the date the person with a disability knew or reasonably should have known that an accommodation was needed.

Philadelphia Applicants: Philadelphia's Fair Chance Hiring Law

Rhode Island Applicants: The company is subject to chapters 29-38 of title 28 of the general laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law.