Sr. Engineering Change & Document Control Specialist (PLM Arena)

The Company Halo Industries has invented a revolutionary technology to replace a decades-old semiconductor material slicing process. Our laser-based technology eliminates waste, improves material cost and performance, and drives advancements in high-growth markets like automotive, telecommunications, and power electronics. Founded in 2014 at Stanford University, Halo is well-funded and poised for rapid growth, engaging strategic customers and preparing for volume manufacturing. The Opportunity As the Sr. Engineering Change & Document Control Specialist , you will serve as the strategic owner and system administrator for our Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) infrastructure and Engineering Change Order (ECO) workflows. Supporting our high-growth NPI team building proprietary, complex capital equipment, you will drive configuration management integrity across multi-disciplinary hardware, software, and operational data. In this role, you will lead the evolution of our change control processes, architect structured BOM topologies, administer Arena PLM, and mentor cross-functional partners across R&D, NPI, Quality, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless product rollouts and total lifecycle traceability. Role & Responsibilities Change Control Leadership & Process Ownership • Drive and streamline end-to-end Engineering Change Request (ECR), Engineering Change Order (ECO), Deviation, and Stop Work processes for complex electro-mechanical capital equipment platforms. • Lead cross-functional Change Control Board (CCB) meetings, ensuring rigorous evaluation of technical changes, cost/schedule impact, implementation plans, and inventory dispositions. • Audit and enforce strict configuration management practices, ensuring complete traceability across part numbers, Revision levels, Bills of Materials (BOMs), assembly drawings, and work instructions. • Establish clear SLAs and speed-to-implementation metrics for change processing during prototype, pilot, and full-scale production phases. Arena PLM Administration & Governance • Serve as the primary Administrator for Arena PLM/QMS, managing user permissions, workflow configurations, object attributes, approval chains, and system integrations. • Optimize PLM architecture to support multi-level BOM structures, where-used analysis, supply chain sourcing data, and CAD integration workflows. • Develop and deliver company-wide training programs, onboarding modules, and best-practice documentation for Arena PLM users and CCB stakeholders. Quality, Compliance & Cross-Functional Collaboration • Collaborate closely with NPI, R&D, and Quality Engineering to ensure technical documentation complies with internal QMS standards and relevant capital equipment industry guidelines. • Manage and maintain technical document repositories (including Arena PLM and Confluence), establishing standardized templates, drafting rules, and lifecycle states. • Support internal and external quality audits , serving as the subject matter expert for document control, revision history, and change traceability. Continuous Improvement & Metrics • Establish and track KPIs (e.g., ECO cycle time, change queue backlog, error rates) to identify bottlenecks and optimize the document control workflow. • Identify, design, and deploy modern, automated configuration management methodologies to eliminate manual redundancy and scale operational throughput. Key Milestone Success Criteria • 3 Months: Fully audit current Arena PLM configurations and ECO workflows; establish baseline change velocity metrics; assume full administrative oversight of CCB reviews. • 6 Months: Optimize part/BOM release structures and change workflows in Arena PLM for NPI builds; deploy standardized change control training across R&D and Manufacturing. • 12 Months: Achieve target reductions in ECO lead times; establish advanced configuration management controls (e.g., automated ERP/PLM integrations, change-impact analytics); establish long-term document control governance. Basic Qualifications • Education: B.S./B.A. in Engineering, Technology Management, Technical Writing, Business Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience). • Experience: 10+ years of hands-on document control, configuration management, and change engineering experience in a high-tech manufacturing environment (Capital Equipment, Semiconductor/WFE, Medical Device, Aerospace, or Robotics). • System Mastery: • Proven expertise as an Administrator in Arena PLM (system setup, workflow design, lifecycle states, category configuration, and user permissions). • Expert knowledge of mechanical/electrical BOM structures, Engineering Change processes (ECN/ECO/ECR), and deviation management. • Experience utilizing CAD/ERP/QMS integrations (e.g., SolidWorks, NetSuite, Confluence). • Methodology & Leadership: • Deep understanding of Configuration Management principles (CMII or CMPIC concepts preferred). • Demonstrated ability to lead CCB meetings, resolve technical disagreements across teams, and drive fast decision-making without compromising quality standards. Preferred Qualifications • Industry Background: Direct experience with multi-disciplinary capital equipment platforms combining optics, robotics, power systems, and custom machining. • Certifications: Certified Configuration Management Professional (CMPIC, CMII, or equivalent) or PMP certification. • Soft Skills: Exceptional attention to detail, strong leadership presence, and clear communication skills with the ability to coach engineers on proper change rationale and documentation rigor.