Title:

PRODUCT CONFIGURATION MANAGER EOS

Accountability Chart Seat:

Product Design & Configuration Engineering Department:

Engineering Reports To:

Engineering Leader Role Type:

Full-time; hands-on individual contributor and cross-functional process owner

Location:

Code Blue, 259 Hedcor Street, Holland, Michigan

ABOUT CODE BLUE

Code Blue Corporation has protected people and communities for more than 30 years through high-visibility emergency communication products, cloud-connected services, and physically located access points. Based in Holland, Michigan, our approximately 30-40-person team designs and manufactures highly customizable, low-volume, high-mix products that combine mechanical enclosures, electronics, firmware, networking, SIP-based communications, cellular connectivity, and full-system integration. We are a mission-driven company where technical accuracy, practical innovation, and reliable execution have direct impact on community safety.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Product Configuration Manager is the accountable owner of Code Blue's product configuration system—the controlled connection between what the market can order and what Engineering, Planning, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Quality, Service, and field teams can accurately build, support, and change. This role establishes and maintains the authoritative product definition across market-facing Product Codes, Engineering Models / Design Final Assemblies, configuration rules, part and E-number governance, multi-level engineering BOMs, drawings, revisions, effectivity, and related technical data. The role translates customer and market options into clear engineering parameters, constraints, defaults, dependencies, and system logic, then keeps those definitions synchronized across SolidWorks configurations, DriveWorks, PDM/PLM, ERP, and downstream operating workflows. Code Blue is primarily a configure-to-order / assemble-to-order manufacturer with engineer-to-order and custom capabilities layered on top. The successful candidate will apply configuration-management discipline in a practical, lean manner—creating control, traceability, and repeatability without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

ROLE PURPOSE

Create one trusted product definition. Enable valid, manufacturable configurations; prevent incomplete or contradictory releases; and build a reliable Engineering-to-Operations handoff so downstream teams no longer have to infer design intent from scattered or incomplete information.

Work arrangement:

This position is primarily on-site at Code Blue's Holland, Michigan facility. Limited work-from-home flexibility, potentially up to approximately 20% of the schedule, "may" be considered based on the responsibilities being performed, business needs, and leadership approval.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1.

Product configuration architecture and rules

• Own the hierarchy, inheritance, revision control, and release of product-family, series, and sub-series configuration-rule specifications.
• Own the controlled mapping between market-facing Product Codes and true Engineering Models / Design Final Assemblies; configuration rules must not create unsupported engineering models.
• Define and maintain option groups, controlled values, hard rules, soft rules, defaults, dependencies, imported inputs, overrides, and guided-selling translation logic.
• Translate simple Sales / Marketing questions into precise engineering parameters, BOM effects, CAD/DriveWorks variables, validation logic, and release conditions.
• Ensure Engineering-owned technical rules remain aligned with customer-facing wording and tools owned by Commercial teams; support future CPQ/configurator capability without transferring technical authority away from Engineering.
• Require configuration-rule changes to follow controlled change and to update the authoritative specification and its implementing models, forms, or automation together. 2. Product structure, BOM and part-number governance
• Own and maintain the authoritative engineering product structure, including multi-level engineering BOMs, assemblies, interfaces, revision history, effectivity, and lifecycle status.
• Establish practical rules for part and E-number creation, use, approval, maintenance, reuse, supersession, and retirement so duplicate or ambiguous identities do not enter the system.
• Ensure every released configuration has complete, controlled, and internally consistent drawings, specifications, BOM content, revision data, and change references before downstream use.
• Partner with Planning, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Quality to make engineering data usable in ERP and production while preserving Engineering ownership of technical definition and approval.
• Resolve product-structure and BOM discrepancies at their source rather than allowing workarounds, tribal knowledge, or downstream guesswork to become the operating method. 3. Change, baseline and release control
• Lead ECR/ECO workflows from intake and impact analysis through review, approval, implementation, verification, and closeout; define fast-track paths for genuinely low-risk changes.
• Establish and maintain configuration baselines and traceability among as-designed, as-released, and as-built product definitions.
• Maintain configuration status accounting and decision-useful reporting for open changes, implementation status, affected products, effectivity, exceptions, and unresolved risks.
• Conduct or coordinate configuration audits and release-readiness checks to verify that product data and physical output conform to approved requirements.
• Stop, hold, or escalate incomplete, contradictory, or invalid configurations before quote release, BOM generation, engineering release, or manufacturing release, according to defined decision rights. 4. Systems, data and automation
• Serve as the functional owner for product-configuration data models, workflows, validation, and data quality across SolidWorks, DriveWorks, PDM/PLM, ERP, and future CPQ/configurator tools.
• Partner with Engineering Systems and IT on vault/platform administration, permissions, infrastructure, upgrades, integrations, backups, and migrations; make the ownership boundary explicit and workable.
• Define and maintain naming conventions, controlled vocabularies, metadata, variables, templates, default values, and system-of-record rules.
• Create or improve automated checks, synchronization, reports, and dashboards that expose configuration gaps before they affect purchasing, manufacturing, shipment, or field support. 5. Cross-functional implementation and continuous improvement
• Work daily with Product Strategy, Solutions Engineering, Mechanical/Electrical/Firmware Engineering, Planning, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Quality, Service Operations, and Commercial teams.
• Integrate configuration requirements into new-product introduction, custom/ETO intake, design release, manufacturing readiness, field-support documentation, and lifecycle change processes.
• Train users, publish practical work instructions, and build adoption so the controlled process is consistently followed—not merely documented.
• Investigate configuration escapes, BOM discrepancies, revision conflicts, and recurring handoff failures; identify root causes and implement verified corrective improvements.
• Apply CM2-inspired principles and other sound configuration-management practices at a scale appropriate for Code Blue's size, product mix, and pace of change.

KEY OWNERSHIP BOUNDARIES

• Product Configuration Manager:

  Configuration rules, Product Code-to-Engineering Model mapping, engineering product structure, part/revision/effectivity governance, configuration baselines, change-control process, and functional product-data requirements.

• Design Engineering:

  Design authority, technical calculations, design validation, and approval of the underlying mechanical, electrical, firmware, cloud, or system design.
• Commercial /

Marketing:

Customer-facing wording, pricing, quote workflow, and presentation of approved options; must remain within Engineering-owned technical rules and constraints.

• Planning /

Manufacturing:

Production scheduling, work-order execution, routings, manufacturability feedback, and ERP transaction execution using complete, approved engineering data.

• Engineering Systems /

IT:

Platform infrastructure, security, permissions, backups, upgrades, and technical administration—unless leadership explicitly assigns some of these duties to this role.

FIRST-YEAR OUTCOMES

• First 90 days: map the current configuration/data flow; identify high-risk gaps and ownership conflicts; baseline the part-number, BOM, rule, and change backlog; and agree on release gates, priorities, and scorecard definitions.
• By six months: establish a working configuration-rule hierarchy and controlled change/release workflow for the highest-priority product family; implement usable status accounting, validation, and PDM/ERP handoff controls; and train the affected teams.
• By twelve months: demonstrate measurable improvement in drawing/BOM/configuration completeness, change implementation, data synchronization, downstream errors, rework, and Engineering-to-Operations handoff reliability.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Leadership will set targets after the initial baseline.

Likely measures include:

• On-time engineering/configuration release
• Released packages complete with approved drawings, BOMs, configuration rules, and ECO references
• BOM/configuration discrepancies or escapes discovered downstream
• ECR/ECO cycle time, aging, and verified implementation closure
• Configuration-rule coverage for priority products and option groups
• PDM/ERP synchronization and product-data quality exceptions
• Post-release defects, rework, or schedule disruption attributable to configuration/data errors

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Systems, Product Development, or a related field—or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• Five or more years of progressive experience in product configuration, configuration management, engineering data, product data management, BOM governance, or a closely related hardware/manufacturing role.
• Demonstrated experience with configurable or variant-rich physical products in a low-volume/high-mix, configure-to-order, assemble-to-order, engineer-to-order, or custom manufacturing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of product structures, multi-level BOMs, part numbering, revisions, effectivity, baselines, ECR/ECO workflows, and controlled engineering release.
• Hands-on experience with a PDM/PLM platform and an ERP/MRP system, including the downstream impact of engineering data on planning, purchasing, manufacturing, quality, and service.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, product structures, and technical change information.
• Ability to translate product intent into clear rules, constraints, defaults, dependencies, data definitions, and executable workflow logic.
• Strong written communication, facilitation, problem-solving, and cross-functional influence skills; able to create discipline in a small team without relying on excessive bureaucracy.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with SolidWorks PDM, SolidWorks configurations, DriveWorks, Sage X3, or comparable CAD/PDM/ERP/design-automation tools.
• Experience implementing or improving PDM-to-ERP integration, configurable BOMs, CPQ/configurator logic, data migration, or engineering-data automation.
• Formal configuration-management education or certification, including CM2 / IpX or comparable methodology.
• Experience supporting NPI, manufacturing release-readiness, quality systems, configuration audits, or regulated/certified products.
• Mechanical, electrical, systems, mechatronics, manufacturing, or product-design engineering experience sufficient to work credibly with multidisciplinary design teams.

WORKING STYLE

• A hands-on systems thinker who can create structure while the system is still evolving.
• Detail-oriented enough to protect product integrity, but practical enough to keep work moving.
• Comfortable identifying missing information, asking disciplined questions, stating assumptions, and escalating risk before it becomes rework.
• Able to balance technical accuracy, manufacturing usability, customer needs, and change speed without weakening controlled ownership.
• Motivated to build a durable system and team capability—not to become the permanent human workaround for missing process.

WHY JOIN CODE BLUE

You will shape a foundational capability in a small, collaborative company whose products protect people every day. This role has direct access to leadership, visible impact across the full product lifecycle, and the opportunity to build modern product-configuration, engineering-data, and design-automation practices from the ground up.

CANDIDATE SIMULATION

Candidates who advance will complete a practical simulation based on a limited Code Blue-style configuration-rule excerpt and sample product/change artifacts. The exercise is intended to evaluate how the candidate identifies facts, gaps, contradictions, assumptions, rule types, system impacts, release risk, and practical next steps. It will also evaluate the candidate's ability to ask useful clarifying questions and communicate a controlled, lean solution. Prior knowledge of Code Blue products will not be expected.

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Application Question(s): Give one example of a BOM, revision, or product-configuration error you corrected or prevented. What did you personally change, and how did you verify that production received the correct information? Please answer in 2-4 sentences. Which PDM/PLM and ERP/MRP systems have you used hands-on? Briefly describe the product data or workflows you maintained and how that information supported planning, purchasing, or manufacturing. Please answer in 2-4 sentences. Describe a physical product with multiple options or configurations that you supported. What did you personally own in its configuration rules, bills of materials (BOMs), or engineering release process? Please answer in 2-4 sentences.

Work Location:

In person