Project Manager- New Product Development - Chillers (51535)

Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions.

Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and EcoChillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter.

Why work here

At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design.

It is core to our identity that we operate as one team — driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding.

Position Summary:

The NPD Project Manager – Chillers leads new product development (NPD) projects within the Product Development team, with a focus on innovative chiller solutions, including air-cooled and water-cooled platforms. This role owns the full project lifecycle, from concept initiation through design validation and product launch, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery while maintaining alignment with Gradian's engineering standards and strategic objectives.

Project Leadership & Execution

• Lead cross-functional NPD projects for new chiller technology (air-cooled and water-cooled platforms) from concept through commercialization, using a structured stage-gate or agile development process
• Develop comprehensive project plans, including scope definition, schedules, resource plans, risk registers, and budget forecasts
• Drive project execution by coordinating activities across Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Marketing
• Monitor project performance against plan; proactively identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and escalate blockers as appropriate
• Conduct regular project status reviews with stakeholders and present updates to Advanced Development leadership

Process & Governance

• Partner with the PMO to adopt and maintain consistent project management practices, templates, and reporting standards across NPD efforts
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date project documentation throughout the project lifecycle
• Facilitate stage-gate reviews, ensuring deliverables meet defined criteria (including compressor selection, refrigeration circuit design, and heat rejection equipment performance) before progressing to the next phase
• Support continuous improvement of Gradian's NPD process based on lessons learned and industry best practices

Collaboration

• Serve as the primary point of contact and communication hub for assigned NPD projects
• Build strong working relationships with R&D engineers, product managers, manufacturing engineers, and external suppliers or partners, with particular attention to compressor, refrigeration circuit, and heat rejection (cooling tower and dry cooler) component suppliers
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure design-for-manufacturability (DFM) considerations are addressed early in the development process
• Collaborate with Quality to ensure new products meet applicable performance, safety, and regulatory requirements, including relevant AHRI rating standards

Resource & Budget Management

• Manage project budgets and track expenditures against approved plans; provide regular financial forecasts and variance explanations
• Coordinate resource allocation across project teams; surface resource conflicts and work with functional managers to resolve them

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification or equivalent formal project management education (e.g., a degree program with a concentration in project or program management), or equivalent relevant experience
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive project management experience, including at least 3 years leading NPD or product development projects in a manufacturing or engineering environment
• Demonstrated proficiency with project scheduling tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent)
• Strong understanding of stage-gate product development processes
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills

Preferred

• Experience in chillers, HVAC, thermal management, or related mechanical systems industries
• Familiarity with chiller equipment and terminology, such as air-cooled and water-cooled chillers, compressors, refrigeration circuits, tonnage sizing, and heat rejection equipment (cooling towers, dry and adiabatic coolers)
• Experience working within or alongside a PMO structure
• Background in design-for-manufacturability (DFM) or design-for-quality (DFQ) methodologies
• Proficiency with PLM or ERP systems
• Six Sigma or Lean certification
• Working proficiency in Spanish

• Ability to engage meaningfully with engineering teams on chiller product design, testing, and performance trade-offs
• Strong sense of ownership; bias toward action and on-time delivery
• Ability to manage complexity, prioritize competing demands, and keep projects organized under ambiguity
• Skilled at leading cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Clear and concise communicator, both written and verbal, able to tailor messages to technical and executive audiences alike
• Continuously seeks to improve processes, tools, and team effectiveness

Benefits:

• Medical, vision, and dental plans
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Group term life insurance coverage
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care plans available
• 8 paid holidays, 4 floating holidays, and generous PTO policy
• 401k matching
• Annual safety shoe allowance
• Education assistance program

 EEO Statement:

Gradian is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other legally protected status.

Employment decisions at Gradian are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind and actively promote a culture of fairness, equity, and opportunity.

We also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances, in accordance with applicable laws.