Specialist, Construction Design (HVAC)

PowerCo SE; St. Thomas; On-site; CAD 88,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Employee Assistance Plan

Vacation allowance

Relocation support

Development opportunities

Company events

Job summary

PowerCo Canada Inc. in St. Thomas, Ontario, is seeking a Specialist, BSI Design (HVAC & Process Exhaust) to lead and govern HVAC design activities within the Battery Specific Infrastructure team.

You will align concepts, layouts, and technical solutions with global standards and project timelines, reporting to the Head of BSI. You will coordinate multidisciplinary meetings, manage tender docs, and drive change with suppliers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HVAC Engineering or related field.
• 3–7 years of construction project management experience.
• Strong knowledge of industrial HVAC design and process exhaust systems.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and govern all BSI design activities to align with standards and timelines.
• Develop tender documentation including room books, layouts, and user requirements.
• Manage design changes with cost and schedule impact assessments and weekly logs.
• Track design deliverables and perform quality assurance with suppliers and teams.
• Oversee 3D model management, clash detections, and digital coordination.
• Lead value engineering workshops and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Capture lessons learned and integrate into design standards and supplier requirements.
• Serve as SME for HVAC and process exhaust across production areas.

Skills

HVAC Engineering

Project coordination

Stakeholder management

BIM coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in HVAC Engineering

Industrial/Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

Aconex

Navisworks

BIM 360

ACC

Job description

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We are proud to announce the launch of Volkswagen Group’s largest cell factory, PowerCo, in St. Thomas. This is more than just a job – it’s a unique opportunity to shape the future of sustainable energy. Join us as we ramp up operations and help build a world-class company.

At PowerCo, we believe in fostering an environment where ambition meets collaboration, and where flexibility and creativity thrive. You'll be part of a diverse, talented team that is shaping the future of battery production. You’ll have the chance to advance your career while working alongside passionate colleagues who share a vision of making a lasting impact on the world.
Are you ready to be part of something exciting? Power up your career with us!

This position is in-person and located in the charming town of St. Thomas, ON.

Your role and key responsibilities

We are seeking a highly skilled and proactive Specialist, BSI Design (HVAC & Process Exhaust) to join our Battery Specific Infrastructure (BSI) team. In this role, you will take a leading position in coordinating, steering, and governing all BSI-related design activities, ensuring that concepts, layouts, and technical solutions align with PowerCo’s global standards, functional requirements, and project timelines. Reporting directly to the Head of BSI.

What you bring to the team

Design Coordination & Stakeholder Alignment
Lead the organization of multidisciplinary design meetings with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring technical alignment, structured decision‑making, and timely distribution of high‑quality meeting documentation. Act as the central coordination point for all BSI-related design inputs, consolidating feedback from engineering, production, HSE, construction, and operations teams.

Tender Documentation & Technical Requirements Management
Develop and maintain comprehensive tender documentation—including TUM lists, Room Books, layouts, and user requirements—ensuring clarity, completeness, and compliance with PowerCo’s technical and functional standards. Provide expert guidance on the technical scope definition and ensure alignment between project requirements and supplier proposals.

Design Change Management & Impact Evaluation
Govern the design change process by evaluating change requests from internal departments, updating TUM, Room Books, and layouts accordingly, and coordinating the implementation of changes with suppliers. Conduct technical, schedule, and cost impact assessments for all design modifications, including claim review and negotiation support with suppliers. Maintain and publish an up‑to‑date weekly design change log as part of structured change governance.

Design Deliverable Tracking & Quality Assurance
Track and verify the supplier’s design deliverables against contractual obligations and project milestones, ensuring completeness, quality accuracy, and alignment with design strategy. Proactively identify design gaps, inconsistencies, and risks, driving corrective actions with suppliers and internal teams.

3D Model Management & Digital Coordination
Oversee the development, integration, and quality of the 3D model across all BSI work streams, ensuring consistency with engineering data, spatial requirements, and interface definitions. Facilitate model reviews, clash detections, and interdisciplinary coordination sessions, driving resolution of technical conflicts and optimizing constructibility.

Value Engineering, Acceleration
Lead value engineering workshops and cross‑functional evaluations to bring project costs in line with approved budgets, balancing technical requirements with cost efficiency.

Design Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement
Lead the systematic collection, analysis, and documentation of design‑related lessons learned across all BSI work streams, transforming project experiences into actionable guidelines. Drive continuous improvement initiatives by integrating lessons learned into design standards, tender documents (TUM, Room Books, layouts), and supplier requirements, ensuring future projects benefit from enhanced efficiency, quality, and risk mitigation.

SME
Act as the subject matter specialist for HVAC and process exhaust systems within BSI design activities, defining and coordinating discipline‑specific technical requirements, concepts, and solutions for production, utility, dry room, clean room, and ancillary areas. Ensure that HVAC and process exhaust designs meet project requirements for environmental control, pressure cascade, temperature and humidity performance, air quality, source capture, safety, operability, maintainability, and integration with process equipment and facility infrastructure. Review and steer supplier and consultant deliverables related to HVAC and process exhaust, resolve technical interfaces with other disciplines, and support compliance with PowerCo standards, project objectives, and applicable codes and regulations.

What makes you stand out

• Bachelors Degree - HVAC Engineering preferred. Industrial / Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 3-7 years experience in Construction Project Management
• Strong knowledge of HVAC system design for industrial and technical buildings
• Experience with process exhaust systems, ventilation strategies, and pressure cascade concepts
• Understanding of cleanroom / dry room / contamination control environments
• Experience reviewing mechanical design packages, layouts, schematics, and technical submittals
• Knowledge of design coordination across utilities, process engineering, HSE, and construction
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Working knowledge of BIM/model review tools such as Aconex,Navisworks / BIM 360 / ACC is beneficial

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with battery cell manufacturing facilities
• Experience in dry room HVAC integration and ultra‑low moisture environments
• Familiarity with cleanroom standards and contamination control concepts
• Experience with solvent exhaust or hazardous exhaust systems
• Experience supporting commissioning, qualification, and start‑up of HVAC systems in industrial facilities
• Knowledge of energy‑efficient HVAC system design for high‑demand process environments
• Experience working in multinational project environments with external EPCM / consultant teams

What to look forward to

Attractive Remuneration: The expected competitive compensation range for this position is $88,390 - $110,498 CAD, which includes base pay and target amount of short term incentive plan.

• Pension and Retirement Savings: We contribute to a Registered Pension Plan and matching contribution to a retirement savings plan.
• Employee Assistance Plan: We offer an Employee Assistance Plan which can support you in mental health, physical wellness and overall wellbeing.
• Vacation Allowance: We offer our employees competitive paid time off. Plus, you don’t need to take any vacation days from December 24 to December 31.
• Opportunities for development.
• Relocation Support.
• Opportunities to participate in exciting company events that give back to the community.

We are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Our compensation is determined based on a combination of factors including but not limited too relevant years of experience, education, and alignment with the responsibilities and qualifications outlined in the job description.

We believe that the best results are created in a diverse and inclusive environment. Therefore, all qualified applications will be considered for employment regardless of age, race, religion, gender (identity), sexual orientation, national origin or disability.

PowerCo Canada Inc. is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities including during the application process. If you require an accommodation because of a disability, we will work with you to determine what reasonable accommodation may be available to meet your needs whether it be as an applicant or an employee. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation, you are encouraged to advise the Recruiter who will consult with you to determine an appropriate and reasonable accommodation.

#LI-Onsite

Location:

St. Thomas, CA

Job Function: Operations

Level of Experience: Professionals

Salary Range:

Job ID: 4864

Change the Future with Us

PowerCo was founded in 2022 to become a global battery champion. Headquarteredin Germany, we are currently ramping up gigafactories in Salzgitter, Valencia and St. Thomas in Canada with a total volume of up to 200 GWh. We are integrating the entire value chain and building a supply chain as local as possible. With that we are driving the development of a strong, sustainable battery industry in Europe and North America.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

PowerCo Canada Inc. is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, family status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, or local laws.

PowerCo Canada Inc. is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities including during the application process. If you require an accommodation because of a disability, we will work with you to determine what reasonable accommodation may be available to meet your needs whether it is as an applicant or an employee. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation, you are encouraged to advise the Recruiter who will consult with you to determine an appropriate and reasonable accommodation.

Recruitment Practices

Please note that we appreciate the interest of all candidates, however only those under consideration will be contacted.

Our organization may use artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted tools as part of our recruitment and hiring processes. All decisions regarding hiring, interviews, and selection are ultimately made by human recruiters or hiring managers.