Director, Thermal Chain Technical Business Development

Vertiv; Burnfoot; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertiv seeks a Director, Thermal Chain Technical Business Development to lead pre‑sales technical engagements for thermal management across hyperscale and cloud customers worldwide. You will bridge deep thermal expertise with customer facing influence to position Vertiv as the basis of design for cooling architectures in next‑generation data centers.

You will lead a team of experts, collaborate with account management and product lines, and drive strategy for air, liquid, and hybrid cooling.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in technical business development, thermal/HVAC, or pre‑sales leadership.
• 5+ years at a senior level influencing enterprise customers.
• Deep data center cooling knowledge spanning air and liquid systems.
• Proven ability to translate thermal strategy into revenue growth.
• Willingness to travel extensively to customer sites and events.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical engagement with identified and emerging customers to influence thermal architectures.
• Collaborate with strategic customers to design overall thermal strategies for current and future density.
• Whiteboard system‑level thermal architectures with CTOs and leadership, comparing air, liquid, and hybrid options.
• Drive early engagement in design cycles to shape thermal requirements before RFP issuance.

Skills

Thermal management expertise

Pre-sales leadership

Executive communication

Leadership

Strategic collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering

MBA or MS preferred

Job description

Job Description

The Director, Thermal Chain Technical Business Development leads Vertiv’s pre‑sales technical engagement for thermal management solutions across global strategic Hyperscale, Neo‑Cloud, and MTDC customers. This is a critical role bridging deep thermal domain expertise with customer‑facing influence to position Vertiv as the basis of design for cooling architectures in next‑generation data centers.

The scope encompasses the full spectrum of thermal solutions — from traditional air‑cooled systems (perimeter and in‑row cooling) to advanced liquid cooling (direct‑to‑chip, rear‑door heat exchangers, immersion cooling), economizer‑based designs, and hybrid thermal architectures. As data center densification accelerates and AI/HPC workloads drive unprecedented heat loads, this role is at the forefront of defining how Vertiv addresses extreme density thermal challenges.

The Technical Business Development team positions Vertiv as a trusted partner through deep product and solution expertise, industry insight & leadership, and customer consultation to design solutions that meet customers’ unique needs. The goal is to “get up and to the left” – engaging higher in the customer organization to the decision maker level and earlier in the process to position Vertiv as the basis of design.

The incumbent guides a team of thermal domain experts with credible technical capability and strong communication and influence skills. Strong collaboration and partnership with the Hyperscale, Neo‑Cloud, and MTDC account managers, data center solutions, power train, and whitespace solutions teams are critical to deliver a consistent and unified message to advance Vertiv’s market position.

This position requires invention on a daily basis with a keen sense of urgency and market approach nimbleness. Today’s data center customers expect speed and technical competence in addressing thermal challenges at scale — particularly as rack densities push beyond 100kW and liquid cooling becomes a baseline requirement.

Success Measures

• Thermal Basis‑of‑Design: Achievement of Vertiv thermal products/solutions as customer basis‑of‑design across cooling architectures (air, liquid, hybrid).
• Share‑of‑Wallet Penetration: Measurable orders & sales share gain for thermal solutions at target GSA customers.
• Thought Leadership: Collaboration with Thermal BU/Product Lines to develop reference cooling architectures and disseminate thermal thought leadership to customers, industry events, and market publications.
• Account Strategy: Collaboration with GSA and NAM Sales counterparts to define and execute thermal‑specific growth strategies within overall account plans.
• Capability Maturity: Expansion of team capabilities; evolution from product‑specific thermal skills to system‑level thermal chain expertise integrated with overall data center architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical engagement with identified and emerging GSA customers to influence and design thermal architectures positioning Vertiv’s cooling portfolio as the basis of design.
• Collaborate directly with strategic GSA customers to design overall thermal strategies addressing current and future density requirements.
• Whiteboard system‑level thermal architectures with customer CTOs, Engineering, and Design leadership — articulating trade‑offs between air‑cooled, liquid‑cooled, and hybrid approaches.
• Drive early engagement in the customer’s design cycle to shape thermal requirements before RFP issuance.

Product, Systems & Solutions Expertise

• Deep understanding of Vertiv’s thermal portfolio including precision air cooling, in‑row/perimeter units, chillers, economizers, direct liquid cooling (DLC), rear‑door heat exchangers, and immersion cooling solutions.
• Ability to articulate system‑level thermal design — from chip to atmosphere — including facility water systems, heat rejection, piping infrastructure, and controls integration.
• Ensure technical buyers understand Vertiv’s thermal capabilities; coordinate solution alignment with product roadmaps and drive innovative approaches to meet evolving density and sustainability requirements.
• Drive alignment and collaboration across senior leadership, sales, product development, and engineering to mature and disseminate thermal thought leadership and reference designs. One Vertiv.
• Engage with external design firms and consulting engineers to influence thermal specifications.

Voice‑of‑Customer (VOC)

• Capture and communicate market needs, product gaps, and emerging thermal trends to the Thermal BU and Product Lines.
• Drive feedback loops to shape future thermal products and solution strategies — particularly around liquid cooling evolution and sustainability requirements.

Industry Engagement

• Represent Vertiv in trade shows, conferences, and industry publications to showcase thermal technical thought leadership.
• Build visibility into Vertiv’s thermal strategic direction and reinforce its market posture in cooling innovation.
• Engage with industry bodies (ASHRAE, The Green Grid, OCP) on thermal standards and best practices.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor a team of thermal domain experts across assigned regions.
• Foster collaboration, cross‑learning, and best‑practice sharing across the team and with global peers.
• Build cross‑BU technical capabilities within the team (e.g., understanding power and whitespace interdependencies with thermal design).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline; advanced degree (MBA or MS) strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive responsibility in technical business development, thermal/HVAC solution engineering, or pre‑sales leadership roles, with at least 5 years at a senior level influencing enterprise customers and shaping thermal solution strategy.
• Recognized expertise in data center thermal management, including both air‑cooled and liquid‑cooled architectures, with a demonstrable record of steering cooling architecture decisions at global or strategic accounts.
• Demonstrated success translating thermal technical strategies into revenue growth, market share expansion, or measurable business impact. Experience collaborating directly with sales leadership to develop account strategies.
• Deep, hands‑on understanding of data center cooling technologies — precision cooling, economization, liquid cooling (DLC, immersion, rear‑door), heat rejection systems, and thermal controls — combined with the ability to integrate thermal design within overall data center architecture.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams, aligning with global Product Lines and Business Units, and influencing senior executives across engineering, product management, and sales organizations.
• Established presence in industry forums, standards bodies (ASHRAE, OCP), or trade publications; capable of representing Vertiv’s thermal direction credibly at conferences and with analysts.
• Exceptional ability to engage at the C‑suite level with customers and to articulate a compelling technical and commercial vision to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to travel extensively to strategic customers, regional teams, and global BU locations.

This role may be performed in multiple jurisdictions. In jurisdictions subject to EU Pay Transparency requirements, a locally applicable salary range applies and will be communicated in accordance with local legal obligations, if not shown in this posting. Salary ranges for other jurisdictions may vary in line with local market conditions and applicable legislation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability.