Cooling R&D Leader

Schneider Electric; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 12,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total Rewards program

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Schneider Electric in Bengaluru, India, seeks an R&D Leader Cooling to drive the technical vision of the Data Centre cooling portfolio. You will transform the India Engineering Centre into a hub for Local for Local and Local for Global initiatives, overseeing Chillers, PAC, and CDUs, and guiding a multi-disciplinary team in a global matrix.

You will shape a 3–5 year strategy, manage risks, and report to Global LOB heads, with emphasis on performance, modularity, and patent-driven innovation,

Qualifications

• 18+ years in R&D/Engineering, with at least 5 years in a Head of Engineering or Engineering Director capacity.
• Extensive experience in HVAC, Industrial Cooling, or Data Centre Infrastructure.
• Proven ability to influence global stakeholders and navigate a matrix organization where "influence without authority" is key.
• Experience managing teams of 30+ engineers, including managers and principal architects.
• Mastery of refrigeration cycles, liquid-to-liquid heat transfer (CDUs), and airflow management (PAC).

Responsibilities

• Strategic Engineering Governance & Reporting: Define and own the 3-5 year technical strategy for the India Engineering Centre, ensuring it supports hyper-growth of the Data Centre market.
• Stakeholder Reporting: Establish a rigorous reporting cadence with Global LOB heads and provide visibility into project health, resource utilization, and R&D spend.
• Risk Management: Identify technical and supply chain risks in localization and present mitigation strategies to the executive committee.
• Team Management & Organizational Excellence: Scale the engineering team by hiring top-tier talent in thermal management, controls, and mechanical design.
• Performance Culture: Implement a high-performance culture focused on First-Time Right engineering with KPIs for design quality, modularity, and patents.
• Competency Mapping: Identify skill gaps in emerging technologies (liquid cooling, AI-driven thermal controls) and drive training to stay cutting edge.
• NPD Execution: Chillers, PAC, & CDU: Oversee end-to-end NPD for high-density cooling solutions.
• Technical Authority: Sign-off on regional product adaptations ensuring compliance with local grid codes and energy efficiency standards.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

HVAC expertise

Team management

Strategic thinking

Job description

R&D Leader Cooling is a high-impact role responsible for steering the technical vision of our Data Centre cooling portfolio in India. The incumbent will transform the India Engineering Centre into a powerhouse for Local for Local and Local for Global initiatives.

Beyond technical oversight of Chillers, PAC, and CDUs, this leader must excel in managing a multi-disciplinary engineering team and navigating a complex global matrix of stakeholders.

Core Responsibilities

1. Strategic Engineering Governance & Reporting

• Engineering Roadmap: Define and own the 3-5 year technical strategy for the India Engineering Centre, ensuring it supports the hyper-growth of the Data Centre market.
• Stakeholder Reporting: Establish a rigorous reporting cadence with Global LOB heads. Provide transparent visibility into project health, resource utilization, and R&D spend.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify technical and supply chain risks in the localization process and present mitigation strategies to the executive committee.

1. Team Management & Organizational Excellence

• Talent Acquisition & Retention: Scale the engineering team by hiring top-tier talent in thermal management, controls, and mechanical design.
• Performance Culture: Implement a high-performance culture focused on "First-Time Right" engineering. Set clear KPIs for the team around design quality, modularity, and patent filings.
• Competency Mapping: Identify skill gaps in emerging technologies (e.g., liquid cooling, AI-driven thermal controls) and drive training programs to ensure the India team remains at the cutting edge.

3. NPD Execution: Chillers, PAC, & CDU

• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Oversee the end-to-end execution of New Product Developments (NPD) for high-density cooling solutions.
• Technical Authority: Act as the final technical sign-off for regional product adaptations, ensuring compliance with local grid codes, environmental regulations, and energy efficiency standards

Candidate Profile

• 18+ years in R&D/Engineering, with at least 5 years in a Head of Engineering or Engineering Director capacity.
• Extensive experience in HVAC, Industrial Cooling, or Data Centre Infrastructure.
• Proven ability to influence global stakeholders and navigate a matrix organization where "influence without authority" is key.
• Experience managing teams of 30+ engineers, including managers and principal architects.
• Mastery of refrigeration cycles, liquid-to-liquid heat transfer (CDUs), and airflow management (PAC).

Rewards designed for you

Our Total Rewards is our way of saying: We see you and we value you. It’s more than just pay and benefits—it’s a meaningful investment in you. It is designed to help you perform, grow, feel safe, and elevate your potential. The package helps you care for yourself and your family, plan your future, grow your skills and career, collaborate in an inclusive workplace, and contribute to your community. At Schneider Electric, we’re here for what matters most to you. Discover more at our Career Page.

Looking to make an IMPACT with your career?

When you are thinking about joining a new team, culture matters. At Schneider Electric, our values and behaviors are the foundation for creating a great culture to support business success. We believe that our IMPACT values – Inclusion, Mastery, Purpose, Action, Curiosity, Teamwork – starts with us.

IMPACT is also your invitation to join Schneider Electric where you can contribute to turning sustainability ambition into actions, no matter what role you play. It is a call to connect your career with the ambition of achieving a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable world.

We are looking for IMPACT Makers; exceptional people who turn sustainability ambitions into actions at the intersection of automation, electrification, and digitization. We celebrate IMPACT Makers and believe everyone has the potential to be one.

€40 billion global revenue
+9% organic growth
150 000+ employees in 100+ countries

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