Advanced Manufacturing Engineer Strategic Program Leader, Residential HVAC

CFO Trane U.S. Inc.-CFO; Davidson (NC); On-site; USD 124,000 - 199,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Wellness programs

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Trane Technologies is seeking an Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Strategic Program Leader for Residential HVAC. This leadership role focuses on strategic manufacturing network design and end-to-end execution of footprint transformations and capital programs across multiple sites.

You will translate long-term operations strategy into phased execution plans, partnering with BUs, plant leadership, and senior executives to optimize networks, enable capital efficiency, and enhance resilience

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business, or related technical discipline.
• Experience: 10+ years in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, or supply chain.
• Leadership: 5+ years direct leadership in manufacturing, operations strategy, or capital/transformation programs within a matrixed industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic footprint design and long-term network architecture.
• Own multi-phase capital programs and site transitions.
• Drive operations strategy, network optimization, and business case development.
• Coordinate cross-functional governance among BU leaders, finance, procurement, HR, IT and plant operations.
• Support change management and workforce readiness during transitions.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Program leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Industrial engineering

Manufacturing operations

Supply chain

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business

Master’s degree or MBA

Tools

MES

PLM

Job description

What's in it for you:

The Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Strategic Program Leader for Residential HVAC is a critical, high-impact leadership role within the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering team. This position carries a unique, dual-focus mandate: actively driving strategic manufacturing network design, while orchestrating the end-to-end execution of complex footprint transformations and regional capital programs. The ideal candidate is a blend of a strategic operations thinker and a disciplined program integrator. You will partner closely with Business Units (BUs), Plant Leadership, and senior cross-functional executives to design optimized manufacturing networks and lead the implementation of multi-phase programs comprising multiple highly interdependent sub-projects. In this role, you will translate long-term operations strategy into structured, phased execution plans that ensure operational excellence, capital efficiency, and long-term business resilience across our manufacturing sites. Must be able to travel up to 30%.

What you will do:

• Strategic Footprint & Strategy Formulation Lead and contribute to the analytical framing, design, and continuous optimization of the Residential SBU manufacturing footprint. Rather than reacting to localized capacity gaps, this role proactively evaluates the 5-to-10-year network architecture (focused vs. flexible plants, centralized hubs vs. regional final assembly) to support business growth and margin objectives.
• Multi-Site Program Integration & Execution Serve as the single owner of the integration through-line for complex capital programs, facility start-ups, brownfield expansions, site consolidations, and strategic work transfers. You will ensure that these intricate transitions are executed seamlessly, mitigating risk and maintaining continuity for customer commitments.
• Operations Strategy & Network Optimization
  • Strategic Footprint Planning: Drive cross-functional teams through structured footprint and network evaluation processes, aligning corporate strategy with regional operational realities.
  • Demand Scenario Modeling: Partner with Commercial teams to align capacity plans with market demand forecasts, utilizing scenario modeling to ensure network assets are designed to withstand market volatility rather than single-point forecasts.
  • Network Design Principles: Help establish structural make-vs-buy, vertical integration, and factory specialization strategies. Balance the operational and financial trade-offs of centralized component manufacturing against regional localized final assembly.
  • Business Case Development: Collaborate with Finance partners to co-author robust business cases, evaluating capital investment options against status-quo operational baselines while clearly quantifying strategic benefits (such as service-lead compression and supply-chain resilience).
  • Geographic & Site Selection Analysis: Evaluate candidate regions and sites against critical external and internal criteria, including industrial policies, trade/tariff exposure, local labor depth, supplier ecosystem density, energy infrastructure, and local permitting timelines.
• Program Management, Governance & Integration
  • Orchestrate Multi-Phase Programs: Provide master integration, schedule coordination, and financial oversight for complex footprint programs containing multiple highly interdependent, concurrent sub-projects (e.g., equipment relocation, regulatory approvals, site buildouts).
  • Enforce Phase-Gate Governance: Implement disciplined phase-gate methodologies to sequence program milestones, managing capital expenditure risk and establishing clear demand/utilization triggers before releasing subsequent phases of capital.
  • Establish Decision Governance: Define and align clear program governance and program team operating structures among Business Unit leaders, corporate functions, and plant management to facilitate rapid, structured decision-making.
• Influence Senior Leadership: Translate complex, technical, and financial analyses into highly polished executive proposals. Pre-wire key stakeholders and present strategic options, financials, and phased roadmaps to Executive-level audiences.
• Drive Change Enablement & Workforce Readiness: Support cross-functional change management efforts during operational transitions, modernization programs, and technology integrations. Apply high organizational empathy to ensure clear communication, minimize team anxiety, support talent retention and development, and preserve valuable institutional knowledge.
• Support Operational Design: Collaborate with advanced engineering teams to leverage standard engineering concepts—such as Design for Manufacturability/Assembly (DFM/DFA), FMEA, and Production Preparation Process (3P)—to optimize process layouts during network realignments.

What you will bring:

• Education Required: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business, or a related technical discipline.
• Preferred: Master’s degree or MBA.
• Experience Required: 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, or supply chain.
• Preferred: 5+ years of direct leadership in manufacturing, operations strategy, or running complex capital/transformation programs within a highly matrixed industrial environment.
• Track Record of Program Leadership: Proven experience successfully coordinating multi-phase capital programs or transition initiatives, overseeing complex timelines and coordination across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Technical & Leadership Competencies: Advanced Strategic Acumen: Ability to think holistically about long-term network architectures and challenge traditional assumptions around capacity, site selection, and operating models.
• Complex Program Integration: Mastery of program management methodologies for highly interdependent workstreams (critical path, resource smoothing, risk register management).
• Cross-Functional Fluency: A collaborative leader who can seamlessly translate and align the distinct priorities of Finance, Procurement, HR, IT, Engineering, and Plant Operations around a single program goal.
• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional interpersonal and political savvy.
• Experience utilizing structured decision governance models to drive alignment across competing business units or functions.
• Operational Technology Alignment: Strong understanding of advanced manufacturing technologies (MES, PLM, automation levels) and how digital infrastructure integrates across a multi-plant network.
• Annual Base Salary Range or Hourly Base Pay Range: $123,721.66 - $199,300.00
• Compensation Type: Salary
• Incentive Eligible: Yes
• Sales Commission Eligible: No
• Disclaimer: We strive to provide competitive compensation for this position, tailored to a variety of factors. The actual compensation will depend on elements such as seniority, merit, geographic location, education, experience, travel requirements, and union designation. Our compensation range is generally based on the national average for the country. Additionally, benefits may vary depending on the region, business alignment, union involvement, and employee status.

Thrive at work and at home: Benefits kick in on DAY ONE for you and your family, including health insurance and holistic wellness programs that include generous incentives – WE DARE TO CARE! Family building benefits include fertility coverage and adoption/surrogacy assistance. Paid time off includes up to 15 vacation days, paid holidays, sick leave, and additional options to support volunteer and parental leave. 401K match up, educational and training opportunities through company programs along with tuition assistance and student debt support.

Disclaimer: Benefit offerings may vary by site as well as Collective Bargaining Agreements and local/state regulations Safety Sensitive Role: Yes The company designates certain roles as Safety Sensitive. Safety Sensitive roles may require that you pass additional drug screening. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits and programs.

We are an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any legally protected status.

At Trane Technologies, we’re climate innovators with the courage to look at our world's challenges and see endless opportunities. We aren’t afraid to make bold commitments that set new standards to enhance the health and well‑being of our employees, customers, communities, and the planet we share. Learn more about what we do & how we do it. Joining the Trane Technologies team is more than just a job – it’s the beginning of a career full of purpose, impact, and meaningful contributions that challenge what’s possible for a more sustainable future. Together, we know we can change the world. With an inclusive culture, benefits to support you and your family, limitless opportunities to grow, flexibility to help you balance life’s demands, and more – you’ll be supported to thrive at work and at home. Learn more about building a career with us.

At Trane Technologies, we believe in providing equal access and opportunity for all. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to our candidates and employees who may need assistance with application or recruitment processes due to disability or impairment. To request an accommodation, please contact us at: [e-mail]