Engineering Director

Nortek Data Center Cooling; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance

401(k) plan with company contributions

4 weeks of vacation

Air-conditioned work environment

Job summary

A leading HVAC provider is seeking a Director of Engineering in Oklahoma City to lead the design and development of advanced cooling solutions for data centers. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of engineering experience, including at least 5 years in leadership roles. Responsibilities include overseeing product development, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving design initiatives to meet customer needs. The position offers robust health benefits, a 401(k) plan, and a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience with at least 5 years in an engineering leadership role.
• Experience in designing complex HVAC and thermal management products.
• Strong understanding of air- and liquid-based cooling technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a high-performing engineering organization focused on data center cooling technologies.
• Oversee product development from concept to launch, ensuring compliance with quality and safety standards.
• Collaborate with Sales and Operations to support key customer engagement and solution development.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Product Development

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Business Acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree

Job description

Nortek Data Center Cooling, a Madison Industries company, is a premier HVAC provider focused on energy‑efficient and sustainable solutions for data centers worldwide.

Position Summary

The Director of Engineering will lead the design, development, and delivery of Nortek Data Center Cooling’s full portfolio of custom cooling solutions—including air cooling, liquid cooling, and related thermal technologies—serving hyperscale and colocation customers. Based in Oklahoma City, this role provides strategic and hands‑on leadership to a multidisciplinary engineering team with a strong emphasis on design‑to‑cost, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), and scalable, high‑reliability solutions. The Director will partner with Sales, PMO, Supply Chain, Operations, and Quality to ensure products are optimized for performance, cost, and manufacturability while enabling efficient execution from concept through commercialization and strengthening Nortek’s competitive position.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Strategy

• Lead, develop, and inspire a high‑performing engineering organization focused on data center cooling technologies.
• Define engineering strategy, technical standards, and product roadmaps aligned with business objectives and customer requirements.
• Drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
• Serve as a key member of the leadership team, providing technical insight to support strategic decision‑making.

Product Design & Development

• Oversee end‑to‑end product development from concept and architecture through validation, launch, and lifecycle support.
• Ensure products meet performance, reliability, safety, regulatory, and quality requirements.
• Champion design‑to‑cost principles and DFM/DFA to ensure products are cost‑competitive, scalable, and optimized for manufacturing.
• Balance innovation with practical execution to meet aggressive timelines and cost targets.

Customer & Market Engagement

• Partner with Sales and Commercial teams to support key customer engagements, technical reviews, and solution development for hyperscalers and colocation providers.
• Translate customer and market requirements into robust, differentiated product designs.
• Support application‑specific and engineered‑to‑order solutions for strategic customers as needed.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the PMO to align resources, schedules, and technical milestones across development programs.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure designs are manufacturable, supply‑resilient, and aligned with production capabilities.
• Partner with Quality and Compliance teams to ensure adherence to industry standards, certifications, and customer‑specific requirements.

People Development & Talent Management

• Build, retain, and develop a strong engineering team through hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Develop future technical and people leaders within the organization.
• Foster collaboration across engineering disciplines and with other functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline; Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience, including at least 5 years in an engineering leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience designing complex HVAC, thermal management, or data center infrastructure products.
• Strong understanding of air‑ and liquid‑based data center cooling technologies.
• Proven success driving design‑to‑cost and DFM initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading cross‑functional product development teams.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance technical performance, cost, schedule, and customer expectations.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, FSA, and 401(k) Plan with company contributions.
• 401(k) match, first‑year 4 weeks’ vacation (accrued), and benefits start day one.
• Air‑conditioned work environment.
• Making NexGen Products – Cooling the world’s ever‑expanding data centers.

Nortek Air Management and its divisions offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Our benefits package includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, FSA, HAS and 401(k) Plan with company contributions.

Nortek Data Center Cooling is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law.