Manufacturing Startup Project Leader (Data Center HVAC)

MAS HVAC, Inc; Dayton (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental plans

401k matching

Paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Gradian is seeking a Project Manager, Manufacturing Startup to lead the launch of a new data center HVAC manufacturing facility in Minnesota. You will supervise capital equipment installation, industrial engineering, staffing, and first article builds to ensure on-time production readiness.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain and Facilities, driving safety, quality, and cost objectives while delivering scalable, repeatable processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of manufacturing project management experience.
• 5+ years supporting factory startup, greenfield manufacturing, or major production launch initiatives.
• Experience with capital equipment implementation and manufacturing automation projects.
• Strong understanding of industrial engineering principles and assembly process development.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proven knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience managing project schedules, budgets, and resource allocations.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing startup activities from facility readiness through production launch.
• Develop and manage detailed project timelines, budgets, milestones, and risk mitigation plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to achieve startup objectives.
• Monitor project performance and communicate status to executive leadership.
• Establish KPIs for startup readiness and operational excellence.
• Define manufacturing equipment requirements for Data Center HVAC product lines.
• Coordinate equipment specification, procurement, installation, commissioning, and testing.
• Develop production layouts and line balancing; implement SOPs and work instructions.
• Staffing and workforce planning for production staffing and ramp-up.
• Lead first article builds, pilot runs, and validation to ensure readiness.
• Serve as primary manufacturing representative for customer qualification and audit activities.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for quality issues.
• Identify project risks and develop mitigation and contingency plans.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focusing on safety, productivity, quality, and on-time delivery.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Manufacturing automation

Quality management systems (ISO 9001)

Job description

Gradian is seeking a Project Manager, Manufacturing Startup to lead the launch of a new data center HVAC manufacturing facility in Minnesota. You will supervise capital equipment installation, industrial engineering, staffing, and first article builds to ensure on-time production readiness.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain and Facilities, driving safety, quality, and cost objectives while delivering scalable, repeatable processes