Project Manager- New Product Development (51356)

Gradian Thermal Solutions; Osseo (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, dental plans

401k matching

Education assistance program

Job summary

Gradian is seeking a Project Manager to plan, coordinate, and execute technical engineering projects from concept to completion. You’ll bridge engineering design and PMO oversight, ensuring quality, timelines, and budget adherence while leading cross-functional teams for thermal cooling systems and data center applications.

Responsibilities include defining scope, managing schedules, coordinating prototypes and design verification, and governing change control.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of project management experience in NPD, engineered-product, or ETO manufacturing.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent engineering projects with cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and stakeholder management.
• Knowledge of PMO processes, scope, scheduling, risk assessment, and change control.
• Ability to learn Gradian’s engineered products and PMO workflows quickly.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, and budgets for NPD programs.
• Define scope, requirements and resources with leadership; own scope and schedule.
• Coordinate design verification, prototype builds, and pilot production with teams.
• Manage change orders and ensure documentation is current and version-controlled.
• Track budgets and development spend to protect margins and meet milestones.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Cross-functional coordination

Communication

Scheduling

Risk management

Documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering

Tools

MS Project

Microsoft Teams

SharePoint

Job description

Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions. Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and EcoChillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter.

Why work here

At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design.

It is core to our identity that we operate as one team - driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding.

Position Summary

As a Project Manager, you will play a critical role in planning, coordinating, and executing technical engineering projects from concept through completion. This position bridges engineering design and project management, ensuring projects meet quality standards, timelines, and budget requirements. The role involves technical oversight, cross-functional collaboration, and leadership of engineering teams to deliver innovative and reliable solutions, with a focus on thermal cooling systems and data center applications.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Execution

• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, and budgets for NPD programs, ensuring alignment with the product roadmap and business objectives.
• Define project scope, technical requirements, deliverables, and resource needs in partnership with leadership.
• Own scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality from concept through design release, pilot build, and launch. Monitor progress, surface risks early, and implement corrective actions.
• Prepare for and support internal and external gate reviews, design reviews, and milestone events.

Cross-Functional & Technical Coordination

• Coordinate cross-functional development teams including Design Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality.
• Coordinate prototype builds, design verification testing, and pilot production runs, including thermal performance validation for liquid cooling systems.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Quality on new component sourcing, supplier qualification, and first-article inspection.
• Drive design-for-manufacturability review between Engineering and Operations.
• Manage the transition from pilot to production release, ensuring documentation, tooling, and process readiness are complete at handoff.

Communication & Document Control

• Execute project communication using standard PMO tools: weekly status updates, milestone notices, schedule reports, and risk and issue summaries.
• Maintain PMO digital artifacts in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, including the Decisions Log, Risk and Issue Log, action item register, and approvals.
• Manage change orders (COs) with routing, impact assessment, cross-functional approval, and release. Ensure documents remain current and version-controlled.
• Maintain consistent, predictable communication with all project stakeholders.
• Track project budgets and development spend, protecting margin through proactive risk mitigation and formal change control.

Continuous Improvement & PMO Development

• Capture lessons learned and recommend improvements to PMO processes, templates, and tools.
• Support the rollout of new standards, stage-gate practices, and KPIs as Gradian scales its program management framework.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 2-5 years of project management experience in new product development, engineered-product, or engineer-to-order manufacturing (e.g., HVAC, thermal systems, mechanical systems, industrial equipment, data center liquid cooling).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent engineering projects and hold cross-functional teams to schedule commitments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Working knowledge of project management methodology to include scope definition, scheduling, risk assessment, and change control.
• Ability to learn Gradian’s engineered products, workflow sequences, and PMO processes quickly.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth industry with evolving customer needs.
• Experience with stage-gate or phase-gate new product development processes.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Familiarity with manufacturing environments, engineering drawing review, and formal document control.
• Familiarity with liquid cooling equipment and terminology, such as Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), cold plates, RDHx, Technology Cooling System (TCS) loops, and related commissioning activities (flushing, fill/drain, leak testing).
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or ability to obtain within 12 months (company-supported).
• Experience with RFI/Submittal workflows or disciplined project documentation.

Key Competencies

• Leadership and team coordination skills.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Ownership and accountability, driving work to closure without waiting to be asked.
• Clear, consistent communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaboration and influence across departments without direct authority.
• Results orientation and bias for action.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Adaptability and composure under pressure and shifting priorities.

Open to evolving responsibilities as the team and role grow.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental plans
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Group term life insurance coverage
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care plans available
• 8 paid holidays, 4 floating holidays, and generous PTO policy
• 401k matching
• Annual safety shoe allowance
• Education assistance program

EEO Statement

MAS HVAC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other legally protected status. Employment decisions at MAS HVAC are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind and actively promote a culture of fairness, equity, and opportunity. We also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances, in accordance with applicable laws.