Project Manager- New Product Development - Air Cooling

Paycom - ATS; Maple Grove (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Gradian is seeking a talented NPD Project Manager – Air Cooling Technologies in Maple Grove, MN. You will lead cross-functional teams from concept through launch, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery while aligning with Gradian’s engineering standards.

You’ll own the full lifecycle, collaborate with PMO for governance, and drive continuous improvement in the NPD process to meet safety, performance, and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, or related engineering field; equivalent experience acceptable.
• PMP certification or formal project management education or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive project management experience, including NPD/product development in manufacturing/engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional NPD projects for new air-cooling technology from concept through commercialization.
• Develop comprehensive project plans with scope, schedules, resources, risks, and budgets.
• Coordinate across Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Marketing.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Risk management

Budgeting

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline

Tools

Microsoft Project

Smartsheet

PLM systems

ERP systems

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 hereAt 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:The NPD Project Manager – Air Cooling Technologies is responsible for leading new product development (NPD) projects within the Product Development team, with a focus on innovative air cooling solutions. This role owns the full project lifecycle from concept initiation through design validation and product launch, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery while maintaining alignment with Gradian's engineering standards and strategic objectives.The position reports directly to the Director of Operations Engineering and maintains a dotted-line relationship with the Project Management Office (PMO) to ensure consistency in project management processes, tools, and governance across the organization.Key Responsibilities:Project Leadership & ExecutionLead cross-functional NPD projects for new air-cooling technology from concept through commercialization, using a structured stage-gate or agile development processDevelop comprehensive project plans including scope definition, schedules, resource plans, risk registers, and budget forecastsDrive project execution by coordinating activities across Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and MarketingMonitor project performance against plan; proactively identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and escalate blockers as appropriateConduct regular project status reviews with stakeholders and present updates to Advanced Development leadershipProcess & GovernancePartner with the PMO to adopt and maintain consistent project management practices, templates, and reporting standards across NPD effortsMaintain accurate and up-to-date project documentation throughout the project lifecycleFacilitate stage-gate reviews, ensuring deliverables meet defined criteria before progressing to the next phaseSupport continuous improvement of Gradian's NPD process based on lessons learned and industry best practicesCollaborationServe as the primary point of contact and communication hub for assigned NPD projectsBuild strong working relationships with R&D engineers, product managers, manufacturing engineers, and external suppliers or partnersCoordinate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure design-for-manufacturability (DFM) considerations are addressed early in the development processCollaborate with Quality to ensure new products meet applicable performance, safety, and regulatory requirementsResource & Budget ManagementManage project budgets and track expenditures against approved plans; provide regular financial forecasts and variance explanationsCoordinate resource allocation across project teams; surface resource conflicts and work with functional managers to resolve themQualifications & Requirements:Required:Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline or equal amount of relevant experiencePMP certification (Project Management Professional) or equivalent formal project management education (e.g., a degree program with a concentration in project/program management) or equal amount of relevant experienceMinimum of 5 years of progressive experience in project management, with at least 3 years leading NPD or product development projects in a manufacturing or engineering environmentDemonstrated proficiency with project scheduling tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent)Strong understanding of stage-gate product development processesExcellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skillsPreferred:Experience in HVAC, thermal management, or related mechanical systems industriesFamiliarity with air-side or fluid-side heat transfer principles (air cooling, AHUs, fan coils, heat exchangers)Experience working within or alongside a PMO structureBackground in design-for-manufacturability (DFM) or design-for-quality (DFQ) methodologiesProficiency with PLM or ERP systemsSix Sigma or Lean certificationKey Competencies:Ability to engage meaningfully with engineering teams on product design, testing, and performance trade-offsStrong sense of ownership; bias toward action and on-time deliveryAbility to manage complexity, prioritize competing demands, and keep projects organized under ambiguitySkilled at leading cross-functional teams without direct authorityClear and concise communicator, both written and verbal, with the ability to tailor messages to technical and executive audiences alikeActively seeks to improve processes, tools, and team effectiveness