Vice President Engineering- Data Centers

Eaton; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 242,000 - 355,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Eaton is seeking a VP of Engineering to provide strategic technical leadership for the Data Center group. You will guide product strategy, lead diverse teams across hardware, software, and services, and drive execution in a highly matrix global environment.

The role demands executive communication, 25% travel, and a focus on protecting intellectual property while ensuring regulatory compliance. Strong leadership and collaboration are essential assets.

Qualifications

• Requires 15+ years of professional engineering experience with 7+ years in people leadership.
• Experience in a highly matrix global organization with broad scope.
• Electrical components/systems design, new product development, and program management experience.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leadership to set goals and objectives.
• Create an integrated technology roadmap across data center products.
• Translate customer needs into clear product requirements and validation criteria.
• Develop end-to-end system validation for data center solutions (hardware, software, services).
• Align with product management and engineering on prioritization and resources.
• Establish governance to track customer-driven requirements through delivery and feedback.
• Develop execution models using program management, lean reviews, and global staffing.

Skills

Executive leadership

Data center engineering

Program management

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Global collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

MBA preferred

Job description

Reporting directly to the Global Data Center Group President and functionally to the Electrical Sector CTO, the VP of Engineering is a critical member of the senior leadership team. In this highly visible role, you will provide overall technical leadership and direction to the organization and the engineering community. You will lead the development and implementation of product and solutions strategy that drives new technologies across the Electrical Sector, with a focus on our Data Center key customer segments.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the Group President and Senior Leadership Team to establish and execute business and functional goals and objectives.
• Establish an integrated technology plan and roadmap across data center products lines.
• Establish and lead a formal customer requirements intake and translation process (VOC, co-design outputs, reference design learnings) that convert customer-specific needs into clear product requirements, system requirements, and validation criteria.
• Establish an end-to-end system validation approach for integrated data center solutions (hardware, software/monitoring, and services), including test strategies, partner/customer validation, and documentation needed for deployment at scale.
• Drive alignment with product management and product line engineering organizations on prioritization, scope trade-offs, resourcing, and roadmap integration.
• Implement closed-loop governance to track customer-driven requirements from intake through implementation and release with clear ownership and timely feedback to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Develop and operate an execution model that includes effective use of program management, lean routines of reviews and metrics, global staffing models, communication and collaboration tools and other leading execution practices.
• Ensure generation of a meaningful portfolio of intellectual property while defending intellectual capital interests and improving the quality of patents, trademarks and trade secrets.
• Oversee IP, environmental, export, and UL/CE compliance, implementing structured processes, reviews, metrics, and training to ensure regulatory adherence.
• Drive a high-performance workforce – attract, coach, mentor and facilitate growth of strong leaders within the organization & share ownership in developing future talent pipeline.

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related engineering field. Advanced degree in Engineering or MBA preferred.
• 15+ years’ experience in professional engineering roles with 7+ years of direct people leadership.
• Experience in a highly matrix global organization in similar scope/scale role
• Significant experience in electrical components/systems design, new product development, and program management (power engineering background desirable)
• Proficiency in data center infrastructure, including cooling, power conversion, distribution, intelligent software monitoring systems and redundancy.
• Knowledge of current engineering techniques, practices and engineering standards.
• Demonstrated success leading and influencing geographically dispersed teams through a collaborative leadership style, while ensuring compliance and accountability.
• Ability to influence and partner across a global matrix.
• Collaborative orientation. The ability to succeed in a highly team-oriented environment.
• Globally astute. Understands how to adapt communication style to fit different cultures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in dealing with management, employees, governing bodies, trade bodies, customers and suppliers.
• Executive level communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel 25% travel (international and domestic).

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $242,000 - $355,000. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.