Chief Engineer - Airside Products

trane technologies • Lexington, KY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Engineer for the Airside Portfolio of products (including Air Handler Units, Fan Walls, Blower Coils, Fan Coils, Unit Ventilators, Unit Heaters, VAV Boxes, and similar HVAC products) serves as the technical leader for this portfolio. This individual ensures that Airside project teams design robust, reliable products and uphold all elements of product design integrity. This role also acts as a technical mentor, supporting the growth and development of the Airside Engineering team, and fosters an environment of collaboration. Chief Engineers create, maintain, and oversee execution of technology roadmaps. They provide guidance to Airside Portfolio leaders on which technologies to pursue to meet future market needs and support sustainable business growth. In collaboration with the engineering leader, this role supports the implementation of an effective technical strategy through the Technology Plan and New Technology projects. The Chief Engineer acts as a technical coach for teams leading these initiatives. This role is accountable for the technical integrity and quality of Engineering deliverables and partners closely with the Advanced Quality Planning team to ensure adherence to processes, rigorous design reviews, and technical standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and at least 15-years of engineering/product development experience (with at least 5-years of Airside or Unitary HVAC products) is required. An equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered.
• A collaborative, results‑oriented approach with a strong focus on customer needs.
• Ability to lead through influence, building trust and alignment across diverse teams.
• Strong technical communication skills with ability to engage effectively at all organizational levels.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate and resolve complex issues.
• Experience developing and managing Intellectual Property.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and communicate technology roadmaps aligned with business strategy.
• Oversee the engineering technology project portfolio, ensuring New Technology projects address business priorities and deliver required outcomes.
• Collaborate with Corporate Engineering teams to manage technology development and provide direction through technology roadmaps.
• Ensure New Technology projects and Engineer to Order projects support the multi generation project plan and can be advanced into New Product Development projects.
• Promote application of Intellectual Property to Airside products.
• Partner with teams to define and implement Airside modeling and simulation strategy.
• Promote consistent and robust design processes that result in design integrity. Coach teams in DFMEA, FRACAS, Design for Reliability, Design for Manufacturing, DVP&R, and documentation review processes.
• Lead design review process and help teams develop a comprehensive Technical Management Plan. Ensure Subject Matter Experts participate in and approve the Design Reviews.
• Encourage adherence to product architecture and modularity principles in new product designs.
• Mentor and develop engineering teams. Support the onboarding process. Collaborate with the Training and Development leader to create and deliver training content.
• Champion continuous improvement in engineering tools, processes, and systems.
• Support Quality project teams in root cause analysis effort.
• Ensure teams understand the regulatory environment impacting Airside projects.
• Foster strong collaborative relationships with engineering leaders, product managers, training and development leader, quality, AQP, portfolio engineering teams, and corporate engineering teams.
• Expect occasional travel (including some international) of approximately 10% to 20%.

Benefits

• Benefits kick in on DAY ONE for you and your family, including health insurance and holistic wellness programs that include generous incentives.
• Family building benefits include fertility coverage and adoption/surrogacy assistance.
• 401K match up to 6%, plus an additional 2% core contribution = up to 8% company contribution.
• Paid time off, including in support of volunteer and parental leave needs.
• Educational and training opportunities through company programs along with tuition assistance and student debt support.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees