Design Phase Manager

Thermal Works

16h•Remote

About The Position

ThermalWorks LLC has an exciting opportunity for a Design Phase Manager to join our team, working directly with R&D, Project Management, Operations, Service, Internal and External Design and Construction Partners, and focusing on managing open design issues and owning the submittal process. The Design Phase Manager is a client-facing, project-focused role that owns the design phase of ThermalWorks’ US projects from contract award through the start of L3 Startup and Commissioning, and is accountable for the quality, completeness, and on-time release of every design package we deliver to our customers and construction partners. The Design Phase Manager needs to be agile, professional, trustworthy with confidential information, and comfortable in a rapidly changing environment. The right person can work well both independently and with a team. ThermalWorks values efficiency and strives to maintain smooth operations. Our primary focus is on providing an integrated cooling system for data centers and commercial buildings that dramatically reduces the energy demand, water consumption and cost of cooling. It transforms the economics and eco-metrics of commercial cooling with zero water solutions that outperform air- and water-cooled systems in any climate. ThermalWorks solutions are sustainable and cutting-edge. For that reason, we are highly selective about the people we bring on board because our work depends on it. Change and progress happen quickly, and we must be able to trust one another to be honest, communicative, reliable and self-motivated. We seek ultra-creatives and superstar performers with a sense of humility and a hunger to make a positive impact in the world. We offer flexibility and endless growth opportunities to those who can harness their skills and talents and identify how and where to use them to add value. ThermalWorks is one of several “inspired infrastructure” companies that work collaboratively under our parent company, Endeavour Energy, LLC. At the heart of this ecosystem is a diverse group of bright, passionate, dedicated people, working together to make a real difference for people and the planet. ThermalWorks is looking for someone to join our team to help us move the needle toward sustainable change. Are you ready to join the journey?

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
10+ years of experience in design or design management for mission-critical, industrial, or mechanical/electrical infrastructure projects.
5+ years leading design teams and coordination. Direct management of engineers or drafters is a plus.
Demonstrated ownership of design phase delivery on multi-site portfolios or programs, not just individual projects.
Strong working knowledge of HVAC, cooling systems, mechanical plant design, or adjacent mission-critical infrastructure.
Proven ability to establish and enforce design standards, gates, and quality controls in a scaling environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort in customer-facing technical conversations.
High standard for organization with the ability to set priorities autonomously.

Nice To Haves

PE license (Mechanical or Electrical) or an architectural degree.
Direct experience with data center cooling infrastructure, thermal management, or waterless/dry cooling technologies.
Experience scaling a design function during a period of rapid portfolio growth.
Familiarity with SharePoint-based project controls, Power BI dashboards, AI tools, and Microsoft 365 collaboration tooling.
International work experience.
Experience working within a unified Delivery, Deployment, or Project Execution function that integrates Design with Commissioning and Quality.

Responsibilities

Own the design phase of every active ThermalWorks project from pre-contract award through issued-for-construction release, including milestone management, scope control, and change tracking, and finally through L5 commissioning.
Establish and enforce design phase gates, deliverables, and review checkpoints; ensure every package meets ThermalWorks technical standards and customer requirements before release.
Serve as the escalation point for design issues raised by Project Managers, Commissioning, field teams, and customers; drive design and construction coordination issues to closure.
Partner with the Director of Project Management to integrate design status into the live Deployment Dashboard, providing accurate, current visibility into every project's design progress.
Manage relationships with ThermalWorks’ external design consultant partners and construction teams, facilitating the effective, accurate, and complete resolution of all design issues.
Own the submittal process, ensuring timely submission of all technical deliverables.
Leverage AI to build technical tools and systems to streamline all design workflows.
Drive down rework, changes, design questions and construction coordination volume through root-cause analysis and targeted process changes.
Coordinate with the Quality Team, leveraging the Quality Management System (QMS) to build the feedback loop from field execution, commissioning, Service and operations back into design.
Partner closely with Commissioning/Startup and Quality within the Delivery function to ensure design packages set up downstream phases for success.
Coordinate with Estimating on design assumptions embedded in proposals; flag deviations early.
Represent ThermalWorks design in customer-facing technical discussions, including design reviews, submittal negotiations, and issue resolution.