Project Manager- New Product Development - Air Cooling

Gradian Thermal Solutions•Maple Grove, MN

6d•$85,000 - $115,000•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline or equal amount of relevant experience
PMP 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 experience
Minimum 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 environment
Demonstrated proficiency with project scheduling tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent)
Strong understanding of stage-gate product development processes
Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in HVAC, thermal management, or related mechanical systems industries
Familiarity with air-side or fluid-side heat transfer principles (air cooling, AHUs, fan coils, heat exchangers)
Experience working within or alongside a PMO structure
Background in design-for-manufacturability (DFM) or design-for-quality (DFQ) methodologies
Proficiency with PLM or ERP systems
Six Sigma or Lean certification

Responsibilities

Lead cross-functional NPD projects for new air-cooling technology from concept through commercialization, using a structured stage-gate or agile development process
Develop comprehensive project plans including scope definition, schedules, resource plans, risk registers, and budget forecasts
Drive project execution by coordinating activities across Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Marketing
Monitor project performance against plan; proactively identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and escalate blockers as appropriate
Conduct regular project status reviews with stakeholders and present updates to Advanced Development leadership
Partner with the PMO to adopt and maintain consistent project management practices, templates, and reporting standards across NPD efforts
Maintain accurate and up-to-date project documentation throughout the project lifecycle
Facilitate stage-gate reviews, ensuring deliverables meet defined criteria before progressing to the next phase
Support continuous improvement of Gradian's NPD process based on lessons learned and industry best practices
Serve as the primary point of contact and communication hub for assigned NPD projects
Build strong working relationships with R&D engineers, product managers, manufacturing engineers, and external suppliers or partners
Coordinate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure design-for-manufacturability (DFM) considerations are addressed early in the development process
Collaborate with Quality to ensure new products meet applicable performance, safety, and regulatory requirements
Manage project budgets and track expenditures against approved plans; provide regular financial forecasts and variance explanations
Coordinate resource allocation across project teams; surface resource conflicts and work with functional managers to resolve them