Sr. Project Manager - Chillers (51165)

Gradian Thermal Solutions•Maple Grove, MN

2d•$105,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

Gradian creates custom-engineered thermal management solutions for markets that thrive on flexibility, creativity, and bold ideas. From humble beginnings to becoming an emergent multi‑brand manufacturing leader, we’ve grown by bringing in great people and empowering them to do great work. At Gradian, we believe innovation happens when everyone contributes, diversity of thought is celebrated, and people feel supported in their growth. We take pride in working hard together, tackling challenges, solving problems, and having fun along the way. As we expand into both emerging and mission-critical industries, we stay committed to delivering efficient, competitive, and sustainable heating and cooling technologies. And throughout your career here, you’ll have the chance to directly shape the foundation for what's next in our industry. Position Summary Gradian specializes in delivering Engineer‑to‑Order (ETO) heat rejection systems including air‑cooled and liquid‑cooled chiller solutions for mission‑critical data center and industrial applications. As part of the developing Enterprise Program Management office, the ETO Project Manager for Chillers is the single‑threaded owner responsible for managing all chiller project activities from approved submittal through manufacturing, factory testing, shipment, delivery, site commissioning and project close‑out. This role ensures consistent communication, disciplined document control, and coordinated execution across Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Customer stakeholders—directly supporting the standardized processes and tools defined by the PMO, including the Communication Plan, ETO workflow, responsibility matrix, Request for Information (RFI)/Submittal procedures, Decisions Log, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Requirements

2–5 years of project management experience in ETO manufacturing or engineered‑systems environments (e.g., HVAC, mechanical/chiller systems, industrial equipment).
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams/SharePoint); ability to work with Gantt‑style schedules.
Ability to learn Gradian’s engineered products, workflow sequences, and PMO processes quickly.
Experience with RFI/Submittal workflows or disciplined project documentation.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems (e.g., Salesforce, IFS, SAP) a plus, but not required.
Familiarity with manufacturing environments, engineering drawing review, and formal document control.
Familiarity with chiller equipment and terminology, such as air-cooled and water/liquid-cooled chillers, compressors, refrigeration circuits, tonnage sizing, and heat rejection equipment (cooling towers, dry/adiabatic coolers) or surrogate oil and gas fluid systems.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or ability to obtain within 12 months (company-supported).

Responsibilities

Serve as the customer’s single point of contact (SPOC) beginning at the Job Kickoff (post‑PO).
Execute all communication using standard PMO tools: weekly status updates, milestone notices, schedule reports, risk and issue summaries, and decision documentation.
Administer the post‑PO RFI and Submittal processes to ensure accuracy, traceability, and timely closure (clear 2-way communications per the communication plan).
Maintain a consistent, predictable communication rhythm between Gradian and all customer representatives.
Own and manage scope, schedule, cost, risk, change control, and quality from PO through completion.
Build and maintain multi‑month project schedules (typical duration: 2 to 12 months) and manage several dozen active ETO projects simultaneously.
Coordinate cross‑functional teams, including Applications Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance (QA), and Logistics, with particular attention to compressor, refrigeration circuit, and heat rejection (cooling tower/dry cooler) coordination across mechanical, electrical, and controls disciplines.
Maintain all PMO digital artifacts in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint: Decisions Log, RFI Register, Submittal Register, Risk and Issue Log, Version‑controlled drawings, specifications, and approvals.
Support internal and external gate reviews and milestone events as required.
Communicate scheduling and shipment details using PMO standard templates, including: Estimated Ship Date (ESD), Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) ranges, Shipment notifications, exceptions, and Proof of Delivery (POD) confirmations.
Coordinate factory readiness, pre‑shipment inspections, and support testing (FAT or FWT) when required, including validation of flow rates, refrigerant charge, compressor run testing, and performance validation against tonnage and efficiency specifications.
Align close‑out communication and activities with the developing PMO process.
Track budgets and protect project margin through proactive risk mitigation and formal change control.
Document scope changes, schedule impacts, and cost implications; secure required approvals; update baselines.
Capture lessons learned and recommend enhancements to PMO processes, templates, and tools.
Support rollout of new standards as Gradian scales the PMO framework.
Identify and support improvements in department processes to increase efficiency.