Senior Technical Program Manager, Data Center Thermal Solutions

What you will do

Johnson Controls' Data Center Solutions team is seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager for the Advanced Technology & Innovation group. This role is responsible for the execution of multiple concurrent thermal technology development programs across Data Center Thermal Solutions. Working directly with engineering leads across thermal, controls, electrical, and mechanical domains, the Senior TPM keeps programs on track, risks visible, and teams aligned. The role ties engineering strategy to tactical execution, making sure the right work is happening in the right order with the right resources. The right candidate is technically fluent, mission focused, and can keep the larger strategic picture in mind while driving plan execution.

This position is based onsite, minimum 3 days per week, at our Advanced Technology and Innovation Center located in New Freedom, PA. Candidates must be within commuting distance to the facility or able to relocate.

How you will do it

• Own and maintain the integrated program plan across the Data Center Thermal Solutions engineering portfolio, including schedule dependencies, resource allocation, critical path tracking, and milestone gates

• Drive engineering execution cadence: stand-ups, design reviews, stage-gate reviews, risk reviews, and program-level status reporting to engineering leadership

• Identify and actively manage technical and schedule risks across programs; develop mitigation plans and escalate blockers with clear decision frameworks for engineering leadership

• Coordinate cross-functional engineering execution across thermal, controls, electrical, and mechanical domains to ensure integration points are identified early and managed through delivery

• Serve as the connective tissue between advanced development, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, and test/validation teams to ensure smooth program transitions

• Develop and maintain program-level resource plans; work with engineering leads to resolve contention across concurrent programs and ensure critical-path activities are properly staffed

• Establish and enforce engineering program management processes, templates, and standards appropriate for a hardware-focused development organization

• Translate engineering strategy and technology roadmaps into executable program structures with clear scope, deliverables, and success criteria

• Track and report program health metrics (schedule performance, technical risk burn-down, resource utilization, test/validation status) to engineering and business leadership

• Facilitate technical trade-off discussions and ensure decisions are documented, communicated, and tracked through execution

What you will need
Required

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal/Fluid Sciences, or closely related engineering discipline required; Master of Science preferred

• Minimum 10 years combined experience in engineering and technical program management, with at least 5 years managing multi-project hardware development programs

• Demonstrated experience managing programs involving physical product development (thermal systems, HVAC, industrial equipment, or comparable complex hardware)

• Strong technical fluency in mechanical/thermal systems sufficient to assess engineering risks, evaluate trade-offs, and hold meaningful technical discussions with domain experts

• Proven track record of driving programs from concept through production release, including stage-gate processes, design reviews, and manufacturing readiness assessments

• Experience managing cross-functional engineering teams (thermal, mechanical, electrical, controls, test) without direct reporting authority

• Proficiency with program management tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent) and standard schedule/risk management methodologies

Required Skills

• Technical fluency across thermal and mechanical engineering domains sufficient to drive engineering execution and risk management

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex engineering status into clear executive-level reporting

• Experience with hardware development lifecycle processes: requirements definition, design reviews, DFMEA/PFMEA, DVP&R, prototype builds, manufacturing transfer

• Ability to manage ambiguity in a fast-moving technology development environment and drive clarity through structured program management

• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence and align cross-functional engineering teams without positional authority

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