Engineering Manager - Product Development

Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions.

Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and Eco Chillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter.

Why work here

At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design.

It is core to our identity that we operate as one team — driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding.

Position Summary:

The Product Development Engineering Manager is responsible for leading Gradian’s technology development, product innovation, and pre-commercial engineering initiatives. This role focuses on developing new technologies, validating concepts, and creating future product platforms that support the company's long-term growth strategy.

The Product Development Engineering Manager bridges the gap between research and production by transforming ideas into proven technologies ready for New Product Development (NPD) and commercialization. This leader drives technical innovation, prototype development, testing, and technology readiness while ensuring alignment with customer needs, market trends, and manufacturing capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Technology & Innovation Leadership Own the technology roadmap for future HVAC products and systems.

Evaluate and develop new concepts, technologies, and product architectures.

Lead feasibility studies and proof-of-concept projects.

New Product Development (NPD)
Own the NPD stage-gate process from concept through launch.

Ensure projects meet scope, cost, schedule, and performance targets.

Lead cross-functional design reviews and gate approvals.

Drive timely execution of development programs.

Product Design & Engineering Leadership Provide technical leadership for design and product architecture.

Establish design standards, engineering best practices, and development methodologies.

Ensure designs meet performance, reliability, serviceability, and manufacturability requirements

Product Validation & Qualification Oversee prototype builds and validation testing.

Lead DFMEA, risk assessments, and design verification activities.

Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards and certifications (ETL, UL, etc.

Product Standardization & Platform Development Drive standardization initiatives across product lines.

Develop scalable product platforms and configurable designs.

Reduce complexity through modular design strategies.

Improve engineering efficiency through design reuse and standardization.

Team Leadership & Talent Development Lead, coach, and develop PD engineers and product development personnel.

Establish technical growth plans and succession planning.

Build a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.

Conduct performance reviews and career development…