Sr. Manager Project Manager Products and Solutions - Engineering

Company Overview

Vertiv, a global organization with 31,000 employees and a turnover of 8 billion USD, designs, builds and services critical infrastructure that enables vital applications for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial facilities. We support today’s growing mobile and cloud computing markets with a portfolio of power, thermal and infrastructure management solutions.

Vertiv is publicly traded at NYSE (VRT) with Global Headquarters in Westerville, Ohio, USA and a global presence with design, manufacturing and customer experience centers in America, Europe- Middle East -Africa and Asia/Pacific regions.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Thermal Business Unit (BU) Program Management director, the PMO Senior Manager will have dual responsibility of managing the US based PMO team and at the same time coordinate the projects related to the Direct Expansion (DX) Cooling product line globally, working closely with the DX Product Line leader. 

The US team currently accounts for 6 project/program managers roles based in Columbus, OH and Austin, TX. The team is on a growing path due to business increase in the North America markets.

This role offers high visibility and impact in one of fastest-growing industries, with opportunities to work on high profile projects for key players in the AI arena.

The PMO Senior Manager is responsible and accountable for the management of projects aimed at new products development, to the customization of existing products upon specific client requests (Engineered to Order) or for products transfer from region to region from inception to product launch, coordinating the efforts of all involved departments (engineering, product management, manufacturing engineering, operations, procurement, quality, order fulfillment, logistics, service, marketing, sales and other cross-functional groups) to the successful completion of the project.

He/She needs to manage projects to which he/she’s directly assigned, cooperate with other regional peers to assign project managers to Direct Expansion projects and oversee the execution of projects assigned to his/her team, contributing to their career progression and knowledge gain in the project management discipline.

The PMO Senior Manager is responsible for overseeing the Direct Expansion Cooling portfolio, reporting its overall status to the Product Line Leader, and hosting regular status reviews. Additionally, he/she will assist the Business Leader in planning and executing special projects to support Vertiv's expansion strategy in Direct Expansion technology. The projects to be followed spans different manufacturing plants, in different regions.

The PMO Senior Manager must maintain continuous alignment of program scope with Company strategic business and other organizational objectives, make recommendations to modify the program to enhance effectiveness, highlight any possible situation hindering achievement of program results and elaborate a recovery plan.

The context in which the Senior Program Manager operates is characterized by complex relationships in an international and multicultural environment, typical of large organizations. The PMO Senior Manager therefore must be able to navigate complexities, foster relationships, and maintain communication with stakeholders at multiple levels, including those external to the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure the projects/programs are managed in accordance with the Corporate NPDI (New Product Development and Introduction) Process

Manage the Direct Expansion project portfolio, ensuring alignment with business roadmaps and availability of resources.

Work with management of different operating functions to identify and obtain required resources to adequately staff projects, providing necessary information for prioritization where required.

Develop and mentor Project Managers in the team, so they can develop and execute project/program plans, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation, while effectively managing risks and dependencies.

Drive cross-functional collaboration and foster a culture of teamwork to achieve project deliverables and meet aggressive deadlines.

Facilitate effective communication and collaboration between various stakeholders, including engineering teams, operations, product offering and executive leadership.

Track and report on project, program and portfolio performances, measuring progress, budget utilization, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to stakeholders and senior management.

Identify and proactively mitigate risks and issues that may impact project timelines, scope, or quality.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement, driving innovation and efficiency in the product development process.

Collaborate closely with the Product Management team to define product requirements, specifications, and ensure alignment with customer needs and with the Engineering team to develop and validate solutions which are compliant with the requirements set, at a competitive product cost.

Initiate and complete post-launch product analysis and feedback collection to inform future iterations and enhancements.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field, with the ability to learn the basics of product functioning, development, and testing cycles. A Master's degree is an asset.
• A minimum of 5 years' experience as a Program Manager, leading programs within a structured organization
• A minimum of 2 years of experience leading Program Management teams
• Comprehensive understanding of the product development lifecycle, from concept ideation to commercialization.
• Exceptional project management skills; PMP certification is strongly preferred.
• Strong communication and interpersonal abilities, with proficiency in engaging and influencing stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Excellent leadership and influencing capabilities, including the ability to motivate and direct cross-functional teams toward common objectives.
• Robust problem-solving and decision-making skills, characterized by a proactive and solution-oriented approach.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.
• Preferred: Experience in the HVAC sector.
• Advantageous: Familiarity with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)