Program Release Manager Jobs in Minneapolis, MN (NOW HIRING)

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Nortek Data Center Cooling builds the systems that keep modern data centers running - from liquid cooling to largescale air solutions. Our work supports some of the world's most demanding AI and hyperscale environments, and we solve those challenges with engineering depth and practical execution.

We keep things simple here. We communicate early, stay close to the details, and follow through. When issues come up, we address them directly, not with layers of process. Customers count on us because we do what we say and we keep projects moving.

Our culture is handson and collaborative. People take ownership, move quickly, and help each other. If you like working with teammates who are straightforward and accountable, you'll feel at home.

With the backing of Madison Air, we have the scale, stability, and manufacturing footprint to support complex, highgrowth programs.

Job Summary

The Vice President of Program Management serves as the cross-functional integrator and accountability mechanism for customer commitments across the entire program lifecycle at Nortek Data Center Cooling. This executive-level role leads custom and configurable development programs, ensuring flawless execution from opportunity identification through completion of product commissioning.

The VP of Program Management coordinates Engineering, Test, Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Finance, and Service teams to meet schedule, cost, quality, and customer commitments, while these functions continue to own execution within their respective areas. This position is accountable for the financial health of the program and for program-level P&L execution and customer commitments-delivering revenue, margin, cost, cash, schedule, change orders, and overall program performance; Sales remains responsible for pricing strategy. Program Management maintains direct customer contact, while the Sales Account Executive remains the primary customer contact and owns customer communication and negotiation. Leading a team of customer-assigned Program Managers, the role drives cross-functional alignment, manages contract and program risk, and establishes scalable program management processes that enable consistent execution as the business scales beyond $2B.

• Own end-to-end program health from opportunity identification through completion of product commissioning, ensuring all commitments established during the PAR, customer quotation, technical submittal, and budgeting processes are achieved.
• Manage the cross-functional team to schedule with a relentless focus on critical-path items, driving flawless execution of development and production programs that exceed customer expectations for on-time delivery, quality, service, and sustainability.
• Establish structured workflows for project kickoff, engineering release, drawing approval cycles, long-lead procurement, fabrication, assembly, testing, customer acceptance, installation, and commissioning.
• Continuously refine program execution practices to reduce rework, minimize delays caused by engineering changes, and improve cross-functional predictability.
• Define program intake and scoping processes that incorporate feasibility assessments, technical requirements, material constraints, and manufacturing capacity considerations.

• Implement a robust program risk management process that establishes clear methodologies, governance, and expectations for Program Managers across all programs.
• Deploy a standardized risk identification, escalation, and mitigation process across all major programs, targeting a 90% on-time closure rate for critical risks.
• Maintain executive visibility to top program risks through monthly reviews and prevent significant schedule, cost, quality, or customer impacts resulting from unmanaged risks.
• Ensure every high-risk issue has a documented mitigation plan and appropriate executive visibility.

• Accountable for the financial health of the program and for program-level P&L execution and customer commitments-delivering revenue, margin, cost, cash, schedule, change orders, and overall program performance. Sales remains responsible for pricing strategy.
• Ensure all financial commitments established during the deal model, quotation, contract negotiation, and budgeting processes are achieved, with Sales leading customer negotiation and pricing strategy.
• Manage change orders, warranty exposure, and cash flow throughout the program lifecycle while proactively identifying and mitigating risks to profitability.
• Partner with Commercial, Finance, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Service teams to drive cost, schedule, and scope decisions that maximize both customer satisfaction and business performance.
• Own the contract governance processes that provide visibility to key obligations, risks, change orders, opportunities, and customer commitments to optimize profitability and reduce contractual risk.

• Ensure Service has visibility to installation schedules and customer requirements.
• Ensure field resources, parts, and support plans are aligned with program commitments.
• Coordinate and escalate warranty issues, field modifications, or customer concerns.
• Track financial and customer impacts associated with post-delivery issues.
• Remain engaged whenever there are material issues impacting customer commitments, schedule, economics, or customer satisfaction; support formal handoff to Service when programs are running smoothly.
• Service continues to own service execution (contracting, product offering, productivity, reliability, and overall quality), technician deployment and training, spare parts strategy, and long-term aftermarket support (e.g., Re-life).

• Develop real-time dashboards that track critical ETO and NPD program indicators-engineering release progress, procurement status for long-lead items, fabrication readiness, machine/line capacity, and shop-floor schedule adherence.
• Implement portfolio dashboards that visualize backlog health, load vs. capacity, customer delivery commitments, and risk areas across concurrent custom programs.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Service, and Finance to consolidate data into a single source of truth for program performance, resource demand, and material readiness.
• Ensure dashboards highlight bottlenecks-overdue drawings, supplier delays, part shortages, manufacturing constraints, and field/commissioning issues-to support proactive decision-making.

• By year-end, build and develop a high-performing Program Management organization capable of successfully managing 100% of Nortek DCC development and production programs.
• Establish standardized processes and templates for program execution, program-level P&L management, contract management, and risk management.
• Manage, coach, and mentor Program Managers and cross-functional contributors to ensure consistent, high-quality program execution.
• Foster a culture of accountability, proactive communication, and continuous improvement across the program organization.
• Represent Program Management at the executive level, partnering with peers across Engineering, Operations, Commercial, Supply Chain, Finance, and Service to shape enterprise strategy and priorities.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in program or project management, including significant executive leadership responsibility over multi-program portfolios.
• Demonstrated success owning program-level P&L execution, contract governance, and customer commitments on large, complex capital-equipment programs.
• Proven success building, leading, and scaling program management organizations in a fast-growth environment.
• Strong command of program management methodologies, governance frameworks, and tools (e.g., Monday.com, Microsoft Project, PLM systems).
• Deep experience managing complex, cross-functional new product development and engineer-to-order production programs, including installation and commissioning coordination.
• Exceptional executive communication skills, with the ability to influence at every level of the organization and directly with customers.
• Highly persuasive, proactive, adaptable, and capable of leading through change.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills across technical, commercial, operational, and service teams.
• Ability to understand, adopt, and drive new technologies and processes.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment; able to prioritize, manage multiple initiatives, and consistently meet deadlines.

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent.
• Experience establishing or leading an enterprise PMO or program governance function at scale.
• Direct experience with engineered-to-order products, specifically large business-to-business sales of capital equipment.
• Experience supporting hyperscale data center customers or other rapidly scaling B2B end markets.

Why Join Nortek DCC

• Play an important role on a growing team
• Contribute to a company helping power the next generation of AIready data centers
• Work in an environment with meaningful growth opportunities