Engineering Manager - Chilled Water

Who are we?

At Vertiv, we’re on a mission to empower the people that will power the future. From a simple swipe to life-changing medicines, from push notifications to generative AI. We design, manufacture, and service the products and solutions that keep the world connected. With $6.9 billion in sales, a strong customer base and global reach spanning nearly 70 countries, we are uniquely positioned to deliver greater value to our customers and create new opportunities for our people.

We are currently seeking an Engineering Manager to join our dynamic team in Piove di Sacco (PD), Italy!

Vertiv is looking for an Engineering Manager to lead the thermal design activities for the CW product line, with specific focus on CRAH units and Thermal Wall applications within the Thermal Management R&D organization in Piove di Sacco. The role focuses on chilled-water computer-room air cooling solutions, air-distribution architecture, coil and fan-system optimization, hydraulic integration, controls logic and high-density data center applications. The Engineering Manager will guide NPDI execution, support sustaining and ETO-C activities, and ensure that product requirements are translated into robust, cost-effective and manufacturable chilled-water designs.

What kind of work will you be doing?

• Lead the CW CRAH and Thermal Wall engineering scope, coordinating thermal, mechanical, hydraulic and controls-related design activities across NPDI, sustaining and ETO-C programs.
• Own engineering deliverables for CW CRAH and Thermal Wall projects, including thermodynamic selections, air-side and water-side sizing assumptions, GRS/rating-tool inputs, product cost targets, bill of material reviews and technical documentation.
• Drive product architecture decisions for chilled-water air-cooling platforms, including coil selection, fan-wall concepts, airflow distribution, hydraulic circuit layout, valve strategy, condensate management, serviceability and maintainability.
• Coordinate laboratory validation and customer witness testing for capacity, airflow, water flow, pressure drop, control sequence, operating envelope, reliability, safety and compliance requirements.
• Ensure the Thermal Wall platform meets intended application needs for high-density data halls, service-corridor installation, plenum or ducted hot-air return, horizontal cold-air delivery and integration with facility chilled-water loops.
• Support sustaining activities through root-cause analysis, field issue resolution, deviation review, component obsolescence management, supplier qualification and continuous product improvement.
• Drive standardization, modularization and value engineering across the CW CRAH and Thermal Wall product families to improve scalability, manufacturability, quality and cost competitiveness.
• Provide fast engineering response on engineered-to-order complex projects while protecting the integrity of the standard CW product platform.
• Collaborate with Offering, Advanced Engineering, Electrical, Controls, Manufacturing, Quality, Service, Procurement and global engineering teams to align technical decisions with customer, factory and product-line requirements.
• Review and approve user manuals, technical specifications, product documentation, internal design guidelines, rating tools and engineering release packages.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, quality, EMC and product standards, and promote strong engineering discipline around design reviews, risk assessment, lessons learned and continuous improvement.
• Develop, coach and prioritize the work of engineers and technical specialists assigned to the CW CRAH and Thermal Wall scope, fostering accountability, collaboration and technical excellence.

Product and Technology Focus

• CW CRAH units for room-level data center air cooling, including chilled-water coil performance, airflow management, fan selection, controls logic and integration with central plant operation.
• Thermal Wall architectures within the CW product line, including service-corridor installation, hot-air return through plenum or ducting, horizontal cold-air delivery and high-density data hall air distribution.
• Hybrid data center applications where air and liquid cooling may coexist and where facility water temperature, return/supply air targets, psychometrics, condensation margin and airflow strategy must be evaluated together.
• Performance modeling and selection tools covering thermal capacity, water flow, pressure drop, fan energy, acoustic impact, redundancy, operating envelope and annual efficiency considerations for chilled-water operation.

What will make you successful?

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Thermal Engineering or equivalent technical discipline.
• 5-10+ years of relevant experience in data center cooling, HVAC, chilled-water systems, CRAH/CRAC units, air handling units or comparable thermal products.
• Strong knowledge of thermodynamics, psychometrics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, chilled-water coil sizing, fan laws, hydraulic balancing and control-valve application.
• Practical experience with product development processes, stage-gate/NPDI deliverables, design reviews, DFMEA/DVP&R methods, validation planning and engineering release documentation.
• Experience coordinating laboratory testing and interpreting performance data for capacity, airflow, water-side conditions, controls behavior and reliability.
• Good understanding of manufacturing processes, component selection, supplier interaction, product cost management and design-for-manufacturing principles.
• Knowledge of applicable technical norms and standards relevant to data center chilled-water thermal equipment, safety, quality and EMC compliance.
• Leadership capability to prioritize engineering work, develop people, resolve technical conflicts and communicate effectively with global stakeholders and customers.
• English: intermediate to advanced written and spoken level; willingness to travel between the Italian engineering base and manufacturing or customer sites as needed.
• Experience with high-density or hybrid data center cooling architectures, including high facility-water-temperature operation and the impact on CW air-cooling performance.
• Familiarity with chilled-water coil design, air-side pressure drop optimization, fan arrays, valve authority, hydraulic balancing, condensation avoidance and operating envelope analysis.
• Ability to convert customer and offering requirements into clear engineering specifications, test plans and product improvement roadmaps.
• Result-oriented, detail-focused, collaborative and capable of balancing innovation, reliability, cost, manufacturability and schedule commitments.

If YOU are the person we are looking for, feel free to apply and let's start drafting your future career in a healthy and growing environment!

The successful candidate will embrace Vertiv’s Core Principals & Behaviors to help execute our Strategic Priorities.

OUR CORE PRINCIPALS: Safety. Integrity. Respect. Teamwork. Diversity & Inclusion.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

• Customer Focus
• Operational Excellence
• High-Performance Culture
• Innovation
• Financial Strength

OUR BEHAVIORS

• Own It
• Act With Urgency
• Foster a Customer-First Mindset
• Think Big and Execute
• Lead by Example
• Drive Continuous Improvement
• Learn and Seek Out Development

The anticipated salary range for this role in Piove di Sacco (PD), Italy is between 66.000€ to 83.000€ gross per year (based on a full-time working week). Certain roles may be eligible for variable compensation and benefits. Where applicable, a comprehensive overview of the full benefits package and any additional compensation will be provided during the recruitment process in accordance with local legal requirements. Compensation is determined based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, including skills, experience, and job responsibilities.

The applicable National Collective Bargaining Agreement (CCNL) for this role is Metalmeccanico Industria.

Vertiv is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing or using this website to apply for a position, you can request help by sending an email to [email protected]. If you are interested in applying or learning more about this role, please visit the company’s career page located on Vertiv.com/Careers