Senior Project Manager - Chillers

About this role

Senior Project Manager – Chillers

Location: Plano, TX (Hybrid; onsite for the first 30 days) Employment Type: Direct Hire Compensation: $171,000 – $192,000 base + 15% annual bonus target Relocation: Up to $25,000 in relocation assistance Travel: Up to 40%

About the Opportunity Our client, a global leader in industrial and energy technology, is building a new division focused on advanced cooling solutions for data centers across North America. As a new division, it offers long-term stability and room to grow. They are seeking a Senior Project Manager to own delivery of centrifugal chiller and modular cooling plant projects from contract award through final turnover. This person will be the main point of contact for customers, contractors, and internal teams, and will work closely with engineering and manufacturing groups in Japan and the U.S.

What You'll Do

• Lead chiller and modular cooling plant projects through every phase: engineering, manufacturing, shipping, installation, commissioning, and handover.
• Act as the main point of contact for customers, consulting engineers, general contractors, EPCs, and MEP contractors.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, risk, change orders, and project documentation, including clear responsibility splits between all parties.
• Run project meetings, report status, escalate issues early, and keep decisions moving.
• Coordinate engineering submittals (GA drawings, P&IDs, electrical drawings, control narratives, sequences of operation) through customer review and approval.
• Track factory milestones, factory acceptance testing (FAT), and shipping readiness, and plan site deliveries, rigging, crane access, and laydown.
• Confirm site readiness before installation, including foundations and utility connections.
• Coordinate permits, inspections, and approvals with authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) and nationally recognized testing laboratories (NRTLs), including field labeling where needed.
• Oversee site safety coordination, including OSHA requirements, job hazard analyses, lockout/tagout, and permit-to-work controls.
• Manage refrigerant, environmental, water treatment, and insurer requirements that affect delivery and turnover.
• Support site acceptance testing (SAT), commissioning, punch list closure, and complete closeout packages (O&M manuals, as-builts, test records, warranty handover).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, project management, or equivalent experience.
• 9+ years of experience, including at least 4 years on centrifugal chiller and modular cooling plant projects.
• Proven end-to-end ownership of customer-facing chiller or cooling plant projects, from order through handover.
• Strong command of scope, schedule, budget, risk, and change management.
• Ability to read and interpret specifications, contracts, GA drawings, P&IDs, electrical drawings, and sequences of operation.
• Hands-on experience coordinating permits, inspections, AHJ approvals, and construction site safety programs.
• Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and controls systems, NFPA 70/NEC, and local code and permitting processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Data center or mission-critical project experience, especially with hyperscale or colocation customers.
• Experience with cooling towers, pump skids, electrical skids, or other data center infrastructure equipment.
• Heavy-haul logistics, rigging, and commissioning readiness experience.
• Familiarity with UL/ETL/CSA labeling, UL 508A control panels, and field evaluation processes.
• Experience with tools such as Procore, Primavera P6, Smartsheet, Bluebeam, Autodesk Construction Cloud, or SAP.
• PMP, OSHA-30, or other project management, safety, or commissioning certification.
• Familiarity with EPA Section 608 refrigerant rules and environmental compliance topics.

Benefits Medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with company match; paid vacation and sick time; 15 paid holidays; and strong growth potential in a newly launched division.