Design Phase Manager

ThermalWorks LLC has an exciting opportunity for a Design Phase Manager to join our team, working directly with R&D, Project Management, Operations, Service, Internal and External Design and Construction Partners, and focusing on managing open design issues and owning the submittal process. The Design Phase Manager is a client-facing, project-focused role that owns the design phase of ThermalWorks’ US projects from contract award through the start of L3 Startup and Commissioning, and is accountable for the quality, completeness, and on-time release of every design package we deliver to our customers and construction partners.

TheDesign Phase Manager needs to be agile, professional, trustworthy with confidential information, and comfortable in a rapidly changing environment. The right person can work well both independently and with a team.   

ThermalWorks values efficiency and strives to maintain smooth operations. Our primary focus is on providing an integrated cooling system for data centers and commercial buildings that dramatically reduces the energy demand, water consumption and cost of cooling. It transforms the economics and eco-metrics of commercial cooling with zero water solutions that outperform air- and water-cooled systems in any climate.

ThermalWorks solutions are sustainable and cutting-edge. For that reason, we are highly selective about the people we bring on board because our work depends on it. Change and progress happen quickly, and we must be able to trust one another to be honest, communicative, reliable and self-motivated. We seek ultra-creatives and superstar performers with a sense of humility and a hunger to make a positive impact in the world. We offer flexibility and endless growth opportunities to those who can harness their skills and talents and identify how and where to use them to add value. ThermalWorks is one of several “inspired infrastructure” companies that work collaboratively under our parent company, Endeavour Energy, LLC. At the heart of this ecosystem is a diverse group of bright, passionate, dedicated people, working together to make a real difference for people and the planet. ThermalWorks is looking for someone to join our team to help us move the needle toward sustainable change. Are you ready to join the journey?

Key Responsibilities

Include but are not limited to:

Design Phase Execution

• Own the design phase of every active ThermalWorks project from pre-contract award through issued-for-construction release, including milestone management, scope control, and change tracking, and finally through L5 commissioning.
• Establish and enforce design phase gates, deliverables, and review checkpoints; ensure every package meets ThermalWorks technical standards and customer requirements before release.
• Serve as the escalation point for design issues raised by Project Managers, Commissioning, field teams, and customers; drive design and construction coordination issues to closure.
• Partner with the Director of Project Management to integrate design status into the live Deployment Dashboard, providing accurate, current visibility into every project's design progress.
• Manage relationships with ThermalWorks’ external design consultant partners and construction teams, facilitating the effective, accurate, and complete resolution of all design issues.
• Own the submittal process, ensuring timely submission of all technical deliverables.
• Leverage AI to build technical tools and systems to streamline all design workflows.

Standards and Continuous Improvement

• Drive down rework, changes, design questions and construction coordination volume through root-cause analysis and targeted process changes.
• Coordinate with the Quality Team, leveraging the Quality Management System (QMS) to build the feedback loop from field execution, commissioning, Service and operations back into design.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Partner closely with Commissioning/Startup and Quality within the Delivery function to ensure design packages set up downstream phases for success.
• Coordinate with Estimating on design assumptions embedded in proposals; flag deviations early.
• Represent ThermalWorks design in customer-facing technical discussions, including design reviews, submittal negotiations, and issue resolution.

Skills & Requirements

Education / Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in design or design management for mission-critical, industrial, or mechanical/electrical infrastructure projects.
• 5+ years leading design teams and coordination. Direct management of engineers or drafters is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• PE license (Mechanical or Electrical) or an architectural degree.
• Direct experience with data center cooling infrastructure, thermal management, or waterless/dry cooling technologies.
• Experience scaling a design function during a period of rapid portfolio growth.
• Familiarity with SharePoint-based project controls, Power BI dashboards, AI tools, and Microsoft 365 collaboration tooling.
• International work experience.
• Experience working within a unified Delivery, Deployment, or Project Execution function that integrates Design with Commissioning and Quality.

Specific Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrated ownership of design phase delivery on multi-site portfolios or programs, not just individual projects.
• Strong working knowledge of HVAC, cooling systems, mechanical plant design, or adjacent mission-critical infrastructure.
• Proven ability to establish and enforce design standards, gates, and quality controls in a scaling environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort in customer-facing technical conversations.
• High standard for organization with the ability to set priorities autonomously.

Great Place to Work

Enjoy…

A fast-paced, entrepreneurial culture focused on innovation.
A flexible, autonomous work environment.
A culture of respect, learning and excellence.
Experienced, highly talented experts as team peers.
Growth and travel opportunities.
A team of change-makers having a significant impact on people and the planet.

About Our Parent Company, Endeavour Energy

Endeavour is the main hub—a self-sustaining incubation platform for innovation—within a larger ecosystem focused on sustainable infrastructure. It provides the space, time and all necessary resources to take advanced technologies from ideation through development to launch. Every day we are helping innovators to develop and launch global solutions to tackle global challenges, which is no easy task. Our teams work extremely hard because we all believe in Endeavour’s mission: to guarantee clean water and renewable energy to everyone, everywhere. We are working hard to decentralize infrastructure and deploy innovative energy, water and waste treatment solutions that are more sustainable and more profitable than those currently in existence. Our team of passionate change-makers want to leave the world better than the way we found it. Endeavour prides itself on hiring talented, highly motivated people because that’s what our mission requires. There is a strong sense of camaraderie between good-natured people who bring their A-game to work every day to make a difference. To work at Endeavour is to know that you are part of something special—something bigger than yourself.  

Today, we’re deploying solutions that are immediately scalable and profitable, including EV charging, data center cooling and waste to fuel systems. As we look to the future, Endeavour intends to remain at the forefront of innovation, taking on grander challenges based on the needs of our clients and of local economies. We hope that our Sustainable Habitat for Innovation towards a Purpose (SHIP) will be a model that inspires people and businesses to #jointhejourney. Together we can combine the best of what technology and the natural world can offer to ensure a regenerative/sustainable world for generations to come. 

Position: Design Phase Manager
Full-Time or Part-Time: Full-Time
Reports to: Director of Project Management
Location: United States (Remote) with 25% travel to project sites

Contact: [email protected]