Technical Lead Manager Jobs in Springfield, IL

Maximize your potential. Minimize your footprint.

Nortek Data Center Cooling is a Madison Industries company. Madison Industries is one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the world and has a robust portfolio of indoor air quality solutions. Madison builds entrepreneurially driven, branded market leaders that are committed to making the world safer, healthier and more productive by creating innovative solutions that deliver outstanding customer value.

At Nortek Data Center Cooling, we’re shaping the future by Creating a Better Tomorrow Every Day! We are a premier HVAC company offering energy efficient and sustainable products and solutions that exceed customer expectations through our employees’ commitment to quality, customer experience and operational excellence.

Nortek Data Center Cooling. is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

Nortek Air Management and its divisions offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Our benefits package includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, FSA, HAS and 401(k) Plan with company contributions. To apply, please visit our career site at www.nortekair.com/careers.

• Benefits start day one
• 401K match
• First year, 4 weeks’ vacation (accrued)

Maximize your potential. Minimize your footprint.

Nortek Data Center Cooling builds the systems that keep modern data centers running — from liquid cooling to large‑scale 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 hands‑on 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, high‑growth programs.

Nortek Data Center Cooling. is an equal employment opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

Nortek Data Center Cooling offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Our benefits package includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, FSA, HAS and 401(k) Plan with company contributions. To apply, please visit our career site at www.nortekdatacenter.com

Job Summary

As a key member of the Strategic Sourcing Team, The NPD (New Product Development) Sourcing Leader plays a critical role in driving process improvements across the product lifecycle, focusing on the supply chain aspects of onboarding and transitioning programs within the organization and supplier base. This leader collaborates with purchasing teams to identify alternate sources of supply, implement 80/20 strategies to optimize the supply base, and enhance supply chain redundancy and resilience. Additionally, the role leads cost reduction initiatives, manages supplier performance issues, and supports strategic sourcing goals to ensure alignment with quality, cost, and lead time objectives.

As a key member of the Strategic Sourcing Team, the NPD Sourcing Leader for Standard Products manages sourcing components, assemblies, and tooling for New Product Development (NPD), Cost Reduction, Supply Improvement projects, and Innovation initiatives. The position requires coordination with cross-functional teams to deliver results while balancing technical, financial, and operational requirements.

Job Responsibilities:

New Product Introduction & Qualification:

• Manage purchasing activities during new product qualification phases, ensuring technical specifications and requirements are met.
• Lead NPI projects from a supply chain perspective, achieving milestones on aggressive timelines.

Supplier Development & Management

• Collaborate with Category Management team to develop, evaluate, and approve supplier selection criteria for specific projects.
• Work with Category Managers to assess supplier risks (e.g., financial stability, capacity constraints) and implement mitigation strategies to ensure supply chain continuity.
• Address and resolve supplier performance issues to maintain project momentum, applying escalation as needed.

Cost Optimization & Supply Chain Resiliency

• Lead cost reduction initiatives through alternative manufacturing methods, materials, and designs.
• Strategize and implement redundancy and resiliency within the supply chain.

Project Management

• Drive supplier-related tasks to completion, coordinating with internal teams to meet project timelines.
• Prepare and execute RFPs/RFQs; analyze quotations and negotiate pricing, tooling, and NRE costs.

Engineering Collaboration & Change Management

• Collaborate on technical modifications and manage Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) for seamless implementation.
• Maintain and update Costed Bills of Materials (CBOM) to align with project targets.

PPAP & Production Transition

• Oversee PPAP orders for new parts through approval stages.
• Transition purchasing responsibility for approved parts to production buyers, ensuring a smooth hand off process.

Data Management & Compliance

• Maintain vendor and item records within ERP systems (e.g., INFOR CSI).
• Ensure supplier compliance with regulatory standards and industry laws.

Issue Resolution

• Address discrepancies in orders, resolve rejected goods issues, and manage purchase order revisions.
• Escalate and mitigate project risks as needed to avoid disruptions.

Position Qualifications:

Required:

• Strong project management skills supported by written and oral communication skills within internal and external cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of materials (BOM).
• Strong reasoning and problem solving to determine phase-in and phase-out date requirements.
• Ability to read/understand technical documents, as well as manufacturing reports.
• Demonstrated experience in Sales, Inventory and Operations (SIOP) Planning required.
• Proficiency with the use of Excel and MRP/ERP systems