Position Description

The Procurement Engineer – Fans will serve as the technical and commercial lead for air-moving technologies used in data center cooling systems, supporting both air-cooled and liquid-cooled architectures. This role bridges engineering and procurement to ensure critical fan systems meet stringent performance, redundancy, energy efficiency, acoustic, and reliability requirements expected in hyperscale and colocation environments.

The position is responsible for the full procurement lifecycle, including technical specification development, supplier qualification, sourcing strategy execution, and lifecycle cost optimization. The scope includes EC axial fans, centrifugal blowers, plenum fans, fan arrays/wall systems, motors, drives, and integrated controls designed for mission-critical uptime environments.

This position may be remote, hybrid, or on-site, and reports directly to the Global Strategic Sourcing Director for Data Centers.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for data center cooling fan systems, balancing performance, redundancy (N+1/N+2), lead time, and total cost of ownership.
• Lead RFIs/RFQs for new product programs and capacity expansions tied to hyperscale and colocation deployments.
• Evaluate supplier proposals with a strong focus on technical compliance, lifecycle cost, energy efficiency, and reliability under continuous operation (24/7 duty cycles).
• Negotiate pricing, long-term supply agreements, capacity reservations, and lead time commitments to support rapid data center scaling.

Technical Leadership & Engineering Integration

• Collaborate with product engineering to define fan system requirements, including airflow (CFM), static pressure, system curves, efficiency (IE/EC motor performance), acoustics, and redundancy design.
• Review and validate fan curves, performance data, CFD outputs, and thermal system integration requirements.
• Support design decisions for fan arrays, modular cooling systems, and high-density rack environments (>30kW per rack).
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards (e.g., UL, CE, AMCA, ISO) and data center reliability expectations (Tier III/IV concepts).

Supplier Evaluation & Development

• Identify and qualify suppliers with proven capabilities in data center-grade fan technologies, including EC motor control systems and intelligent fan platforms.
• Conduct detailed technical supplier assessments covering test labs, reliability validation, control integration, and production scalability.
• Partner with Supplier Quality Engineering to ensure robust PPAP, FMEA, validation testing, and continuous improvement processes.
• Drive supplier performance through KPIs focused on field reliability, MTBF, delivery performance, and quality metrics.

Cost Optimization & Value Engineering

• Lead VA/VE initiatives targeting energy efficiency improvements (PUE impact), system optimization, and cost reduction.
• Analyze key cost drivers including motors, electronics (EC controllers), housings, materials, and logistics.
• Support design-to-cost initiatives while maintaining cooling performance, redundancy, and uptime requirements critical to data center operations.

Market Intelligence & Risk Management

• Maintain deep knowledge of data center cooling trends, including liquid cooling adoption, higher rack densities, and increased airflow/power demands.
• Monitor supplier capacity, regional manufacturing footprints, and potential constraints in critical components such as motors, electronics, and semiconductors.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to single-source dependencies, geopolitical impacts, and supply continuity for mission-critical infrastructure.

Operational Execution

• Support procurement execution including purchase orders, demand alignment, and delivery tracking for critical fan components.
• Ensure accurate data management within ERP systems and alignment with demand planning for large-scale deployments.
• Resolve supplier issues impacting production schedules, system builds, or customer deliveries.

Communication & Collaboration

• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Manufacturing, Program Management, and Sales to align sourcing with project timelines and customer requirements.
• Present sourcing strategies, technical evaluations, and supplier performance to leadership.
• Travel approximately 20% to supplier sites, test facilities, and Modine manufacturing locations.

Required Education & Qualifications

PREFERRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Preferred candidates will have experience in:

• Data center cooling systems (CRAC, CRAH, CDU, dry coolers)
• Air-moving technologies (EC fans, fan arrays, blowers)
• Procurement engineering or sourcing within mission-critical or high-reliability environments

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in procurement engineering, sourcing, or mechanical/electromechanical design in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong technical expertise in fan systems, EC motor technology, airflow dynamics, and thermal management.
• Experience supporting data center infrastructure or HVAC systems for critical environments.
• Ability to interpret fan curves, system curves, and thermal performance data.
• Familiarity with redundancy strategies and uptime requirements in data center design.
• Proven supplier evaluation and development experience for complex electromechanical systems.
• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of securing long-term agreements and managing strategic suppliers.
• Advanced analytical skills including cost modeling and total cost of ownership analysis.
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle) and procurement tools.
• Strong communication skills with ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority projects in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.
• MBA or advanced business degree preferred.
• Certifications such as CSCP, CPSM, or equivalent are a plus.