Head of Major Projects - Fire Suppression

Johnson Controls, Inc.

Sunbury-on-Thames

Hybrid

GBP 120,000 - 180,000

Full time

2 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 20%

Company car or car allowance

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions

Job summary

Johnson Controls, Inc. seeks a strategic Head of Major Projects for its Fire Suppression division in the UK. You will lead the delivery of large-scale sprinkler and gas suppression installations across warehousing, healthcare, MOD and critical environments, with full P&L responsibility for a £25m business.

You will guide a team of Senior and Project Managers, drive profitability, governance and risk management, and collaborate with customers and contractors to secure future growth opportunities.

Qualifications

Proven experience leading senior project delivery or business leadership.
P&L responsibility in construction/engineering environments.
Experience delivering large-scale installation projects.
Experience in fire suppression, sprinkler or gas suppression systems.
Knowledge of UK fire suppression regulations and standards.
Strong commercial acumen with contract negotiations.
Ability to manage project risk, profitability and performance.

Responsibilities

Lead the UK & Ireland Fire Suppression Major Projects delivery team.
Oversee ~20 concurrent projects value £500k–£20m+.
Ensure safe, on-time, within-budget project delivery to high quality.
Provide leadership to a team of Project Managers and Senior PMs.
Drive profitability through forecasting, change control and planning.
Lead major bids and contract negotiations with key stakeholders.
Maintain compliance with governance, risk management and QA standards.

Skills

Project leadership

P&L management

Commercial negotiations

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Regulatory knowledge

Contract management

People leadership

Planning & controls

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Head of Major Projects - Fire Suppression

For over 140 years, Johnson Controls has been at the forefront of innovation in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonisation. Our technology and expertise help customers operate with precision, resilience, and sustainability across rapidly growing sectors including data centres, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher education.

As a global leader backed by advanced technology and an industry-leading field organisation, we turn ambition into real-world results — elevating performance and helping move society forward.

Due to continued growth within our Fire Suppression business, we are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Head of Major Projects to lead the delivery of some of the UK's largest and most complex fire suppression installations.

The Role

The Head of Major Projects will provide strategic, operational and commercial leadership for our Major Projects Fire Suppression business, overseeing the successful delivery of large-scale sprinkler and gas suppression installations across warehousing, logistics, distribution, healthcare, MOD and other critical environments.

With full P&L responsibility for a £25m business, you will lead a team of Senior Project Managers and Project Managers, ensuring projects are delivered safely, profitably, on time and to the highest quality standards.

You will oversee a portfolio of approximately 20 live projects, ranging in value from £500k to £20m+, while working closely with customers, contractors and key stakeholders to support both project delivery and future business growth.

This is a highly visible leadership role requiring a strong blend of project delivery expertise, commercial acumen and people leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

Lead the Fire Suppression Major Projects delivery team across the UK and Ireland.
Oversee a portfolio of approximately 20 concurrent projects ranging in value from £500k to £20m+.
Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards.
Provide leadership, direction and support to a team of approximately 7 direct reports and 5 indirect reports.
Develop and implement project execution strategies to maximise operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and business performance.
Drive consistency and best practice across all project delivery activities.
Act as the senior escalation point for complex project, customer and operational challenges.
Work closely with engineering, sales and service teams to ensure effective project execution and customer outcomes.

Commercial & Financial Management

Hold full P&L responsibility for a £25m Major Projects business.
Deliver revenue, profitability, margin and cash flow objectives.
Lead commercial negotiations with customers, contractors, consultants and key stakeholders.
Oversee contract management, commercial governance and project risk mitigation activities.
Drive project profitability through effective forecasting, change management, cost control and resource planning.
Support major bids, tender reviews and contract negotiations for high-value opportunities.
Ensure robust financial reporting and portfolio performance management across all projects.

People Leadership

Lead, coach and develop a team of Senior Project Managers and Project Managers.
Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and customer focus.
Support talent development, succession planning and leadership capability within the project delivery team.
Encourage knowledge sharing and best practice across the wider organisation.
Promote employee engagement and the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

Develop and maintain strong relationships with key customers, consultants, contractors and end users.
Provide executive-level engagement on strategically important projects and customer accounts.
Drive customer satisfaction, retention and repeat business opportunities.
Represent the business at senior customer and industry meetings where required.
Collaborate with commercial and sales teams to support future growthopportunities.

Health, Safety & Compliance

Champion a safety-first culture across all project activities.
Ensure compliance with all relevant industry regulations, standards and company policies.
Monitor project governance, contractual obligations and risk management processes.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives across project delivery, commercial performance and operational excellence.
Ensure all projects are delivered in line with quality, environmental and regulatory requirements.

What We're Looking For

Essential

Proven experience in a senior project delivery, operational leadership or business leadership role.
Experience leading teams of Project Managers, Senior Project Managers or Contract Managers.
Demonstrable P&L responsibility within a construction, engineering or projects environment.
Significant experience delivering large-scale installation projects.
Experience within fire suppression, sprinkler systems or gas suppression systems.
Knowledge of UK fire suppression regulations and standards
Strong commercial acumen with experience leading contract and commercial negotiations.
Proven ability to manage project risk, profitability and operational performance.
Experience working with major contractors, consultants and end-user clients.
Excellent stakeholder management, communication and leadership skills.
Strong understanding of project controls, planning, resource management and project governance.

Desirable

Experience working within warehousing, logistics, distribution, healthcare, MOD or mission-critical environments.
Knowledge of NEC and/or JCT contracts.
Degree or professional qualification in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related discipline.

What We Offer