Head of Major Projects - Fire Suppression

Johnson Controls; Sunbury-on-Thames; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson Controls in the UK is seeking a Head of Major Projects to lead the Fire Suppression portfolio. You will own P&L (£25m) and oversee ~20 live projects from £500k to £20m+, ensuring safety, profitability and quality.

You will manage Senior Project Managers and Project Managers, align with engineering, sales and service teams, and drive continuous improvement and customer outcomes across warehousing, healthcare and critical environments.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior project delivery or leadership role.
• Experience leading teams of Project Managers, Senior Project Managers or Contract Managers.
• Demonstrable P&L responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Fire Suppression Major Projects delivery team across the UK and Ireland.
• Hold full P&L responsibility for the £25m Major Projects business.
• Lead commercial negotiations and contract governance for major opportunities.
• Develop people, ensure health and safety, and drive best practice across delivery.
• Maintain strong relationships with customers, consultants and stakeholders.

Skills

Senior Project Management

P&L Management

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Job description

Head of Major Projects - Fire Suppression

About Johnson Controls

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 growth opportunities.

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 responsibili