HVAC Equipment Branch Operations Manager - Southeast

Johnson Controls, Inc.; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation and holidays

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401K benefits

On-the-job training

Job summary

Johnson Controls, Inc. is seeking a leader to drive a team of System Application Engineers, supporting the construction sales organization and key accounts across the US. The role balances pre-sales and post-sales execution, ensuring profitability, timely delivery, and strong customer satisfaction.

Location is flexible within the Central/Eastern US time zones with occasional travel to the South East. Strong technical and leadership skills are essential to align engineering with sales and service

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required.
• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible operations management in Building Construction.
• Minimum 5 years direct project management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a team successfully.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Interpersonal skills to communicate with internal and external customers.
• Ability to manage a large and diverse number of projects professionally.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach System Application Engineers supporting the construction sales team.
• Act as SAE for select accounts, customers, and projects as needed.
• Support complex or strategic projects commanded by branch management.
• Ensure projects meet scope, schedule, accuracy, and profitability.
• Reduce equipment slippage by root-cause analysis and preventive actions.
• Provide training on project management practices and order execution.
• Support pre-sales activities including configuration, bidding, and pricing.
• Review submittals, estimates, proposals, and drawings to improve accuracy.
• Escalate equipment orders, deliveries, and customer satisfaction issues as needed.

Skills

Project management

Team leadership

Communication

Independent work

Team collaboration

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Education

Bachelors in Engineering

5+ years Building Construction experience

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Visio

Adobe Writer

Job description

Build your best future with the Johnson Controls team. As a global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. Join a winning team that enables you to build your best future! Our teams are uniquely positioned to support a multitude of industries across the globe. You will have the opportunity to develop yourself through meaningful work projects and learning opportunities. We strive to provide our employees with an experience, focused on supporting their physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing. Become a member of the Johnson Controls family and thrive in an empowering company culture where your voice and ideas will be heard – your next great opportunity is just a few clicks away! Johnson Controls is a global organization focused on helping customers create smarter, healthier, and more sustainable buildings.

In this role, you will lead a team of System Application Engineers while supporting the construction sales organization and, when needed, stepping in directly on select accounts, customers, and projects.

Role Overview

Under general direction, this position is responsible for helping ensure assigned projects are executed profitably, accurately, on time, and within the scope of contract. The role balances pre-sales and post-sales execution, strengthens technical support for the sales team, and helps drive customer satisfaction, project performance, and effective handoff to service teams.

Location for the role is flexible but will need to be located in the Central and or Eastern time zone's within the US. Occasional travel to the South East will be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coach System Application Engineers supporting the construction sales team.
• Function as a System Application Engineer for select representatives, customers, and projects based on branch needs.
• Support highly complex or strategic projects assigned by branch management.
• Ensure projects are executed within scope, on schedule, accurately, and with a focus on profitability and customer expectations.
• Reduce equipment slippage by following up, identifying root causes, and helping prevent recurrence.
• Provide training and daily guidance on project management practices and the Johnson Controls equipment order execution process.
• Support pre-sales activities including system configuration validation, HVAC equipment and/or controls selection, bidding, application, and pricing.
• Review and support submittals, estimates, proposals, selections, engineering drawings, and specifications to improve accuracy and consistency.
• Act as the first level of escalation for equipment orders, order commitments, delivery, final payment, and customer satisfaction issues.
• Build strong working relationships with Account Executives, contractors, customers, consultants, vendors, service teams, and LSSs/PMs.
• Support proper turnover to the service team and coordination on joint projects, including startup and warranty processes.
• Communicate process issues, warranty trends, and systemic delivery issues to corporate leadership and participate in feedback sessions.

How You Will Do It

• Lead with accountability by following through on commitments, protecting project integrity, and keeping safety and customer outcomes front and center.
• Stay close to the work by understanding project details, removing obstacles quickly, and helping the team deliver what customers need.
• Use coaching and daily guidance to build SAE capability, strengthen execution, and improve consistency across the team.
• Drive continuous improvement by reviewing slippage, delivery issues, and technical gaps, then turning findings into practical actions.
• Work as one team with sales, service, project management, contractors, and customers to create smooth handoffs and stronger results.
• Provide clear technical review of engineering drawings and specifications, and help close gaps in interpretation or selection.
• Monitor project and proposal quality closely, then share best practices so improvements are applied across the team.
• Balance internal Johnson Controls processes with customer satisfaction and project financial performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Minimum of five years of progressively more responsible operations management experience in the Building Construction Industry.
• Minimum of five years of direct project management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a team successfully.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.
• Ability to simultaneously manage a large and diverse number of projects with professionalism, cooperation, and persistence.

Nice to Have

• Ability to travel based on the geographical locations of assigned teams.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Visio.
• Experience with Adobe Writer and a basic Windows operating system environment.
• AutoCAD experience.
• Experience supporting technical training programs or team development plans.

Why Join Us

• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and 401K.
• On-the-job and cross-training opportunities.
• Encouraging and collaborative team environment.
• Dedication to safety through the Zero Harm policy.

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $100,000 to $150,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This role offers a competitive Bonus plan that will take into account individual, group, and corporate performance. This position includes a competitive benefits package. The posted salary range reflects the target compensation for this role. However, we recognize that exceptional candidates may bring unique skills and experiences that exceed the typical profile. If you believe your background warrants consideration beyond the stated range.

Johnson Controls International plc. 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, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process.

Johnson Controls: Enhancing the Intelligence of Buildings Your buildings have a purpose. They are places for people to live or work. Facilities for learning or healing. Venues for entertainment and shopping. Sites for the specialized storage of tangible goods or mission-critical data. Your buildings have a huge variety of functions; they are central to your mission. This is where Johnson Controls comes in, helping drive the outcomes that matter most. Through a full range of systems and digital solutions, we make your buildings smarter. A smarter building is safer, more comfortable, more efficient, and, ultimately, more sustainable. Most important, smarter buildings let you focus more intensely on your unique mission. Better for your people. Better for your bottom line. Better for the planet. At Johnson Controls, we’ve been making buildings smarter since 1885, and our capabilities, depth of innovation experience, and global reach have been growing ever since. Today, we offer the world’s largest portfolio of building products, technologies, software, and services; we put that portfolio to work to transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play.