Leader, Marketing Partnerships

Johnson Controls; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Paid vacation/holidays/sick time

Comprehensive benefits package (401K,

Medical, dental and vision care

On-the-job/cross training

Encouraging and collaborative team

Zero Harm safety culture

Job summary

Johnson Controls seeks an experienced marketing activation professional to transform sports partnerships into measurable growth. You will lead campaigns across paid media, organic digital, events, and SDR engagement, and manage an agency team while collaborating with Field Marketing, Demand Gen and Product Marketing to drive pipeline.

You will partner with senior stakeholders, mentor a team, and own budgets, KPIs, and reporting.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive marketing and communications experience in B2B environments.
• Proven ability to lead major initiatives with project planning, KPI reporting, and stakeholder management.
• Experience leading teams and external agencies, delivering measurable pipeline impact.

Responsibilities

• Define audience targeting, journeys, briefs, channel mix and budget allocation.
• Activate campaigns across paid media, organic, events, and SDR engagement.
• Collaborate with Field Marketing, Demand Gen and Product Marketing on execution and assets.
• Ensure alignment between marketing and sales with clear KPI handoffs.
• Lead a team of marketing managers, providing coaching and development.
• Manage annual budgets and track actual spend vs forecast.

Skills

Marketing leadership

Partnership marketing

Campaign management

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

Team leadership

Agency management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Johnson Controls, a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, helps customers use energy more productively, reduce carbon emissions, and operate with the precision and resilience required in rapidly expanding industries such as data centers, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher education. For more than 140 years, Johnson Controls has delivered performance where it really matters. Backed by advanced technology, lifecycle services and an industry-leading field organization, we elevate customer performance, turn goals into real-world results and help move society forward.

What we offer:

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

We are seeking an experienced marketing activation professional with high energy and exceptional communication and organizational skills to help turn Johnson Controls' sports partnership portfolio into a strategic growth lever. This role will transform sports alliances into measurable business outcomes by driving new customer acquisition, showcasing innovative solutions, differentiating our brand, and delivering unique customer experiences. The foundation of this work will be JCI's leadership in building solutions technology, energy efficiency, decarbonization, thermal management, and mission-critical performance. This role will be responsible for planning and activating marketing campaigns across JCI's sports marketing portfolio through five core tactics: paid media, organic marketing, digital events, in-person events, and Sales Development Representatives (SDRs). Initially, the role will lead an agency team of five or more activation specialists, with potential expansion to include one to two direct JCI reports. Note: This role is focused on activating and nurturing existing and future partnerships. It will not be responsible for identifying or negotiating new partnerships. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of bringing strategic partnerships to life, managing stakeholders, and delivering creative and impactful experiences for all parties involved.

Areas of Focus

Campaign Planning

Define audience targeting (Ideal Customer Profiles), customer journeys, campaign briefs, channel mix, and budget allocation. Develop lead generation strategies and partner with the Demand Generation and Digital teams on campaign execution and lead capture. Plan digital media investments, organic digital strategies, in-person events and trade shows, digital events, and SDR engagement.

Campaign Activation & Measurement

Partner with Field Marketing to execute campaign plans across local markets and regions for the Fire & Security portfolio, aligning efforts with long-range business plans and revenue targets. Work closely with the Demand Generation team to track, analyze, and report key performance indicators.

Sales Collaboration

Ensure alignment between marketing and sales teams on target accounts, campaign execution, and pipeline goals. Improve the handoff process between marketing and sales through clearly defined processes and KPIs.

Stakeholder Management

Build trust with and influence senior stakeholders across business units, Marketing leadership, and Sales/Commercial organizations.

Team Leadership

Lead and motivate a team of marketing managers and specialists to develop and activate campaigns. Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development. Foster a highly engaged team environment and support strong employee engagement outcomes.

Marketing Team Collaboration

Partner with Field Marketing to develop and support local go-to-market strategies and tactics. Collaborate with Product Marketing and Centers of Excellence (COEs) to inform value proposition development, content needs, marketing asset requirements, event planning, and subject matter expert engagement.

Budget Management

Develop annual budget plans aligned with business priorities and maintain accurate tracking of actual spend versus forecast.

What We Are Looking For

• Change agent with experience leading marketing transformation initiatives.
• Collaborative leader who can drive alignment across functions.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in marketing and communications, demand generation, digital marketing, events, and/or marketing operations within a B2B environment.
• Proven ability to lead major initiatives through project planning, stakeholder management, operational execution, problem solving, and KPI reporting.
• Demonstrated success managing lead generation and campaign programs with measurable pipeline and revenue impact.
• Experience leading teams and managing agencies or external vendors.
• Strong ability to develop, motivate, and lead both direct reports and agency partners.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• Comfortable engaging directly with customers and colleagues in the field.
• Strong understanding of lead management, sales funnels, CRM systems, and Salesforce.
• Data-driven decision maker focused on measurable business outcomes.
• High-energy professional who inspires enthusiasm and collaboration.

Bonus Points

• For Experience in the commercial Fire & Security industry.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI to drive marketing effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Experience partnering with field sales teams on sales enablement and marketing initiatives.
• Familiarity with Lean and continuous improvement methodologies, including 80/20 and Kaizen.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred (Business, Marketing, Communications, or related field).

HIRING SALARY RANGE

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $130,000-180,000 (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.

To support an efficient and fair hiring process, we may use technology assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to help identify and evaluate candidates. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by human reviewers. For details, please visit the About Us tab on the Johnson Controls Careers site at https://jobs.johnsoncontrols.com/about-us.

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.

To view more information about your equal opportunity and non-discrimination rights as a candidate, visit EEO is the Law.

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.