VP of Business Development

Johnson Controls, Inc.; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 225,000 - 351,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson Controls, Inc. in Milwaukee, WI is seeking a Vice President of Business Development to lead growth strategy, identify attractive markets, and guide strategic opportunities from strategy through execution.

The ideal candidate has strong growth and operations experience, with M&A exposure and the ability to move opportunities with urgency and credibility across senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in growth strategy, business development, corporate development, strategy consulting, or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a disciplined growth strategy identifying priority markets, target companies, and adjacency opportunities.
• Lead funnel management for strategic business development opportunities with clear visibility of target identification and progression.
• Assess acquisition, partnership, and growth opportunities with understanding of operations, product positioning, and financial value creation.
• Collaborate with leaders across functions to evaluate opportunities and move quickly through diligence and decision-making processes.
• Provide an operator's lens to business assessment, understanding how a business runs and where value is created.

Skills

Growth strategy

M&A exposure

P&L management

Market assessment

Financial valuation

Stakeholder influence

Leadership experience

Strategy execution

Industry adaptability

Job description

Vice President, Business Development

Role Summary

The Vice President, Business Development will lead growth strategy, business development, and strategic opportunity assessment for the organization. This leader will be responsible for identifying and prioritizing attractive markets, targets, and adjacencies; shaping the business development agenda; and partnering with senior leaders to move opportunities from strategy through execution. The ideal candidate brings a strong combination of growth strategy, business operations, and M&A exposure, with the ability to quickly assess businesses, understand operational realities, and create long-term enterprise value.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a disciplined growth strategy that identifies priority markets, target companies, and adjacency opportunities.
• Lead funnel management for strategic business development opportunities, ensuring the organization has clear visibility to target identification, relationship development, prioritization, and progression.
• Assess potential acquisition, partnership, and growth opportunities with a strong understanding of business operations, product positioning, plant or operational performance, and financial value creation.
• Partner with business leaders, product management, finance, legal, and functional stakeholders to evaluate opportunities and move quickly through diligence and decision-making processes.
• Bring an operator's lens to business assessment, including the ability to understand how a business runs, where value is created, and whether operational performance is sustainable.
• Build trust-based relationships with owners, founders, executives, and external stakeholders, recognizing the importance of credibility and psychology in selling a company or family legacy.
• Develop and mentor business development talent, building capability within the team and creating a bench of future leaders.
• Represent the organization externally with professionalism and credibility, positioning the company as a compelling acquirer, partner, and long-term owner.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in growth strategy, business development, corporate development, strategy consulting, or a related discipline.
• Strong business operations experience, including experience running a P&L, serving as a functional leader, or assessing operating performance within a business.
• Exposure to M&A, acquisitions, partnerships, or strategic investments, with an understanding of deal dynamics, diligence requirements, timing, and the need to move with pace.
• Ability to rapidly learn new industries, evaluate adjacent markets, and apply sound judgment in unfamiliar business contexts.
• Strong commercial, financial, and strategic acumen, with the ability to translate market insights into actionable growth opportunities.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, build alignment across functions, and operate effectively in a complex enterprise environment.
• Experience leading teams and developing business development or strategy talent.

Preferred Experience and Attributes

• Four to five years of growth consulting experience, ideally with hands‑on ownership of growth strategy, market scans, and opportunity assessment.
• Business leadership experience in a P&L, operations, product, or functional leadership role.
• Exposure to deal work, including acquisitions, partnerships, diligence, integration planning, or transaction support.
• Industry agility and intellectual curiosity, with the ability to quickly understand new spaces without being overly narrow or myopic.
• Experience working in or with business development models that combine strategy development, deal execution, and talent rotation into the business.

Success Profile

The successful candidate will be highly strategic and deeply hands‑on. They will be comfortable moving from market analysis to target prioritization to relationship development and diligence support. They will bring the judgment to assess whether a business is attractive, the pace to act when opportunities emerge, and the leadership presence to build confidence with internal stakeholders and external partners.

Hiring Salary Range

$225,000-351,000 (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, we encourage you to apply. 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