NPI Director

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.

Role Overview

Leads manufacturing readiness and operational launch for new products within an assigned domain or region. As leader of manufacturing team members on core product development teams, the role ensures new products can be produced safely, reliably, and at the required quality, rate, cost, and lead time.

The role leads a dedicated NPI team and directs the extended manufacturing teams supporting product development and launch. It works with Product Management, Engineering, Procurement, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and plant leadership to shape manufacturing requirements early, secure the capabilities and resources needed for launch, and address risks before they affect customers or operations. Its value is faster, more predictable launches, stable production ramps, and manufacturing capability that supports sustained growth

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

New Product Manufacturing Plan

Defines and delivers the manufacturing plan for each new product. Ensures the product can be produced safely and reliably at the required quality, rate, and cost, with the necessary process, equipment, capacity, investment, and make-or-buy decisions in place.

Gate Decisions and Launch Readiness

Defines manufacturing requirements for each RCLP gate. Confirms critical gaps are closed or have approved recovery plans, and makes or escalates the manufacturing go/no-go recommendation.

Supplier and Material Readiness

Ensures supplier capability and material availability support prototype, validation, launch, and ramp requirements. Escalates sourcing, qualification, lead-time, capacity, or continuity risks through the appropriate authority.

Plant and Workforce Readiness

Ensures each receiving plant is ready to produce the new product. Confirms the manufacturing process, equipment, materials, systems, standard work, staffing, and NPI-specific training are in place before launch.

Launch and Ramp Performance

Delivers first production, ramp, and stable operating performance against agreed safety, quality, delivery, cost, and capacity expectations. Resolves launch issues and completes the handoff to normal operations when performance expectations are met.

Business System Leadership

Builds a disciplined, repeatable NPI operating system that connects strategy to execution. Establishes visual management, standard work, tiered accountability, Gemba-based problem solving, root-cause countermeasures, and lessons-learned reuse to shorten launch cycle time, improve predictability, and prevent recurring issues.

Talent System Leadership

Builds the capacity, capability, and culture of the extended teams that deliver manufacturing readiness and launch. Plans resource and capability needs, clarifies roles and goals, sets high standards, and strengthens performance through coaching, development, feedback, and recognition across the NPI team and cross-functional partners.

WINNING BEHAVIORS

This role must model and embed Johnson Controls’ Winning Behaviors as the “how”:

We Focus on What Matters — We align our teams around customer needs and opportunities identified at Gemba, set clear priorities that deliver the most value, and enable data-informed decisions closest to where the work happens.

We Win as One Team — We seek and bring together different perspectives, connect teams across the value stream to achieve shared goals, address challenges constructively, promote collaboration and enable ownership closest to the customer.

We Own the Outcome — We build team accountability and ownership for results, drive timely and disciplined execution, and build systems that enable sustained performance, always prioritizing safety and integrity.

We Improve Everyday — We create an environment where problems are surfaced transparently, “red” is embraced as an opportunity to improve, root causes are sustainably addressed, and teams rapidly learn, experiment, adapt, innovate, and grow.

KEY LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTE S

Foresight. Anticipates manufacturing, capacity, supplier, resource, and capability needs before they become launch constraints.

Judgment. Distinguishes launch-critical issues from lower-value detail and makes balanced decisions when evidence is incomplete or trade-offs are required.

Candor. Surfaces risks, weak assumptions, and readiness gaps early, including when the message is difficult or unpopular.

Composure. Remains clear and steady when launches face pressure, setbacks, ambiguity, or competing demands.

Curiosity. Seeks direct understanding of products, processes, suppliers, plants, and frontline work before drawing conclusions.

Humility. Tests personal assumptions, welcomes contrary evidence, and adjusts direction when facts indicate a better approach.

Resolve. Maintains focus and standards through obstacles and follows critical issues through to effective closure.

Stewardship. Strengthens the capability, ownership, and long-term effectiveness of the extended teams and systems supporting NPI..

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Required:

Demonstrated ownership of manufacturing readiness and launch outcomes for multiple new products or comparable complex industrial programs.

Deep knowledge of manufacturing planning, including process capability, equipment, capacity, quality controls, standard work, cost, and production ramp.

Experience making evidence-based manufacturing readiness decisions within a structured stage-gate, product development, or equivalent launch process.

Proven ability to align Engineering, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality, Supply Chain, and plant teams around launch commitments without relying on direct authority.

Experience identifying and resolving supplier, material, capacity, or continuity risks that could prevent a successful launch or ramp.

Demonstrated use of Lean or an equivalent business system to improve execution, solve systemic problems, and sustain results across.

Strongly Preferred:

Demonstrated success improving launch speed, predictability, or ramp performance across a portfolio of new product introductions.

Experience launching complex engineered products across multiple plants, regions, suppliers, or manufacturing models.

Experience establishing or significantly improving a repeatable NPI operating system across manufacturing and cross-functional teams.

Experience building the capacity and capability of extended NPI teams through resource planning, role clarity, coaching, development, and performance leadership.

SUCCESS MEASURES

12 ‑ Month Expectations for Success (Role Scorecard — Year 1)

Priority new products have validated manufacturing plans that support committed safety, quality, rate, cost, lead-time, and investment expectations

Manufacturing gate recommendations are supported by clear evidence, with critical readiness gaps closed or governed by approved recovery plans.

Supplier capability and material availability support prototype, validation, and priority launch requirements, with critical risks resolved or mitigated before production commitments.

Receiving plants demonstrate readiness before first production, with the required manufacturing process, equipment, systems, standard work, staffing, and NPI training in place.

Priority new products achieve first production and progress through ramp ag