Lead Production Engineer

Build your best future with the Johnson Controls team! Competitive salary Who We Are Johnson Controls is 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! 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 Thermal constraints limit AI infrastructure, semiconductor equipment, power electronics, and defense systems. JCI removes those constraints. Enabled by the Stack Forging™ process, JCI produces high-performance thermal components and cooling loop solutions — purpose-built for direct integration into AI, HPC, and mission-critical systems. JCI has built the industry's leading thermal management platform for the applications that demand it most. As a Builder on the Stack Forging Thermal Solutions team at Johnson Controls, you'll join a team of sleeve-rollers who set a high bar for themselves and their co-workers. We foster a collaborative culture with no silos, where everyone is encouraged to think out loud. If you are passionate about your craft and don't give up until you've found a way, you will make an ideal Builder! What You’ll Do This role will focus on optimizing both fabrication and assembly, ensuring that Stack Forged parts move from raw material through production, inspection, assembly, and fulfillment in a repeatable, efficient, and scalable way. The Lead Production Engineer will work directly with operators, technicians, engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations to improve yield, throughput, quality, cost, delivery, and production stability. This is not a desk-only continuous improvement role. The Lead Production Engineer will be closely engaged in day-to-day production execution, using Lean methodology, Six Sigma, data analytics, structured problem-solving, and change management as tools to improve the entire production system. Who You Are You are a hands‑on technical leader responsible for understanding, improving, and scaling manufacturing processes. You are a deep technical owner with a detailed understanding of the equipment, workflows, materials, process variables, fabrication steps, assembly methods, documentation standards, and failure modes that drive production outcomes. Responsibilities Responsibilities are subject to change based on shifting business needs. Develop deep technical ownership of the proprietary Stack Forging process, including equipment behavior, material flow, fabrication steps, assembly methods, process variables, and failure modes. Optimize fabrication and assembly processes to improve repeatability, yield, throughput, quality, cost, delivery performance, and production stability. Lead continuous improvement efforts across production, inspection, assembly, material flow, distribution, and supporting operational processes. Apply data analytics and structured problem‑solving methods to identify root causes, reduce variation, and implement lasting corrective actions. Translate complex production issues into clear projects with defined scope, owners, timelines, metrics, and business impact. Own implementation of new or improved production processes, including documentation, training, rollout, adoption, and sustainment. Drive documentation standards for production drawings, ensuring drawings support manufacturability, inspection, assembly, supplier communication, and repeatable production execution. Partner with engineering, quality, production, supply chain, and distribution to improve material readiness, production flow, inspection consistency, fulfillment readiness, and end‑to‑end operational execution. Reduce operational complexity by simplifying workflows, documentation, handoffs, routing, material movement, production decision points, and assembly methods. Establish practical production metrics, dashboards, and review mechanisms to improve visibility, accountability, and data‑driven decision making. Mentor engineers, technicians, and operators in structured problem solving, process discipline, Lean thinking, and continuous improvement. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical field. 7+ years of experience in production engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, industrial engineering, or operations leadership. Strong hands‑on manufacturing experience in a complex production environment, with demonstrated ability to learn, own, and improve a proprietary or highly specialized process. Experience in improving fabrication, assembly, production flow, quality, yield, throughput, cost, delivery performance, and operational efficiency. Strong working knowledge of Lean methodology, Six Sigma, root‑cause analysis, value stream mapping, standard work, 5S, Kaizen, DMAIC, and related improvement tools. Strong project management skills, including project definition, stakeholder alignment, execution, risk management, implementation, and follow‑through. Ability to use production, quality, equipment, and operational data to diagnose problems, prioritize improvements, and verify results. Experience developing, implementing, and sustaining production processes, workflows, controls, documentation, tooling, fixtures, training, and standard work. Strong ability to read, interpret, and improve technical drawings used for fabrication, assembly, inspection, and supplier communication. Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack‑ups, critical‑to‑quality features, inspection requirements, revision control, and manufacturability considerations. Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to lead and influence teams through technical credibility, data, and practical problem‑solving. Preferred Qualifications Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification. Experience in a high‑mix, low‑volume, prototype‑to‑production, advanced‑manufacturing, or hardware‑startup environment. Experience with proprietary manufacturing processes, new process scale‑up, or complex hardware production. Background in metal manufacturing, additive manufacturing, precision manufacturing, machining, assembly, test, or advanced thermal hardware production. Experience with ERP, MES, Jira, Confluence, Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Kibana, or similar operational data systems. Experience building dashboards, production metrics, process controls, work instructions, production travelers, or operational review systems. SALARY RANGE $107,000 – $158,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) 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 #J-18808-Ljbffr Johnson Controls