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
What you will do:
The Associate Director- Labor & Employment reports to the Executive Director for Labor & Employment, Americas. The Associate Director serves as a member of JCI’s Global Law & Policy Team focused on providing proactive, strategic, efficient, and cost-effective advice and counseling on a broad array of labor and employment related issues.
How you will do it:
- Provide practical, business-savvy legal advice with respect to a wide range of labor and employment matters, including employee relations, recruitment and hiring, restrictive covenants, wage and hour, equal pay, leaves of absence, performance management, disciplinary actions, terminations, workplace safety, reorganizations, reductions in force, executive compensation, international assignments, employment agreements and employee benefits.
- In conjunction with HR, develop, revise and implement US and global employment-related policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all laws, regulations and legal standards.
- Support compliance and investigations processes. Independently manage sensitive investigations.
- First-Chair responsibility for responding to charges, audits, compliance reviews, and investigations pending before EEOC, NLRB, DOL and/or corresponding state or local agencies.
- Independently manage single plaintiff and class action employment litigation, developing strategy, facilitating discovery, driving performance, ensuring efficiency and being responsible and accountable for the results.
- Provide strategic advice regarding reorganizations to assist the business in meeting operational goals while mitigating legal risk.
- Draft, review interpret and negotiate employment related agreements, including employment agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, confidentiality agreements, retention bonuses
- Prepare regular communications and updates to human resources and business leaders on labor and employment-related topics, including new laws that impact the workplace.
- Provide legal advice and counsel on global mergers and acquisitions. Serve as work stream leader on employment and labor related topics.
What we look for:
Required
- JD Degree; must be a member in good standing of a U.S. state bar
- Minimum 5 years of labor and employment experience in a law firm or in house counsel role, or both
- Experience litigating single plaintiff and class action employment independently, including first chairing mediations and case resolution efforts.
- Independent client counseling experience on L&E legal issues, including leaves of absences, accommodations, discrimination, retaliation, employment terminations, wage-and-hour compliance, and background checks.
- Experience with traditional labor preferred, including collective bargaining negotiations, union campaigns, and labor arbitrations.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Ability to make sound judgment calls under pressure
- Strong leadership skills
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with others in a matrixed management structure
- Ability to drive process changes, resource efficiencies, and change management in the provision of legal services
- Exceptional and demonstrated project management skills
- Ability to build positive relationships with senior management, the business, and other members of the legal team and to influence outcomes positively
HIRING SALARY RANGE: $145,000-$185,000 (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
#LI-Hybrid
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. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit here.
Skills Required
- JD degree
- Member in good standing of a U.S. state bar
- Minimum 5 years of labor and employment experience in law firm or in-house counsel role
- Experience litigating single plaintiff and class action employment matters independently, including first chairing mediations and case resolution
- Independent client counseling experience on L&E issues including leaves, accommodations, discrimination, retaliation, terminations, wage-and-hour, and background checks
- Experience with traditional labor (collective bargaining, union campaigns, labor arbitrations)
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Ability to make sound judgment calls under pressure
- Strong leadership skills
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in a matrixed management structure
- Ability to drive process changes, resource efficiencies, and change management in legal service delivery
- Exceptional and demonstrated project management skills
- Ability to build positive relationships with senior management, the business, and legal team and to influence outcomes
Johnson Controls Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Johnson Controls and has not been reviewed or approved by Johnson Controls.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a meaningful part of the package through employer 401(k) matching, repeatedly framed as a strong pillar of the overall rewards mix. The matching contribution is described with specific match levels in multiple places, reinforcing perceived value for long-term saving.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is presented as comparatively robust, with multiple paid holiday categories, vacation time, and sick time described as generous or “amazing” in places. Paid time off breadth appears to be a consistent contributor to total rewards attractiveness beyond base pay.
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Flexible Benefits — Benefits are described as broad and customizable, spanning standard medical/dental/vision plus optional add-ons like pet insurance, identity protection, and legal support. Tuition reimbursement is repeatedly highlighted as a high-value option supporting professional development.
Johnson Controls Insights
What We Do
At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. From optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort, we drive the outcomes that matter most. Dedicated to protecting the environment, we deliver our promise in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers and manufacturing. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries and over 130 years of innovation, we are the power behind our customers’ mission. Our leading portfolio of building technology and solutions includes some of the most trusted names in the industry, such as Tyco®, York®, Metasys®, Ruskin®, Titus®, Frick®, Penn®, Sabroe®, Simplex®, Ansul® and Grinnell®.
