Full-Time

Principal Development Engineer

Sustainable Infrastructure

Updated on 8/23/2026

Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls

10,001+ employees

Provides smart building technology and services

Compensation Overview

$112.1k - $168.4k/yr

Indianapolis, IN, USA

Hybrid

Approximately 30% travel required.

Bachelor's

Category
Building Systems & HVAC (1)
Required Skills
HVAC
Financial analysis
Word/Pages/Docs
Excel/Numbers/Sheets
Financial Modeling

Get referred to Johnson Controls

See people who can refer or advise you

Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
  • A minimum of ten years of experience in designing or selling building systems, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, energy modeling, construction, or facility management.
  • Certified Energy Manager certification is required.
  • Professional Engineering license, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional certification, and function-specific licenses or certifications are preferred.
  • Demonstrated vertical market expertise is required.
  • Strong analytical capabilities and the ability to manage tasks associated with project development.
  • Full competency in the analysis and assessment of facility systems.
  • Ability to lead engineering teams, work effectively with others, drive results, focus on the customer, and act ethically.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and comfort working in customer-facing situations.
  • Demonstrated subject matter expertise in a specific specialty or line-of-business area.
  • Solid computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, EQuest, and benchmarking tools.
  • Ability to review contract and subcontract schedules.
  • Ability to travel approximately 30%.
Responsibilities
  • Participate as a leader of the Development Team to achieve department and project objectives on large projects.
  • Lead engineering, process, or financial tasks during preliminary and detailed project development phases.
  • Support the team in achieving business goals by following the Solutions Playbook and Best Business Practices methodology.
  • Perform high-level analysis and promote project quality and innovative scope to support closing bundled Sustainability Infrastructure projects.
  • Establish ongoing partnerships with customers on assigned projects.
  • Lead and mentor Development Engineer personnel.
  • Improve project development processes and conduct research for unique technology applications and innovative solutions.
  • Provide technical, process, or financial support to the Sales team during the design process.
  • Assist in developing the customer business case for conceptual solutions.
  • Lead preliminary data collection, auditing, and modeling efforts for assigned opportunities.
  • Lead or support detailed project development and validate assumptions made during solution design.
  • Build detailed development budgets and schedules.
  • Work with operations teams and outside partners to develop project estimates, scopes of work, energy savings models, and financial return-on-investment models.
  • Assist in preparing proposals and other customer communication documents.
  • Understand the full range of Johnson Controls offerings and their applications in customer solutions.
  • Devise multiple offerings to meet specific program requirements identified by the Solutions Design Specialist.
  • Lead cross-functional teams in developing multiple components of bundled sales.
  • Perform detailed engineering or financial analysis to quantify project costs, savings, and other customer benefits.
  • Assist with technical or financial benchmarking and lead the development of customer baselines.
  • Provide peer reviews for complex project-bundle designs and Advanced Solutions, including system design, scope development, engineering calculations, guide specifications, plant performance values, cost estimation, risk assessment, and code and regulatory conformance plans.
  • Assess design risk and remain accountable for all elements of large, complex projects.
  • Lead project risk reviews and contract reviews, including measured energy savings calculations, non-measured project benefits, baseline energy consumption, scopes of work, construction schedules, and construction cost estimates.
  • Provide risk analysis for complete solutions.
  • Present to technical buyers and assist with presentations to economic buyers or C-level clients.
  • Participate in transition meetings with Operations to ensure project scope, objectives, timelines, and customer requirements are understood.
  • Create and manage budgets, timelines, and quality for assigned opportunities.
  • Use document management tools and standard Johnson Controls development processes to perform tasks.
  • Mentor others to maintain high-quality workflow and compliance.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with suppliers, vendors, and customer facility technical managers.
  • Remain current with relevant engineering or design standards and practices.
  • Mentor less experienced Program Development staff.
  • Provide post-contract design review support.
  • Participate in relevant professional organizations and take leadership roles within those organizations.
  • Maintain relevant professional certifications and licenses.
  • Promote and adhere to Johnson Controls safety policies.
  • Apply knowledge of the solutions performance-contracting regulatory, legislative, business, and procurement environment.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience performing building modeling.
  • Professional Engineering license.
  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional certification.
  • Function-specific licenses or certifications.

Johnson Controls transforms environments where people live, work, learn, and play by providing smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings. It offers comprehensive digital solutions through its OpenBlue platform, serving healthcare, education, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing, and government sectors with a portfolio of building technology, software, and services focused on efficiency, safety, and sustainability. The company operates in more than 150 countries with about 100,000 experts and aims to reimagine building performance to benefit people, places, and the planet.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Cork, Ireland

Founded

1885

Get referred to Johnson Controls

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • July 29, 2026 Q3 orders rose 27%, and backlog hit a record $21 billion.
  • OpenBlue Energy and Comfort Intelligence cuts airside energy nearly 10%, boosting customer ROI.
  • Management says data-center sales reach high-teens of FY26 revenue and one-third within five years.

What critics are saying

  • A multi-year restructuring still carries about $400 million of costs through fiscal 2027.
  • June 30, 2026 liabilities included $169 million environmental reserves and $381 million asbestos obligations.
  • PFAS, AFFF, and asbestos litigation keep draining cash, while data-center megaprojects drive growth concentration.

What makes Johnson Controls unique

  • OpenBlue AI-native platform launched August 5, 2026, unifies building data, controls, cybersecurity, and workflows.
  • Johnson Controls acquired Alloy Enterprises on May 13, 2026, adding direct-liquid-cooling for AI data centers.
  • Its mission-critical HVAC, service, and thermal-management depth spans 150 countries and complex facilities.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Company Vehicle

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Employee Referral Bonus

Wellness Program

Employee Assistance Program

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Paid Sick Leave

Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-4%

1 year growth

-4%

2 year growth

-3%
FinSMEs
May 19th, 2026
Armada Raises $230M in Series B Funding

Armada, a San Francisco, CA-based infrastructure and artificial intelligence company developing an edge computing and satellite-enabled platform, raised $230M in Series B funding

Pulse 2.0
Apr 27th, 2026
Johnson Controls acquires Nantum AI to boost AI-driven energy optimisation in OpenBlue platform

Johnson Controls has acquired Nantum AI, a New York-based developer of AI algorithms for building energy efficiency, to enhance its OpenBlue digital ecosystem. The deal adds advanced AI-driven control capabilities for optimising HVAC systems and reducing energy consumption. Nantum AI's technology enables real-time optimisation of building airflow based on occupancy, extending OpenBlue's capabilities beyond central HVAC systems to include granular, system-wide control. The company has demonstrated energy savings exceeding 10% for customers by leveraging data from occupancy patterns, weather conditions and utility trends. The acquisition expands OpenBlue's optimisation capabilities from water-side systems to include autonomous AI-driven control across both air- and water-side applications. The combined offering is being piloted across complex environments including healthcare campuses and manufacturing facilities.

Toronto Stock Exchange News Today
Mar 10th, 2026
Ring Capital joins Enerin's Series A to decarbonise high-temperature industrial heat

Enerin, a Norwegian industrial heat pump technology company, has completed the third tranche of its Series A round, adding Paris-based Ring Capital to its investor consortium. The round includes Climentum Capital, The Footprint Firm, Johnson Controls, Move Energy, PSV Hafnium and Momentum. The company's HoegTemp system delivers thermal energy at temperatures up to 250°C, targeting the industrial heat segment responsible for over 20% of global CO2 emissions. Each installation avoids approximately 36,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent over its lifetime by replacing fossil-fuel boilers. Enerin is transitioning from development to serial production, with three active pilots and a recent contract with Roche. The funding will scale manufacturing operations and accelerate product development. CEO Arne Høeg said Ring Capital's involvement strengthens the company's ability to deploy solutions across Europe.

Yahoo Finance
Mar 6th, 2026
Insteel reports fastest revenue growth among building products stocks despite missing Q4 estimates

Insteel reported Q4 revenues of $159.9 million, up 23.3% year on year, but missed analysts' expectations by 1.3%. The steel wire reinforcing products manufacturer delivered mixed results, beating earnings per share estimates whilst falling short on revenue. Despite achieving the fastest revenue growth among the five commercial building products stocks tracked, Insteel recorded the weakest quarterly performance in the sector. The group collectively beat consensus revenue estimates by 1.2% and saw share prices rise 3.4% on average since earnings. Johnson Controls led the sector with revenues of $5.80 billion, up 6.8% year on year and exceeding expectations by 2.8%. Insteel's stock has risen 3.6% since reporting and currently trades at $34.90.

PR Newswire
Feb 18th, 2026
Johnson Controls to acquire Alloy Enterprises, boosting data center cooling efficiency by up to 35%

Johnson Controls has signed an agreement to acquire Alloy Enterprises, a Boston-based thermal management technology company, to strengthen its position in the data centre cooling market. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 2020, Alloy Enterprises specialises in advanced direct liquid cooling components that can improve thermal management efficiency by up to 35% and reduce pressure drop by up to 75%, resulting in lower overall cooling system energy use. The company's proprietary Stack Forging manufacturing process creates single-piece components with embedded microgeometries for maximum heat transfer. The acquisition complements Johnson Controls' existing thermal management portfolio and aligns with its strategy to deliver differentiated cooling solutions for AI-driven data centres. The transaction is expected to close in fiscal Q3, subject to regulatory approvals.