What you will do
The Principal Development Engineer (PDE) is a senior–level technical leadership role within a major U.S. Energy Service Company (ESCO). This position is intentionally elevated above the Senior Principal Development Engineer level and serves as the highest technical authority within Project Development for assigned regions, portfolios, or strategic markets.
Reporting to senior engineering and business leadership, the Executive PDE provides enterprise-level oversight, governance, and risk ownership across a portfolio of large, complex, and high-risk Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) projects. Under minimal direction, this role is accountable not only for technical integrity, but also for shaping development strategy, influencing deal structure, and ensuring consistent application of policies, standards, and regulatory requirements across the organization.
The PDE plays a critical role in executive risk reviews, contract approvals, portfolio governance, and strategic decision-making, with clear authority to influence or stop projects based on risk, financial exposure, or compliance considerations.
How you will do it
• Establishes, owns, and enforces enterprise-level project development standards, governance processes, and engineering tools; ensures consistent implementation across regions and project teams.
• Provides high level oversight of project development activities from opportunity pursuit through contract execution, with a primary focus on financial viability, performance risk, constructability, and lifecycle outcomes.
• Leads and facilitates executive risk reviews and contract reviews for the most complex, visible, or high-exposure projects.
• Integrates and evaluates technical, financial, commercial, legal, and regulatory inputs to support go / no-go decisions, contract terms, guarantees, and risk allocation.
• Serves as the senior technical authority for measured and non-measured energy savings, baseline energy analysis, ECM scopes, construction schedules, cost estimates, and Measurement & Verification (M&V) strategies.
• Reviews and approves Owner/JCI contracts, JCI subcontracts, and third-party agreements to ensure alignment with development assumptions, risk posture, and performance guarantees.
• Reviews and approves M&V plans to ensure compliance with IPMVP standards and contractual obligations.
• Leads strategic evaluation and enterprise vetting of new technologies, delivery models, and business offerings prior to market adoption.
Leadership and Influence:
• Acts as a trusted technical advisor to executive leadership on portfolio risk, market trends, regulatory changes, incentive policy evolution, and strategic opportunities.
• Provides functional leadership and mentorship to Senior Principal Development Engineers, Project Development Engineers, and M&V leaders.
• Sets clear expectations for technical rigor, ethical decision-making, customer alignment, and risk transparency across the Project Development organization.
• Supports enterprise business goals through leadership of the Solutions Playbook and Best Business Practices, driving consistency, repeatability, and scalability.
• Represents the organization in executive-level customer engagements on strategic, flagship, or high-risk projects.
Additional Responsibilities:
• Serves as the executive owner and subject matter expert for navigating, structuring, and managing Connecticut incentive programs, including NRES, state-backed rebates, grants, and applicable tax credits.
• Owns incentive-related risk at the portfolio level and provides strategic direction on incentive integration into project financial models, contracts, and guarantees.
• Advises project teams on incentive eligibility, compliance requirements, documentation strategy, and long-term risk considerations.
• Develops and maintains senior-level working relationships with utility program administrators, state agencies, and third-party program managers.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with contractors, vendors, technology providers, and third-party delivery partners to support execution certainty, innovation, and risk mitigation.
What we look for
• 15+ years of progressive experience as a Development Engineer, M&V Engineer, or technical leader within an ESCO or energy services organization, including responsibility for large, complex EPC projects.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required; advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• CEM and/or CMVP certification required.
• Deep subject matter expertise in performance contracting, energy savings analysis, M&V methodologies, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven ability to operate at a senior level, balancing technical rigor with commercial judgment and portfolio-level risk ownership.
• Comprehensive knowledge of building systems, ECMs, codes, and legislation applicable to performance contracting.
• Experience developing, reviewing, and approving M&V plans using IPMVP Options A–D.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong proficiency with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project, energy modeling tools, and benchmarking platforms.
• Ability to travel approximately 25%.
Who we are
Johnson Controls 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, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information, please view EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/tomorrowneedsyou.
HIRING SALARY RANGE: $125,500 - 188,700 (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 https://jobs.johnsoncontrols.com/about-us
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.