Human Resources Manager (Field Operations)

Johnson Controls Federal Systems (JCFS) is seeking an experienced, high-impact Human Resources Manager to provide strategic and operational human resources leadership for our Field Operations workforce. In this role, you will serve as the dedicated strategic advisor and primary HR partner to senior operational leaders, field managers, and approximately 450 technical, engineering, and skilled trade professionals deployed across military bases, federal installations, and mission-critical facilities throughout the United States and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS).

This is a comprehensive, hybrid strategic-and-tactical leadership role. You will balance executive coaching, workforce planning, and organizational capability with hands-on employee relations, regulatory compliance under federal contracting mandates (SCA/DBA), and multi-site talent operations.

At Johnson Controls, we support our nation’s most critical facilities, the people who occupy them, and the missions they enable. Johnson Controls Federal Systems (JCFS) is a specialized team serving as a trusted partner to the federal government. We help modernize U.S. military installations, Department of Defense and other federal agency facilities to be smarter, more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and secure.

Salary Range: $100,000 - $150,000 plus bonus. Negotiable based on experience.
Location: Hybrid / Remote (may be open to fully remote) within commutable distance of our Rockville, MD or Milwaukee, WI office
Benefits: Eligible for benefits on first day of employment
Vacation: 3 weeks of paid vacation, 5 sick days, and 13 holidays per calendar year
Travel Required: 10%

As a Human Resources Manager, you will:

• Serve as the trusted strategic advisor to Field Operations regional mangers and program managers, aligning human capital strategy directly with mission delivery and contract objectives.
• Provide comprehensive HR generalist leadership to ~450 distributed personnel operating across multi-state branch locations and international/OCONUS defense installations.
• Drive proactive workforce planning, talent forecasting, retention initiatives, and succession management across multiple defense and federal agency programs.
• Advise operational leadership on organizational design, change management, and restructurings to optimize field efficiency and program margins.
• Navigate the logistical and compliance requirements of distributed field personnel, including travel rotations, base access considerations, and status-of-forces/international deployment protocols.
• Ensure operational compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations, with specialization in Department of Labor mandates governing federal contractors.
• Maintain rigorous adherence to the Service Contract Act (SCA) and Davis-Bacon Act (DBA), including prevailing wage determinations, mandatory fringe benefit tracking, and job classification audits.
• Lead complex workplace investigations, performance improvement plans, grievance resolutions, and disciplinary actions with discretion, sound judgment, and procedural integrity.
• In unionized settings, support collective bargaining agreement (CBA) interpretation, grievance workflows, and constructive labor-management relations.
• Coach managers at all levels on conflict resolution, constructive feedback, team dynamics, and consistent policy interpretation.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to build specialized pipelines for defense-cleared and technical trade roles; streamline onboarding to accelerate mission readiness and security badging timelines.
• Collaborate with Finance on regional compensation reviews, annual merit cycles, discretionary bonus allocations, and field incentive plans.
• Leverage HRIS systems and workforce analytics to track operational KPIs (time-to-fill, turnover, headcount drift, employee sentiment) to influence data-backed business decisions.

Who You Are:

• A relationship‑builder who can influence at all levels and navigate ambiguity with calm, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• A proactive problem-solver who balances strategic thinking with roll‑up‑your‑sleeves execution.
• Curious and data‑savvy, comfortable using metrics and dashboards to tell a story and drive outcomes.
• Skilled at working across cultures, time zones, and matrixed teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience in a generalist and/or business partner capacity.
• Solid understanding of U.S. employment/labor laws (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO; NLRA a plus); experience handling employee relations investigations and coaching managers.
• Experience supporting recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and employee development/engagement initiatives.
• Proficiency with HRIS and the MS Office suite; comfort with HR data/analytics and reporting (Excel, dashboards, KPIs).
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Proven track record supporting geographically dispersed, remote, or multi-site operational workforces (400+ employees), including CONUS and/or OCONUS deployment models.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior business leaders, guide organizational change, and operate autonomously in ambiguous, high-tempo environments.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain necessary base access passes and security credentials required by federal customer facilities as necessary.

Preferred Qualifications:

• HR certification (PHR, SHRM-CP, or equivalent)
• Experience in defense, aerospace, or government contracting environments; familiarity with ITAR/EAR considerations is a plus
• Exposure to SCA/DBA wage determinations and compliance (helpful, but not required)
• Experience supporting multi-site/global teams; cultural fluency and comfort with distributed workforces
• Labor relations exposure (grievance handling, contract interpretation, or collaboration in unionized settings
• Experience with enterprise HRIS (e.g., Dayforce, Workday, UKG, ADP, SAP SuccessFactors) and HR process improvement or automation

Who We Are

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we are One Team working collaboratively to create purposeful solutions that make a difference in the world. We are a Fortune 500 company with more than 100,000 employees worldwide offering the world`s largest portfolio of building technology products, solutions and services. As a member of our Federal Systems team, your work matters. We value and recognize your contributions and want to help you succeed. We invest in our employees, provide opportunities for growth and advancement, and foster a culture of inclusion and respect.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, please check out our Take a Journeyvideo.

Recently, Johnson Controls has been recognized by several organizations for leadership in Environment, Sustainability and Governance, as well as innovations in smart building platforms:

• Named to FORTUNE’s “Most Admired Companies” List
• Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World
• Named to Forbes Net Zero Leaders list
• CDP 2023 Climate Change 'A List'
• Ranked 67 on the Drucker Institute’s list of best-managed companies in America
• Forbes Best Employers for Diversity list.
• Newsweek  America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity
• Ethisphere 2024 World's Most Ethical Companies list for the 17th time
• Newsweek America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women in 2024
• Named to Newsweek America’s Greatest Workplaces for Veterans 2024 / 2025 listing
• Named to Forbes America’s Best Employers for Veterans 2024
• Named one of the top military friendly employers by military.com.

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, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, 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/careers

Division: JCFS (Johnson Controls Federal Systems)