Director, Business Systems & 80/20

About the Role:
The Director, Business Systems & 80/20 is responsible for deploying and sustaining Johnson Controls’ 80/20 “front‑to‑back” operating system to improve profitable growth, simplify the business, and increase customer-facing and financial performance. This leader will drive a rigorous, highly data‑driven approach to identify where we have the greatest differentiation and value‑creation opportunities, focus resources on the critical few, and systematically reduce the cost/complexity/distraction associated with the “vital many.”

This position leads the organization’s efforts to prioritize high‑value customers, products, and work types while reducing structural complexity that adds cost without adding customer value. This role orchestrates the full 80/20 operating system across business units including strategy, segmentation, simplification, commercial alignment, operational improvement, and capability building, ensuring sustained adoption and measurable financial impact.

How you will do it:

Strategy & Governance:

• Own the enterprise/BU 80/20 roadmap and governance model; build and run a repeatable monthly/quarterly cadence of reviews, decisions, and benefit tracking.
• Translate 80/20 analysis into executive-ready “where to play / how to win” recommendations and decision support.
• Partner with Finance, Commercial, Operations, and Product Management to embed 80/20 into annual planning, operating rhythms, and resource allocation.
• Support senior leaders in making clear, data-driven prioritization and de prioritization decisions.

Analytics & Insight (Front-to-Back):

• Build segmentation of customers, products/SKUs, channels, regions, and work types using revenue, margin, cost to serve, working capital, service/quality, and operational metrics.
• Identify “focus zones” (the high-value 80) and “complexity zones” (the low value 20) and quantify financial/operational impacts of simplification and reallocation.
• Implement data driven decision-making processes and establish standardized analytical approaches and dashboards.

Simplification & Performance Acceleration:

• Lead cross-functional initiatives to remove low-value complexity: portfolio/SKU rationalization, exception reduction, process standardization, and service model simplification.
• Drive measurable reductions in structural cost, unprofitable mix, exceptions, and working capital tied to complexity drivers.
• Ensure resources shift toward high-return customers, products, operations, and service tasks.

Commercial & Customer-Facing Execution:

• Partner with Commercial leaders to align pricing, terms, service levels, and account coverage with customer value.
• Ensure priority customers receive differentiated attention, deeper problem-solving, and execution excellence.
• Support commercial teams in shifting sales motions and coverage to reflect segmentation insights.

Operating System & Capability Building:

• Develop internal standards, training, toolkits, and coaching methodologies to build 80/20 “bench strength” across the organization.
• Facilitate workshops, leader working sessions, and cross-functional problem-solving events.
• Coach business-unit leaders to run their own 80/20 reviews and sustain gains over time moving from “projects” to an enduring operating system.

What we look for:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or related field; MBA preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in operational excellence, business transformation, commercial excellence, or strategy deployment in industrial, manufacturing, or service environments.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering hard financial outcomes (margin, cost, working capital) through cross-functional change.
• Strong analytical skills, including segmentation, profitability, and cost-to-serve analytics.
• Experience in environments where simplification and focus are strategic levers, ideally including 80/20 or similar front-to-back systems.

• Ability to influence senior leaders and work across matrixed environments.
• Comfort with both strategy and execution; able to operate from the C‑suite to the front line.

Travel Requirements: 50%+ global travel as needed.

Key Competencies:

• Executive facilitation and structured problem solving.
• Change leadership and the ability to drive adoption, not just analysis.
• Systems thinking that connects commercial, operational, and financial levers.
• Pragmatism, focus, and the backbone to say “no” t