Senior Account Executive Higher Education & State Government— Sustainable Infrastructure (Southeast – FL/GA/AL/MS/LA)

Location: Southeast U.S. (remote within territory; frequent regional travel)Reports to: Senior Manager, Sales & DevelopmentBusiness: Sustainable Infrastructure (SI)

Role Summary

The Senior Account Executive is a high‑impact, customer‑obsessed seller who creates, shapes, and wins complex Sustainable Infrastructure (SI) opportunities across the Southeast (FL/GA/AL/MS/LA). This leader combines creativity, drive, and executive presence to inspire C‑suite customers to act—accelerating decarbonization, resilience, and operational outcomes through performance contracting, distributed energy, and as‑a‑service solutions. The Senior Account Executive orchestrates cross‑functional pursuit teams (Development Engineers, Performance Engineers, and Project Management) to deliver compelling, risk‑mitigated solutions and measurable business results.

What You Will Do (Key Responsibilities)

Lead the Customer Agenda

• Build trusted, strategic relationships at the C‑level (CEO/City/County Manager, CFO, COO, Facilities/Capital Planning leaders), uncovering business drivers (financial, operational, ESG/decarbonization, risk) and converting them into actionable transformation roadmaps.

• Design provocative points‑of‑view and executive narratives that inspire action—framing outcomes, risk transfer, financing, and governance in language that resonates with boards and other stakeholders.

Own the Book of Business

• Source and progress a healthy pipeline across priority verticals (Higher Education & State Government), balancing near‑term bookings with multi‑year programmatic growth.

• Lead deal strategy, pricing, risk governance, and approvals; forecast accurately; achieve bookings, margin, cash, and recurring revenue targets.

• Utilize Salesforce CRM to manage pipeline, document account progress, track opportunities, and ensure data integrity throughout the sales cycle.

• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, deal stages, and forecast updates.

• Rigorously follow the company’s sales process: Target, Qualify, Verify, Present, Negotiate, and Close.

• Apply structured methodologies to progress deals efficiently and maximize win rates.

• Keep management informed of account status, deal progress, and critical developments through regular updates and checkpoint reviews.

• Escalate issues or opportunities requiring leadership support in a timely manner.

Create Compelling, Risk‑Mitigated Solutions

• Shape offerings spanning Performance Contracting/ESCO; Design‑Build modernization; Advisory & Energy Services; O\&M/Facility Management; Distributed Generation & Supply (solar, storage/microgrid, CHP, thermal); and as‑a‑service models (IaaS/BaaS) with structured financing and lifecycle services.

• Position digital outcomes and recurring value through OpenBlue analytics, measurement & verification (M\&V), and exception‑based operations to drive energy, reliability, and workforce productivity gains.

• Grow recurring service revenue (e.g., BaaS/IaaS/M\&V/EaaS) by packaging performance guarantees, customer success, and lifecycle asset strategies.

Influence & Lead

• Model a performance culture—coach teams, remove roadblocks, and drive accountability across sales stages, technical reviews, and governance.

• Convene and lead pursuit teams: Project Development Engineers (PDEs), Project Delivery Consultants (PDCs), Performance Engineers, and Operations—setting scope, win themes, and solution strategy.

• Align engineering, delivery, measurement & verification, and operations with customer outcomes; ensure design for performance, constructability, and maintainability.

• Partner with Marketing, Finance, Legal/Risk, and Delivery leaders to accelerate time‑to‑value and ensure cash discipline and margin integrity.

• Demonstrate excellent presentation skills in customer meetings, executive briefings, and oral interviews.

• Communicate complex solutions clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.

• Attend conferences, trade shows, and participate in professional organizations to represent the company and expand industry knowledge.

• Proactively develop and maintain a strong network within related industry groups and associations.

What You Will Sell (SI Solutions Portfolio)

• Performance Contracting / ESCO Services: Guaranteed‑savings programs to fund upgrades via energy/water savings; integrated M\&V and risk transfer

• Design‑Build Modernization: HVAC, controls/BMS, building envelope, lighting, water conservation, and plant optimization.

• Advisory & Energy Services: Roadmaps, investment‑grade audits (IGA/DEA), asset and capital planning, resilience/decarbonization strategy.

• Distributed Generation & Supply: Solar PV, battery storage/microgrids, CHP/thermal, demand response and utility programs.

• O&M / Facility Management: Lifecycle operations, reliability/maintenance programs, and managed services with performance KPIs.

• IaaS / BaaS (as‑a‑service): Structured financing, lifecycle asset ownership/management, digital M&V, and customer success models that deliver outcomes as recurring services.

• Digital Outcomes:OpenBlue analytics, enterprise energy management, exception‑based operations, central plant optimization, and continuous commissioning.

What Great Looks Like (Core Competencies)

• Driven & Outcomes‑Focused: Relentless pursuit of customer value and bookings/margin/cash goals; thrives in ambiguity and pace.

• Creative Deal Crafting: Designs novel commercial structures and “coalitions of the willing” that unlock stalled initiatives.

• Executive Presence & Storytelling: Communicates confidently with boards/C‑suite; reframes risk and ROI to motivate decisive action.

• Team Leadership: Inspires and directs PDE, PDC, Performance Engineering, and Operations teams; sets clear win strategy and roles.

• Collaborative Influence: Aligns legal/finance/engineering/delivery toward a coherent customer promise and flawless handover.

• Commercial & Technical Acumen: Understands energy economics, M\&V, rate structures, DG technologies, construction delivery, and risk governance.

Qualifications

Required

• 7–10+ years in complex solution selling (infrastructure, energy services, DG/microgrid, performance contracting, or large capital projects).

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or related field; advanced degree or certifications (CEM, PE, PMP) a plus.

• Demonstrated success selling to C‑level stakeholders with multi‑million‑dollar bookings and margin attainment.

• Experience leading cross‑functional support/delivery teams

• Territory travel across the Southeast (up to 50%); on-site customer meetings, executive workshops, and project walkthroughs with pursuit teams.

Preferred

• Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), or related post-graduate studies/degree.

• Public sector (state/local/education) and/or Higher Education sales experience in the Southeast.

• Fluency in outcome based commercial models (performance guarantees, IaaS/BaaS/EaaS, structured financing) and risk governance.

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.

Salary Range: HIRING SALARY RANGE: $100,100 - $150,400 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This role also offers a competitive Sales Incentive Plan that will take into account volume and margin on a project, quarterly, and annual basis.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, visitEEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit here.