Corporate Counsel Procurement & Supply Chain

Role Overview

Johnson Controls is seeking a Corporate Counsel Procurement & Supply Chain to serve as the primary legal advisor supporting procurement, sourcing, and supply chain activities for our manufacturing plants in Mexico.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead contract reviewer to Mexico-based manufacturing plants and procurement teams on day-to-day sourcing matters.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on supplier agreements, procurement contracts, tooling agreements, logistics agreements, warehousing contracts, manufacturing-related agreements, and other related documents.
• Partner with plant operations to address operational challenges, supply disruptions, supplier disputes, business continuity matters, and issues impacting manufacturing operations.
• Provide legal guidance on supplier performance issues, claims, contract enforcement, warranty matters, and opportunities for recovery.
• Support regional legal team procurement and supply chain initiatives across the Americas.
• Manage small disputes involving suppliers, logistics providers, contractors, and service providers, pursuing practical and cost-effective resolutions.
• Handle pre-litigation matters, demand letters, contract claims, supplier disputes, warranty disputes, and other low-to-medium complexity  disputes.
• Partner with the Litigation team and external counsel, as needed, on disputes, small claims, and supply-chain-related legal matters.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, and standard processes designed to increase efficiency, consistency, and speed of execution.
• Coordinate with other members of the Legal Department when needed.

How You Will Do It

• Build strong relationships with plant leaders and procurement stakeholders by providing responsive, practical, and solution-oriented legal support.
• Develop a deep understanding of manufacturing operations and supply chain priorities to provide sound legal advice following company policies.
• Balance legal risk management with operational needs and business objectives.
• Take ownership of issues and drive them to resolution with urgency, accountability, and professionalism.
• Operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with a strong customer-service mindset.
• Communicate clearly, proactively, and effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Use data, metrics, and business insights to drive decisions, prioritize work, and improve outcomes.
• Work within established processes while continuously identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Utilize AI-enabled tools, contract management systems, and other technology solutions to improve productivity, accelerate contracting, and enhance legal service delivery.
• Meet established service-level agreements (SLAs) and support KPI-driven performance management across legal operations.
• Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Operating Model & Success Measures

Success in this role requires more than providing legal advice. The successful candidate will embrace a disciplined, data-driven approach to legal support and service delivery.

Qualifications

• Law Degree, or equivalent legal qualification.
• Licensed attorney qualified to practice in Mexico or another relevant jurisdiction.
• 6+ years of experience supporting procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, commercial contracting, or related business functions.
• Experience negotiating supplier agreements and supporting sourcing and procurement activities.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, operational, or supply-chain-focused organizations is preferred.
• Strong analytical and data-driven mindset with experience using KPIs, SLAs, dashboards, metrics, and reporting tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively within structured operational processes.
• Comfortable working with AI-enabled tools, workflow platforms, and legal technology solutions.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to manage a high volume of matters in a fast-paced environment.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluent English is required, with excellent drafting, negotiation, and presentation capabilities. The successful candidate must be able to operate seamlessly with business leaders, suppliers, and legal stakeholders across the Americas.
• Spanish fluency is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting manufacturing plants or industrial operations in Mexico.
• Knowledge of Mexican procurement and supply chain contracts.
• Experience handling supplier disputes and warranty claims.
• Experience in a multinational manufacturing environment.
• Experience working in KPI- and SLA-driven shared service or legal operations environments.