English
November 10, 2025
How Jennifer Black Inspires Women in Engineering and STEM Careers
Jennifer Black’s 30-year career at Trane Technologies reflects a legacy of engineering, mentorship and innovation. From being one of only a few women engineers early in her career to leading mission-critical projects today, she has championed inclusion, supported the next generation of women in STEM and embraced opportunities to grow professionally while balancing work and family.
When Jennifer Black began her career at Trane Technologies in the early 1990s, she was one of just a handful of women in a building of 400 engineers. Today, she’s a Senior Principal Program Manager for Mission Critical Projects, and she’s proud to see the landscape looking very different.
A family legacy and an impactful career
Trane Technologies has always been part of Jennifer Black’s story. Her father was a sales engineer who went through the Graduate Training Program (GTP) in 1967. Jennifer followed in his footsteps, completing the GTP herself in 1991 — and now, her daughter has joined the legacy too, participating in this year’s summer internship program.
Over the years, Jennifer has built a career that has spanned product marketing, software, recruiting, pricing, finance and now project management. Each step gave her new skills and perspectives that prepared her for the complex, global work she leads today.
My name is Jennifer Black and I am a Senior Principal Program Manager for Mission Critical Projects. When I started at Trane back in the 1990s, there weren’t that many women at Trane. I think I was one of maybe four others in the Technology Center, which housed 400 engineers. So, I’ve always been very passionate about getting more women into STEM. Trane’s culture for women and diverse candidates is just phenomenal. We have a great support system. I took a break from the workforce to reconnect with my young children. I stayed connected with all of my different networks so that when I was ready to come back, I had that network to get back into a role, and I just kind of picked up where I left off. I do feel like I’ve been able to thrive, but I’ve also been able to thrive in my personal life and my home life. If I was going to encourage a woman engineer to come to Trane, one of the things that I would say is that you have an amazing support system. When you uplift others and you see them have a good day or you see them be successful, it’s very special that you had a part in that. I always say that if others succeed because of the things that we’ve done together, then we all succeed.
Thriving at work and home
With her well-rounded expertise, Jennifer’s journey has never been about just one role. Over her 30 years at Trane Technologies, she’s grown under leaders who encouraged her to stretch her strengths and try new things. “Every role I’ve taken on, I’ve had people who pointed out strengths I didn’t even know I had and encouraged me to stretch into something different,” she says.
These roles extended beyond work. Jennifer was also supported by her colleagues and mentors when she decided to take a break to focus on her young family. They also warmly welcomed her back when she returned. “What I love most about my job is the people that I work with,” she says. “I feel like my coworkers at Trane Technologies are family. We have detailed conversations about work and life. It's fun to come to work when you have that connection.”
That acceptance and support, Jennifer believes, helps her thrive both at work and at home. “Uplifting others is one of our core values,” Jennifer says. “And I think that's important not only at work, but at home. It carries over. When you see others succeed or have a good day, it's special to think you might have had a part in that.”
I always say that if others succeed because of the things that we've done together, then we all succeed.
Encouraging the next generation of women in engineering and STEM
Jennifer applies the value of uplifting others to the women in her industry. It’s her mission to encourage more women to enter the field – and she’s pleased to see the needle moving over the years.
At a recent conference, I looked around the room of 400 people and saw at least one or two women at every single table. 10 or 15 years ago, that wouldn’t have been the case. It’s special to see that change.
This visible shift makes Jennifer excited about the future of women in her field. “I’ve always been passionate about getting more women into STEM. It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come.”
Jennifer Black and fellow members of the Women in Manufacturing Association (WiM)
She points to the fact that she’s increasingly seeing more young female students interested in beginning their careers in science and engineering. “At career fairs now, we have lines out the door. People are excited about what we’re doing, and that enthusiasm is contagious.”
Sustainable environment and operations
Jennifer believes this culture of inclusion in Trane Technologies is also closely tied to its mission to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world, something she feels in her work every day. From leading projects that improve efficiency, adopt new refrigerants and reduce emissions, to mentoring students through women-in-STEM advisory boards - she sees sustainability as both environmental and human.
“At Trane Technologies, we boldly challenge what's possible for a sustainable world in a lot of different ways,” Jennifer explains. “We’re manufacturing some of the most energy-efficient equipment in the world. But I also look at sustainability in terms of sustaining employees. Because without them, you're not going to be able to do all those great things.”
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