Design Manager
Symons Fire Protection, Inc.•San Diego, CA
•$135 - $205•Onsite
About The Position
Symons Fire Protection, Inc. is seeking a Design Manager to oversee the design department, ensuring operational and financial accountability. This role involves resource planning, departmental profitability, managing key client relationships, and navigating complex regulatory environments with senior County and City AHJs. The ideal candidate will have proven multi-year people management experience, with a demonstrated history of guiding professional career paths, managing workplace dynamics, and fostering a high-retention engineering culture.
Requirements
- At least 8 years of progressive engineering and design experience.
- A minimum of 5 years of direct leadership experience overseeing a team of 10+ design professionals.
- NICET Level III in Water-Based Systems Layout certification.
- Expertise in Autocad, Autosprink, Hydracad, NFPA and Bluebeam Revu (Studio, Sets, Quantity Link) for department-wide standardization and macro executive review.
- Expert command of local Fire Code amendments and WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) regulations.
- Must be currently residing in the Southern California area. Remote candidates will not be considered.
Responsibilities
- Oversees departmental operational budgets, software licensing configurations (Autosprink, NFPA, Autodesk, Bluebeam, HydraCAD), and long-term department expansion.
- Monitors project burn rates, estimates design hours for multi-million dollar contracts, and safeguards the department's gross profit margins.
- Audits the highest-risk projects (e.g., high-rise, high-piled storage, or hazardous industrial spaces) and serves as the final escalation point for complex plan-check disputes.
- Holds ultimate authority to hire, fire, discipline, and promote department personnel in alignment with company growth objectives and policies.
- Coaches, mentors, and develops the team, preparing them for advanced management paths.
- Conducts career-pathing sessions, establishes succession planning matrices, resolves high-level interpersonal conflicts, and actively works to reduce employee burnout.
- Establishes key performance indicators (KPIs) for the department, conducting formal performance reviews and implementing corrective action plans when necessary.
- Cultivates a psychologically safe work environment where team members feel empowered to collaborate, voice technical concerns, innovate, and report errors without fear of negative repercussions.
- Performs other management duties as assigned.
- Targets an overall department billable utilization rate of 85%.
- Maintains a department-wide first-pass plan check approval rate of 90%+ across all Southern California municipalities.
- Ensures design department capacity matches project backlog schedules up to 90 days out.
Benefits
- 401(k) + Company Matching
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and AD&D Insurance, including FREE Employee Only premium for SIMNSA and Kaiser Permanente Bronze Base medical plans.
- Vacation, Paid Holidays, Birthday Holiday, and Sick Pay
- Discretionary Bonus Program
- FREE Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
- FREE Onsite Gym
- FREE premium coffee and snacks
- Company Celebrations (i.e., summer picnic, holiday event)
- Employee Referral Program
- A management team that actively cares about your professional development
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
