Regional Fire & Life Safety Manager
About The Position
SOCOTEC Life Safety (SLS), the life safety division of SOCOTEC US, is an emerging fire protection engineering firm specializing in fire prevention, life safety systems, and compliance consulting. The Regional Fire & Life Safety Manager will launch and grow the division in the region, establish and lead a local office, build a team, develop operational processes, acquire clients, and drive business growth. The role combines fire protection engineering expertise with business development, financial management, and organizational leadership. The manager will define and execute the regional market-entry and growth strategy, build senior client and industry relationships, and represent SOCOTEC as a visible market leader. The position has full P&L ownership for the local Service Line and responsibility for project delivery, operational processes, quality, safety, compliance, and team development. The manager will also provide technical guidance on fire protection engineering, fire suppression and alarm systems, life safety systems, and building code compliance.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in Fire Protection Engineering, or the ability to obtain one within a reasonable time frame.
- Minimum of 7–10 years of experience in fire protection engineering.
- At least 3 years of experience in a leadership or managerial role.
- Strong understanding of fire protection systems design, building codes, and safety regulations, including NFPA, IBC, and UBC.
- Experience managing or starting up a business unit, particularly in a technical or engineering-based environment.
- Proven track record in business development, client relationship management, and project acquisition.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
- Ability to think strategically, solve problems, and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute the regional market-entry and growth strategy for SOCOTEC Life Safety, aligned with regional and national strategies.
- Identify and secure client opportunities, drive market penetration and revenue growth, and pursue decision-makers in private and public sectors.
- Build and sustain senior relationships with clients, owners, developers, contractors, engineers, and other local industry stakeholders.
- Drive cross-selling of SOCOTEC's integrated service offerings in partnership with other regional Business Unit General Managers.
- Serve as the primary local point of contact for major Service Line clients and represent SOCOTEC through industry involvement, thought leadership, and professional organizations.
- Oversee fire protection engineering projects from inception to completion, managing budgets, timelines, quality, and project execution.
- Provide technical expertise and leadership during project design, analysis, and implementation.
- Keep current with fire protection technologies, codes, and regulations, and guide the team on fire suppression systems, life safety systems, fire alarm systems, and building code compliance.
- Ensure projects comply with local, state, and federal fire protection codes and safety regulations.
- Manage the Service Line's local P&L, including budgeting, forecasting, utilization, margin optimization, and cash flow.
- Establish and optimize operational processes, quality management systems, and safety protocols.
- Implement KPIs and performance metrics to support accountability, continuous improvement, and utilization and billable-hour targets.
- Manage project execution, resource allocation, billing, and collections; support contract tracking, budget monitoring, and collection efforts.
- Recruit, develop, and mentor a high-performing technical, commercial, and operational team.
- Set goals and priorities, align them with regional and business targets, and ensure staff objectives and key results are defined, communicated, and monitored.
- Attract and retain talent, build future leaders, and support succession planning.
- Promote a hands-on, high-accountability culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, safety, and professional excellence.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
