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 fire protection engineering division in the region, establish the new office’s operations, develop a team, acquire clients, and deliver high-quality fire protection solutions. The position combines technical fire protection engineering expertise, business acumen, and leadership to establish operational processes and drive strategic growth in a competitive market. The role includes developing the regional market entry and growth strategy, building senior client relationships, and representing SOCOTEC in the local market. It also carries full P&L responsibility for the Service Line in the local area, including budgeting, forecasting, utilization, margins, and cash flow. The manager will oversee projects, establish processes and quality and safety protocols, and recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing team.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in Fire Protection Engineering, or ability to obtain one within a reasonable time frame.
- 7–10 years of experience in fire protection engineering, including at least 3 years 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 SLS, aligned with regional and national strategies.
- Identify and secure new client opportunities to drive market penetration and revenue growth.
- Build and maintain senior client relationships with clients, owners, developers, contractors, engineers, and other industry stakeholders.
- Drive cross-selling of SOCOTEC’s integrated services in partnership with other regional Business Unit General Managers.
- Serve as the primary Service Line contact for major local clients and anticipate their needs.
- Represent SOCOTEC through industry involvement, thought leadership, and participation in local professional organizations.
- Oversee fire protection engineering projects from inception to completion, ensuring budgets, timelines, and quality standards are met.
- Provide technical leadership in fire protection design, analysis, and implementation, including fire suppression, life safety, fire alarm, and building code compliance.
- Ensure projects comply with applicable local, state, and federal fire protection codes and safety regulations.
- Manage the Service Line’s local-area P&L, including budgeting, forecasting, utilization, margin optimization, and cash flow.
- Establish and optimize Service Line operational processes, quality management systems, and safety protocols.
- Implement KPIs and performance metrics to promote accountability, continuous improvement, and alignment with utilization and billable-hour targets.
- Manage project execution, resource allocation, billing, and collections; support contract tracking and budget monitoring.
- Recruit, develop, mentor, attract, and retain technical, commercial, and operational team members.
- Set and communicate goals and objectives aligned with regional and business targets, and monitor staff performance against them.
- Build future leaders and support succession planning within the Business Unit.
- 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
