Project Manager

Position: Project Manager — Fire Sprinkler

Company: Columbia Fire, LLC

Location: Seattle, WA — in-person, with regular jobsite travel across Western Washington

Reports To: Contract Division Manager

Employment Type: Full-time, salaried, exempt

Bargaining Unit Status: Non-union

Incentive Eligibility: Annual bonus tied to goals and MBOs — see Compensation

Travel: Daily local travel to jobsites and customer offices across Western Washington

About Columbia Fire

Columbia Fire has been protecting lives and property in the Seattle market since 2005. We design, install, inspect, and service fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, suppression systems, and portable fire extinguishers across Western Washington.

Columbia Fire is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Safety Services, LLC, which also operates Valley Fire Control, LLC in Oregon and Eastern Washington and FFF Protection in Idaho. We are building a formidable fire protection platform rooted in trust, execution, and long-term relationships.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

The Opportunity

You will manage fire sprinkler projects across new construction, tenant improvement, and retrofit work in the Seattle market — running them on time, on budget, and in compliance with applicable codes.

This is a customer-facing, jobsite-facing role. You will be the primary point of contact for your projects, the person general contractors call, and the person who walks the building when something is wrong. You will work closely with design, purchasing, superintendents, foremen, and sales.

The strongest candidates for this seat tend to come out of sprinkler design or the field. If you have laid systems out or installed them, you already understand what a buildable schedule looks like and where a job goes sideways.

Project Planning & Execution

• Lead projects from kickoff through closeout, managing timelines, resources, and deliverables
• Develop and track project schedules, budgets, and manpower needs
• Conduct internal kickoff with design, sales, and the design manager
• Coordinate with design, purchasing, and field operations to keep work sequenced correctly
• Review and approve project setup in our ERP, including budgeted cost and revenue
• Determine flush and hydrostatic test responsibilities before the crew needs the answer

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for your assigned projects
• Set expectations early through proactive communication with customers, general contractors, and authorities having jurisdiction
• Lead handoff meetings and deliver regular status updates to all stakeholders
• Address problems directly when they arise — including the uncomfortable conversations
• Protect the relationship and the company’s position at the same time

Submittals, Permitting & Compliance

• Lead submittal and approval processes with customers and AHJs
• Manage permitting from application through final inspection
• Verify work complies with NFPA standards, local fire codes, and OSHA safety requirements
• Conduct site audits and confirm safety protocols are being followed
• Oversee quality inspections, O&M training, and warranty documentation

Budget & Cost Control

• Monitor project financials, identify variances, and forecast cost-to-complete
• Approve material purchases within budget and release purchase orders to purchasing
• Prepare, price, and negotiate change orders as scope evolves
• Support billing and collections, and maintain accurate schedules of values
• Perform job walks, create punch lists, and drive completion of closeout documentation
• Lead closeout and after-action reviews so the next job goes better than the last one

Field Partnership

• Hand off a complete scope, schedule, and budget to the superintendent and foreman
• Walk your jobsites regularly — not once at the start and once at the end
• Support the field team with the information, material, and answers they need to keep moving
• Respect that the crews own daily execution; your job is to remove obstacles, not manage tools

Who You Are

• Gregarious — you build relationships easily and people take your calls
• A strong communicator in writing and in person, with customers and with crews
• Willing to engage conflict — when something goes wrong, you address it directly and early instead of hoping it resolves itself
• Highly competent on a computer — scheduling, ERP, cost tracking, and document management are daily work here
• Organized under load — you run several projects at once without dropping details
• Commercially disciplined — you protect margin and you write the change order
• Comfortable on jobsites — you would rather walk the building than read about it
• Aligned with our values: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing

Who Should Not Apply

We would rather be direct than waste your time:

• If you do not want to walk jobsites, this is the wrong job — you will be in buildings constantly
• If you are not highly competent on a computer, you will struggle badly here
• If talking to customers makes you uncomfortable, this seat will be miserable
• If you avoid conflict — if your instinct when a job goes wrong is to go quiet rather than pick up the phone — you will fail in this role, and we would both rather know that now
• If you want to manage projects entirely from a desk, that is not how we run work

Minimum Qualifications

• 2+ years of fire protection project management experience, or 7+ years of combined industry experience as a fitter, designer, or project manager
• Working knowledge of NFPA standards, local fire codes, and construction project lifecycles
• Demonstrated experience with job costing, budgets, and change orders
• Proficiency with project management and ERP systems, and strong general computer skills
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications
• Strong written and verbal communication and customer relationship skills
• Ability to walk active jobsites, climb ladders and stairs, and navigate construction environments while wearing required PPE
• Residence in the Greater Seattle area, or willingness to relocate before your start date
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen

Preferred Qualifications

• Fire sprinkler design background — this is the strongest single predictor of success in this seat
• NICET certification in Water-Based Systems Layout or Inspection and Testing
• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, or a related field
• Experience with Acumatica, Procore, or comparable ERP and project management platforms
• AutoSprink or hydraulic calculation familiarity
• Experience managing permitting and AHJ approval in Washington jurisdictions
• Experience working with union field crews
• Experience with tenant improvement and retrofit project delivery

Compensation

• Base salary: $81,000 – $100,000 annually, depending on experience and demonstrated capability
• Annual bonus target of approximately $5,000, tied to individual goals and MBOs
• Classification: full-time, salaried, exempt. Time tracking is required for job costing and scheduling, though overtime pay does not apply.

The upper end of this range is for candidates who bring a fire sprinkler design background together with strong communication and customer relationship skills. Bonus earnings depend on performance against agreed goals and are not guaranteed.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Regence BlueShield, Delta Dental of Washington, and VSP — available to employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week, effective the first of the month following or coinciding with your hire date
• The company pays approximately 90% of the employee premium on the HSA-qualified medical plan, plus a substantial share of dependent premiums
• Health Savings Account with a $600 annual company contribution
• 401(k) with Safe Harbor employer match up to 3.5%
• Paid time off starting at 10 days annually and increasing with length of service
• Eight paid holidays
• Company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program, telehealth access, and optional pet insurance
• Paid training, certifications, and continuing education
• Company laptop and technology package
• Paid training, certifications, and continuing education

Schedule & Work Environment

• Full-time, Monday through Friday, based out of our Seattle office
• This is an in-person role and is not eligible for remote work
• Regular jobsite travel across Western Washington during working hours
• Work performed in offices, occupied commercial buildings, and active construction sites
• Occasional additional hours around submittal deadlines, inspections, and project milestones

Apply

If you can run a job, hold a budget, walk a site, and handle the hard conversation when something goes wrong, we want to talk.

Columbia Fire, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.

Employment with Columbia Fire, LLC is at-will and may be terminated by either party at any time, with or without cause or notice, consistent with applicable law.