Lead Fire Alarm & Life Safety Designer
Job Description
The Lead Fire Alarm and Life Safety Designer is a senior member & manager of the project team, working under the direct supervision of the Trade Design Manager (or Senior Engineer*) to lead and manage project teams & design initiatives. This includes supervising a team of Design professionals with a goal to complete high-quality trade-specific schematics & layouts based on solid design principles. The Lead Designer manages all design team project functions, including surveys, calculations, selections & layouts, performs all project phases and is called upon to play a lead role in effectively communicating with peers, supervisors, vendors, consultants, clients & stakeholders. This includes providing leadership support in the construction administration process with the ability to process and review shop drawings, perform field observations, and prepare respective reports. The Lead Designer is fully capable of assuming the Job Captain function, and directly managing the training, development & project execution of direct-report project team members
Responsibilities
NYNYNYRole-Specific Competencies
Fire Alarm
Level 4 (Functional Mastery)
- Can ably recognize even the most complex types of existing systems and apply solutions to the most complex engineering problems.
- Can independently design complex systems with inherent knowledge, minimal research & direction, and use of company standards & templates.
- With minimal supervision, can develop intricate system designs/layouts and selection of advanced equipment.
- Advanced knowledge of codes and standards. Can ably research when required.
- With minimal supervision, can generate specifications based on company standard templates.
- Self-sufficient in producing existing conditions surveys and due diligence reports including cost estimates.
- Educates L3 engineers.
Core Competencies
Project Management
Level 4 (Functional Mastery)
Project Management
- Exhibits project process mastery with confidence and humility. Demonstrated ability to see the big picture and keep the team focused on key team & company goals, and on the client experience. Ensures effective collaboration between team members, understands the various personalities, and how they can best work together for the good of the whole. Habitually performs Project Manager responsibilities without assistance & with the highest degree of efficiency.
Relationship Management
- Fosters a collaborative culture, with demonstrated experience training & developing staff. Demonstrated ability to oversee team coordination with managers, clients and team members to set expectations, deliverables, and objectives. Delegates workload assignments effectively, & inspires others.
Problem Solving
- Teaches the team to view problems as opportunities to grow & fosters a solution-based thinking culture, where the team brings ideas & solutions to the table. Enables the team to fill knowledge gaps through active & proactive research. Assesses team issues from different vantage points, thinks "outside the box", & formulates the most effective solution in addressing specific challenges. Takes a "prevent rather than intervene" approach by focusing on team quality and due-diligence.
Customer Satisfaction
- Ensures that the team focuses on the client experience, and keeps the customer perspective in mind. Teaches team to have a "customer is always right" approach. Elicits feedback from direct reports, and creates strategies to help the team serve customers more effectively.
Job Captain
- Demonstrated ability to perform consistently satisfactory Job Captain responsibilities.
Job Requirements
- Minimum 6yrs experience working as a Designer, of which at least 2yrs were spent in a Senior Designer Role, as part of a professional engineering project team, under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed professional engineer.
- Minimum 2yrs experience leading engineering projects of various sizes and complexities.
- 4-year Engineering degree.
- Professional Engineering License preferred.
- Great interpersonal skills.
- Polished communication skills (both verbal & writing).
- Highly organized and composed under pressure.
- Proven project management ability, with demonstrated experience managing direct reports to strict timelines with multiple projects in order to meet deadlines under high-pressure environment.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office.
- Working knowledge of AutoCAD & REVIT.
- Possesses keen eye for detail.
General Requirements
Compliance
All employees of the organization are required and expected to comply with all corporate standards, rules, regulations & policies as outlined in this document, in the corporate hand-book, on the employee intranet, and as expressed either verbally or in writing. It is the responsibility of all employees to know, understand & comply with all corporate standards, rules, regulations & policies.
All employees of the organization are required and expected to satisfactorily complete the learning curriculum prescribed by the Management Team.
Work Conditions
The following work conditions apply to all positions of the company:
- Ability to work in an independent environment with moderate supervision.
- Ability to work under a moderate noise level (i.e., working on an open floor with printers, telephones, and computers).
- Ability to travel for business and work beyond normal business hours when necessary.
- Ability to be flexible and successfully respond to multiple work pressures.
- Willing to work extra hours or weekends as needed and/or directed.
- Sitting for extended periods of time.
- Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, power tools, and to handle other computer components.
Dress Code
All company employees are expected to adhere to the following dress code unless otherwise directed:
- Business Development (Sales) meetings: Formal business attire.
- Corporate-sponsored outings or events: Formal business attire.
- Project day-to-day: Business casual attire.
- Friday (work permitting): Dress-down.
