Purpose and Scope of Position
You are a fire protection engineer with approximately 10-15 years of experience, yet you are desiring to take a different path and branch out into designing methods to protect structures from wildfire. Most of your career has been spent in a consulting engineering capacity, designing fire protection systems for high-end residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. You have a well-rounded consulting engineering background, having spent your early career performing site investigations, then going on to performing design calculations and preparing system layouts. You have advanced into project management and have gained some experience with business development including writing proposals, writing scopes of work, and preparing engineering cost estimates. Your area of specialization has been focused on water-based fireprotection system design, structure protection, or wildland urban interface structure protection (fire suppression and property conservation in wildland areas). You have a good understanding of fire behavior on the interior of the building and have a desire to learn fire behavior on the exterior of buildings and on landscape extending out away from the building. You have an advanced understanding of hydraulics, piping design, friction loss calculations, flow rate determination and pump selection and have a willingness to learn how to extend that knowledge to design exterior sprinkler systems. And above all else, you have a personality that adapts well to changing business initiatives and your background, experience and education allows you to pivot rapidly to perform tasks that may not be related to your core skill set.
Primary role and responsibilities include writing proposals to perform wildfire hazard risk assessments, performing onsite wildfire hazard risk assessments, and preparing wildfire hazard risk reports and wildfire risk mitigation recommendations. Some design of exterior fire protection systems for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings will be required, but actual design work will only be a small fraction of the selected candidates duties.
Key duties include but not limited to:
Performs tasks related to the design of exterior fire protection systems: Duties may include (but are not limited to):
- Preparation of engineering services proposals, including scopes of work and consulting engineering services cost estimates.
- Communication with existing and potential clients to assess their needs to determine the best engineering service to provide to solve their particular problem.
- Presentation of engineering services proposals to existing or potential clients.
- Assesses property for means or indication of potential fire or flame impingement, fire protection, fire ignition mitigation strategies. Conceptualizes potential solutions, makes recommendations, and develops project plans.
- Performs engineering analyses, performs calculations, and develops construction drawings and specifications sufficient to define fire suppression systems for construction or modification.
- Creates budgets or cost estimates for engineering and design, and subsequent construction of fire protection systems. Plans and develops work packages for building and site fire suppression / mitigation systems.
- Provides technical direction to other professional and technical staff for the execution of studies and analyses for fire protection systems and provides technical guidance for the operation and maintenance of such systems.
- Reviews plans for new designs and construction, as well as reviews plans for modifications and improvements to ensure cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
- Reviews and enhances preventive maintenance procedures for fire protection / mitigation systems.
- Ensures compliance with all NFPA testing requirements. Ensures proper documentation and recording of fire protection / mitigation systems.
Organizational Relationship
This position reports to the Director of Engineering and is responsible for communicating effectively with other staff both inside and outside the Engineering Services Division. The selected candidate must be comfortable with ambiguity and variability of assignments and embrace the value of being in a service group.
This position will report out of Bozeman, Montana.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Develops and reviews specifications, including design criteria.
- Participates in activities associated with equipment and material procurement, permitting, and subcontracting.
- Performs and checks calculations, specifies equipment, and solves moderately complex engineering problems.
- Reviews vendor equipment documentation within the discipline and from other disciplines for compliance with project requirements, and actively seeks discrepancy resolution.
- Analyzes and makes independent recommendations regarding solutions to problems with varying complexity in accordance with organization and/or project objectives and guidelines
- Other duties as assigned
- Drafts and issues requests for quotes for pumps, sprinkler heads, piping and other materials required for construction. Drafts and issues requests for sprinkler construction estimates from contractors. Reviews and evaluates quotes and cost estimates, awards bids and issues notices to proceed. Coordinates development of master services agreements with successful vendors.
- Drafts and issues purchase orders for pumps, sprinkler heads, piping and other materials and equipment. Reviews vendor invoices for accuracy and completeness, issues requests for payments and keeps track of vendor invoicing and payments to ensure timely payment and accuracy of project accounting.
- Develops and updates project schedules, Gantt charts and project delivery timelines. Regularly informs stakeholders about schedule changes, impacts to schedule, and solutions to resolve logistical issues.
- Reviews client invoices for accuracy and completeness. Instructs accounting and finance to make corrections if necessary before transmitting to client. Ensures that payment is received in a timely manner as per the consulting agreement.
Basic Qualifications (i.e. education, certifications, etc.)
- Bachelors degree in mechanical or fire protection engineering plus ten or more years of relevant experience in a consulting engineering capacity.
- Professional Engineering license in any US State, having passed the fire protection engineering written examination or a mechanical engineering written examination. Ability to obtain a PE license in the state of Montana through reciprocity within six months of date of hire.
- Clean driving record.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, & Experience
- 10 to 15 years of experience designing and supervising the installation of fire protection systems. Exterior fire protection experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to write engineering services proposals and prepare scopes of work for engineering projects for prospective clients.
- Demonstrated ability to prepare engineering services cost estimates, including estimation of time required for project management, drawing preparation, design, engineering, report writing, and construction oversight/inspection.
- Superior engineering report and technical writing skills.
- Preferred understanding and experience working in heavy/civil construction, mechanical construction, or fire protection system construction.
- Experience with construction contracts, equipment purchasing and procurement.
- Preferred ability to write construction or mechanical specifications.
- Demonstrated ability to prepare technical reports and/or presentations, both in Word and in PowerPoint.
- Competence in understanding of NFPA standards as it relates to fire protection. Preferred familiarity of NFPA standards related to construction, battery energy storage systems, and wildland fire protection.
- Excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills and an ability to deal tactfully with a wide range of personalities and professional/technical disciplines.
- Preferred skills with in-person work collaboration, advocating teamwork and creating a positive atmosphere.
- Ability to think critically and make decisions requiring engineering judgment.
- Ability to interact effectively at all levels of the organization with both internal and external customers.
- Ability to independently manage engineering projects and organize, prioritize, and follow through to completion on multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Demonstrated ability to manage projects from concept through design and construction.
- Experience with preparation of design drawings using AutoCAD or similar drafting software.
- Knowledge/experience in facilities design, construction, and O&M industry best practices and standards as it relates to fire protection systems.
- Detailed knowledge of construction industry and ability to produce specifications for bid and construction purposes.
- Experience in fire sprinkler, suppression, and fire alarm system layout utilizing hydraulic calculation programs, and knowledge of NFPA Codes, and International Building and Fire Codes.
- Working knowledge of building construction materials and methods
- Strong working knowledge of MS Office 365 products, project management software, and drafting software. Familiar with use of these software products in mobile applications.
- Ability to quickly learn and understand the varying resource types, their designs and specifications, and their intended uses.
- Knowledge or ability to learn applications and software programs designed for facilities and fleet management.
- Ability to understand statutes, codes and regulations from numerous states and interpret the intent to keep WDS adherent to regulations.
- Highly effective at communicating complex ideas both verbally and through written instruments.
- Demonstrated history of working in a behavioral-based safety culture in a corporate environment.
- Demonstrated ability to make decisions without supervision.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal guidance and supervision.
- Demonstrated ability to diligently work though problems and issues as they arise, doing so in a timely manner and pursing alternatives until a viable solution is found.
Competencies
- Strong project management skills with the ability to clearly and effectively carry out the strategy and vision of numerous projects simultaneously.
- Ability to understand and accomplish business objectives as established by leadership.
- Ability to exercise and apply sound engineering judgment.
- Strong time management and project management skills.
- Strong organization
- Ability to manage maintenance on remote resources (fire engines and tenders) at remote locations.
- Strong communications skills with both internal and external staff.
- Strong communications skills and excellent interpersonal skills with client representatives.
- Ability to maintain excellent communications between internal staff in other departments such as Field Operations, Accounting and Finance, Data Sciences, etc.
- Ability to work in and promote a behavioral-based safety culture.
- Flexibility to work on a number of assignments simultaneously.
- Ability to travel when meetings with clients or site assessments are required.
- Ability to operate effectively under stressful situations and compressed timelines.
- Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships demonstrating tact and diplomacy in all situations with co-workers, clients, contractors, other business professionals and the general public
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here commonly used and must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Other requirements could apply.
- While performing the duties of this job, the Project Engineer is regularly required to talk or hear, and must be able to lift up to 50+ lbs., bend, climb, stand for duration of shift, etc.
- Ability to successfully pass a DOT Physical
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts WDS rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
