General Manager

Job Description
Confidential General Manager - Fire & Life Safety

Location: New England

Position Type: Full-Time

About the Opportunity

Lead the Business. Know the Work. Grow the Organization.

Our client is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead our regional fire and life safety business across fire sprinkler, fire alarm, electronic security, intercommunication, service, installation, and enterprise sales.

This is not a traditional branch management position.

We are looking for a hands-on fire and life safety leader who has spent significant time in the field and understands the work beyond the P&L. The ideal candidate has direct experience with fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems, including the realities of installation, service, inspections, testing, troubleshooting, project execution, technicians, customers, AHJs, contractors, and field operations.

You should be equally comfortable walking a job site, talking with a technician, meeting with a general contractor, reviewing operational performance, and sitting with the leadership team to discuss P&L, growth, and strategy.

What You'll Own

As General Manager, you will have overall responsibility for the performance and growth of the business, including:

Business Performance & P&L

• Ownregional P&L performance, including revenue, gross margin, overhead,and EBITDA.
• Establishannual operating plans, budgets, revenue targets, and performanceexpectations.
• Identifyopportunities to expand service capabilities, customer segments,geographies, and revenue streams.
• MonitorKPIs and provide executive leadership with clear visibility into businessperformance.
• Balancegrowth with operational capacity, profitability, customer retention, andservice quality.

Enterprise Sales & Customer Growth

• Leadand support enterprise sales opportunities with major accounts, generalcontractors, property management companies, and building owners.
• Buildand maintain executive-level relationships with key customers andstrategic partners.
• Developexisting accounts through service expansion, repairs, inspections,testing, installation, and additional fire/life-safety capabilities.
• Ensuresales commitments align with field capacity and operational execution.
• Partnerwith operations to ensure successful transitions from construction andinstallation into recurring service.

Field & Operational Leadership

• Providestrategic leadership to service, testing, inspection, installation,suppression, security, and technical operations.
• Establishhigh standards for field execution, safety, quality, compliance, customerservice, and accountability.
• Removeoperational barriers that impact technicians and field teams.
• Understandfield challenges firsthand and make informed decisions based on actualjob-site conditions.
• Supporthiring, organizational structure, resource planning, and leadershipdevelopment.
• Ensurefield teams have the people, training, equipment, materials, and processesnecessary to perform successfully.

You Must Know Fire & Life Safety

This is a critical requirement of the position.

The successful candidate will have direct, hands-on industry experience and a strong understanding of the work performed by fire and life safety professionals.

Experience should include meaningful exposure to:

• Firesprinkler systems
• Firealarm systems
• Inspection,testing, service, and maintenance
• Installationand construction
• Troubleshootingand system deficiencies
• Projectexecution and closeout
• Technicians,installers, inspectors, and field crews
• AHJs,general contractors, property owners, and consultants
• NFPArequirements and applicable state/local codes
• Fire/life-safetyproject and service environments

Candidates who have only managed a service business or security organization without direct fire/life-safety experience will not be the right fit for this position.

Leadership & Team Development

• Builda culture centered on accountability, safety, customer service, andoperational excellence.
• Developmanagers, supervisors, and high-potential technicians into future leaders.
• Establishclear expectations and measurable performance standards.
• Buildstrong communication between sales, service, installation, projectmanagement, and administration.
• Supportrecruiting and retention of skilled fire/life-safety professionals.
• RepresentNorel professionally with customers, employees, industry partners, and thelocal community.

Cross-Platform Collaboration

• Collaboratewith leadership across the broader organization to share resources, bestpractices, talent, vendor relationships, and market opportunities.
• Identifyopportunities to leverage capabilities across business lines andgeographic markets.
• Contributeto the organization's broader growth strategy beyond the individualregional P&L.

Requirements

What We're Looking For

Required Experience

• 10+years of direct fire and life safety industry experience, with significantexperience in fire sprinkler and/or fire alarm.
• Hands-onfield experience is required.
• Experiencedirectly working with or leading technicians, installers, service teams,inspectors, project teams, or field operations.
• 5+years in a senior management, General Manager, Regional VP, BranchManager, Operations Leader, or comparable P&L leadership role.
• Demonstratedsuccess growing a service/contracting business.
• Experienceleading both operational and sales functions.
• Experiencedeveloping customer relationships and growing recurring service revenue.
• Construction,contracting, or fire/life-safety project experience strongly preferred.

Technical & Industry Knowledge

• Strongworking knowledge of fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems.
• Workingknowledge of electronic security and/or intercommunication systems.
• Familiaritywith NFPA 72, NFPA 25, NFPA 101, and applicable New England regulations.
• Abilityto communicate credibly with technicians, engineers, customers, GCs, AHJs,and senior executives.
• Experienceworking with unionized labor and navigating union environments stronglypreferred.
• Familiaritywith field-service management systems, CRM/ERP platforms, and businessreporting tools.

The Leadership Profile

We're looking for an operator, not someone who simply manages from behind a desk.

You should be someone who:

• Knowswhat good field work looks like.
• Iscomfortable walking a job site and talking with technicians.
• Understandsthe realities of fire sprinkler and fire alarm service and installation.
• Canmove between technician conversations and executive-level businessdiscussions.
• Canread a P&L and understand what is happening in the field that drivesit.
• Buildstrust with customers and employees.
• Holdspeople accountable while developing talent.
• Makesdecisions based on facts, field conditions, customer needs, and businessperformance.
• Cangrow the business without sacrificing safety, quality, or customerservice.

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred; 10+ years of directly relevant fire/life-safety industry leadership experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.