Associate Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

 

About RapidFire Safety & Security  

RapidFire Safety & Security provides fire life safety and security solutions with a focus on responsive local service, technical expertise, and reliable project execution. We are looking for an Associate Project Manager who can keep complex projects moving from turnover through design, permitting, installation, inspection, and closeout. 

The Opportunity  

The Associate Project Manager supports and owns key workstreams for fire alarm, security, and life safety installation projects. This is not a purely administrative coordinator role. The APM is expected to manage project details, drive permitting and AHJ approvals, coordinate field execution, recognize scope and cost exposure, and independently manage smaller projects as assigned. 

What You Will Own  

• Review project turnover packages, contracts, proposals, drawings, specifications, exclusions, schedules, and material requirements. 
• Identify missing information and stop incomplete projects from entering design, permitting, procurement, or field execution until required inputs are received. 
• Coordinate RFIs, submittals, drawing revisions, material releases, project schedules, action items, and closeout documentation. 
• Maintain visibility into labor usage, estimated hours, project milestones, pending decisions, material status, and schedule risk. 
• Attend project meetings and job walks and serve as a day-to-day contact for customers, general contractors, electrical contractors, designers, vendors, technicians, and subcontractors. 
• Manage smaller projects independently while supporting Project Managers on larger or more complex work. 

Design, Permitting, and AHJ Coordination  

• Determine the applicable city, county, fire department, or other Authority Having Jurisdiction for each permitted project. 
• Confirm local submittal requirements and assemble complete permit packages, including drawings, calculations, cut sheets, forms, and supporting documentation. 
• Submit plans to AHJs and maintain accurate tracking of original submission, plan check status, correction cycles, resubmittal, approval, permit issuance, inspections, and final acceptance. 
• Communicate directly and professionally with plan checkers, Fire Prevention personnel, permitting agencies, and inspection staff. 
• Review plan check comments and coordinate revisions with internal or third-party design resources until approval is secured. 
• Identify when an AHJ comment changes contracted scope, labor, equipment, engineering, or schedule, and immediately escalate the potential change order. 
• Ensure approved and stamped plans, permits, and current revisions are distributed to the field team before installation. 
• Coordinate pretests, AHJ inspections, correction work, reinspection's, and final signoff. 

Project Controls and Financial Awareness  

• Track project budgets, labor hours, material commitments, pending change orders, and billing support documents as assigned. 
• Recognize work outside the contracted scope and document the condition before additional work proceeds whenever reasonably possible. 
• Maintain change order and potential change order logs and support pricing, documentation, approval, and collection of required backup. 
• Identify schedule, access, material, design, permitting, and field risks early and escalate them with a recommended next step. 

Field Execution and Closeout  

• Coordinate with supervisors, technicians, programmers, subcontractors, and other trades to keep work sequenced and productive. 
• Confirm the field has current drawings, approved scope, required materials, site access, and customer or GC coordination before mobilization. 
• Control drawing revisions and help resolve conflicts between approved plans, field conditions, and inspector direction. 
• Coordinate punch list completion, as built documentation, O&M manuals, warranties, customer training records, final inspection documents, and turnover to Service or Inspection teams. 

What You Bring  

• 2 to 4 years of experience in fire alarm, low voltage, electrical, construction project coordination, project engineering, or project management. 
• Demonstrated experience submitting plans and permits to California cities, counties, fire departments, or other AHJs. 
• Experience receiving plan check comments, coordinating corrections, resubmitting plans, and driving approvals to completion. 
• Ability to read construction drawings, fire alarm plans, riser diagrams, floor plans, specifications, and device layouts. 
• Working knowledge of NFPA 72, California Building Code, California Fire Code, and NEC requirements. 
• Proficiency with Bluebeam and Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook. 
• Strong organization, follow through, professional communication, and the ability to manage multiple active priorities. 
• Valid driver license and ability to travel to project sites and permitting agencies throughout Southern California. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Fire alarm or fire life safety project experience. 
• AutoCAD proficiency. 
• Experience with Procore, Microsoft Project, or similar construction management tools. 
• NICET Fire Alarm Systems certification or active progress toward certification. 
• Experience with Honeywell, Notifier, Gamewell FCI, DMP, or comparable fire and security platforms. 
• Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related degree or equivalent field experience. 

What Success Looks Like  

• Every permitted project has an identified AHJ, complete submission package, current status, owner, and next action. 
• Plan check comments and inspection deficiencies are assigned, tracked, communicated, and closed without avoidable delay. 
• Field teams do not mobilize using outdated or unapproved drawings where approval is required. 
• AHJ driven scope additions and material project risks are identified before they become unplanned cost whenever reasonably possible. 
• Project documentation, approvals, permits, inspection records, and closeout files are complete and accessible. 
• Smaller assigned projects finish safely, on schedule, within scope, and with strong customer communication. 

This role is built for someone ready to grow from project coordination into full project management while immediately owning permitting, AHJ coordination, and project execution details.