Senior Fire Sprinkler Designer

We are seeking a Senior Fire Sprinkler Designer to independently lead the design and coordination of commercial and industrial water-based fire protection systems. This individual will manage assigned projects from contract-document review and design kickoff through hydraulic calculations, permitting, coordination, fabrication release, project management, and record documentation.

This is not simply a CAD drafting position. The Senior Designer must understand the code basis, hydraulic performance, constructability, material and labor impact, schedule, and field consequences of every design decision. This person will also serve as a technical resource for field leaders and less-experienced designers.

Who We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate holds a current NICET Level II certification in Water-Based Systems Layout and has a proven record of independently producing accurate, coordinated, and buildable fire sprinkler designs.

The primary responsibility is not simply producing drawings—it is delivering complete design packages that satisfy code and contract requirements, earn the field team’s confidence, and position each project for successful execution.

Primary Responsibilities

Design & Technical Execution

• Review contracts, specifications, drawings, water-supply information, and applicable design criteria before beginning layout.
• Develop complete layouts and hydraulic calculations for wet, dry, preaction, standpipe, and other applicable water-based systems.
• Establish hazard classifications, design criteria, sprinkler spacing, pipe sizing and routing, elevations, hangers, and equipment interfaces.
• Prepare accurate, installation-ready permit drawings, shop drawings, fabrication drawings, material lists, and supporting documentation.
• Identify scope gaps, conflicts, and missing information early, and prepare clear RFIs or clarification requests before they cause delays or rework.

Project Coordination

• Coordinate layouts with architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and other trade information.
• Participate in coordination meetings with General Contractors, engineers, architects, owners, and other stakeholders.
• Manage submittal comments, revisions, resubmittals, and field changes with clear revision control.
• Conduct site visits and field verification when existing conditions or installation conflicts require direct review.
• Provide field personnel with timely answers, sketches, revisions, and record-document updates.

Quality Assurance & Constructability

• Self-check drawings, hydraulic calculations, material lists, and fabrication information before release.
• Participate in—and, when assigned, lead—design kickoff, 30% completion, 70% completion, final QA/QC, and permit or fabrication-release reviews.
• Review the work of less-experienced designers and provide clear, practical feedback.
• Design with installation sequence, access, serviceability, testing, material handling, and field productivity in mind.
• Track review comments through completion and confirm that changes are incorporated across all project documents.

Team Support & Development

• Serve as a dependable technical resource for Designers, Estimators, and field leadership.
• Mentor junior designers in code application, calculations, software, coordination, and constructability.
• Share lessons learned and help improve design standards, checklists, details, and procedures.
• Communicate concerns early, accept peer review professionally, and support an accountable team environment.

Project Ownership

• Plan assigned work around permit, coordination, procurement, and fabrication milestones.
• Maintain organized project files, design records, calculation documentation, and revision histories.
• Own corrections and follow issues through resolution rather than passing incomplete problems to others.
• Balance productivity with the accuracy required for safe, compliant, and profitable installations.

Required Experience

Candidates should possess:

• Current and verifiable NICET Level II certification in Water-Based Systems Layout.
• Five or more years of progressive fire sprinkler design experience, including responsibility for complete projects.
• Independent design experience with commercial, industrial, institutional, or similarly complex systems.
• Strong knowledge of hydraulic calculations, water-supply analysis, system layout, and applicable codes.
• Proven trade-coordination experience and successful resolution of plan-review, AHJ, and field comments.
• AutoSPRINK proficiency is strongly preferred; comparable software experience is acceptable with the ability to transition quickly.
• Working proficiency with Bluebeam Revu, Microsoft Office, document control, and coordination backgrounds or models.
• Clear communication, sound judgment, dependable follow-through, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.

Technical Competencies

Candidates should demonstrate strong knowledge of:

• NFPA 13 and applicable local amendments.
• NFPA 14, NFPA 20, NFPA 24, applicable codes, and AHJ requirements.
• Wet, dry, preaction, and standpipe system design.
• Hazard classifications and density/area criteria.
• Hydraulic calculations and water-supply evaluation.
• Sprinkler spacing, obstruction rules, and ceiling conditions.
• Pipe sizing, routing, elevations, hangers, and seismic bracing.
• Riser, FDC, backflow, fire-pump, and underground interfaces.
• AutoSPRINK, Bluebeam review, and electronic document coordination.
• Fabrication documentation, material lists, and stocklisting.
• Trade coordination, field verification, and clash resolution.
• QA/QC procedures and constructability reviews.