Design Manager

Design ManagerSymons Fire Protection, Inc. is a premier, full-service fire-life safety contractor based in San Diego, CA. For over 30 years, we have specialized in the design, installation, inspection, and maintenance of residential and commercial fire sprinkler and alarm systems across Southern California. We pride ourselves on operational excellence, high-quality craftsmanship, and unwavering safety standards.We are seeking a Design Manager that retains operational and financial accountability for the design department. This role focuses on resource planning, departmental profitability, major client relationships, and navigating complex regulatory hurdles with senior County and City AHJs. This position requires proven, multi-year people management experience with a demonstrated history of guiding professional career paths, managing workplace dynamics, and building high-retention engineering cultures.Core ResponsibilitiesLeadership: Oversees departmental operational budgets, software licensing configurations (Autosprink, NFPA, Autodesk, Bluebeam, HydraCAD), and long-term department expansion.Financial Accountability: Monitors project burn rates, estimate design hours for multi-million dollar contracts, and safeguard the department's gross profit margins.QA/QC: Audits the highest-risk projects (e.g., high-rise, high-piled storage, or hazardous industrial spaces) and serve as the final escalation point for complex plan-check disputes.Talent Management: Owns the ultimate authority to hire, fire, discipline, and promote department personnel in alignment with company growth objectives and policies.Leadership Development & Mentorship: Coaches, mentors, and develops team, preparing them for advanced management paths.People Management: Conducts career-pathing sessions, establish succession planning matrices, resolve high-level interpersonal conflicts, and actively work to reduce employee burnout.Performance Monitoring: Establishes key performance indicators (KPIs) for the department, conducting formal performance reviews and implementing corrective action plans when necessary.Culture: Cultivates a psychologically safe work environment where team members feel empowered to collaborate, voice technical concerns, innovate, and report errors without fear of negative repercussions.Other management duties as assigned.Productivity ExpectationsDepartment Utilization: Targets an overall department billable utilization rate of 85%.First-Pass Success: Maintains a department-wide first-pass plan check approval rate of 90%+ across all Southern California municipalities.Backlog Stability: Ensure design department capacity matches project backlog schedules up to 90 days out.QualificationsExperience: At least 8 years of progressive engineering and design experience, including a minimum of 5 years of direct leadership experience overseeing a team of 10+ design professionals.Certification: NICET Level III in Water-Based Systems Layout.Software Mastery: Expert in Autocad, Autosprink, Hydracad, NFPA and Bluebeam Revu (Studio, Sets, Quantity Link) for department-wide standardization and macro executive review.Core Competency: Expert command of local Fire Code amendments, and WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) regulations.OtherNo Third-Party Agency Solicitation.Location Requirement: This position is open only to candidates currently residing in the Southern California area. Remote candidates will not be considered.Equal Opportunity Employer: Symons Fire Protection, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, physical/mental disability, medical condition, genetic info, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, military/veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, we consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application or any part of the hiring process, please let us know.