Design Service Manager - Fire & Life Safety

The role

This person will lead the East Canada-based Fire & Life Safety Design team. They will manage 5-10 designers and engineers while overseeing fire protection system designs for various sectors.

What you will do

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 5-10 fire protection designers, BIM specialists, drafters, and engineers.
• Establish performance expectations and conduct regular coaching, development, and performance reviews.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and succession planning initiatives.
• Provide technical oversight for the design and coordination of fire protection systems.
• Review and approve design deliverables for compliance with codes, standards, and client requirements.
• Oversee AutoCAD and Revit/BIM workflows, standards, and quality assurance processes.
• Manage project workloads, staffing assignments, schedules, and resource utilization.
• Monitor project performance, budgets, profitability, quality, and delivery milestones.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and developers.
• Support proposal development, fee estimates, interviews, and project pursuits.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering Technology, Fire Protection Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation or eligibility for licensure in Ontario.
• 8+ years of experience in fire protection system design, engineering, consulting, or related technical services.
• 3+ years of experience leading teams, projects, or technical design groups.
• Demonstrated expertise in the design and layout of fire protection systems.
• Strong working knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, and BIM coordination practices.
• Experience managing multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced consulting or design environment.
• Strong communication, client relationship, presentation, and leadership skills.
• Proven ability to mentor technical professionals and build high-performing teams.

Nice to have

• NFPA certifications
• CET designation
• other relevant industry credentials
• Experience supporting business development, proposals, and client growth initiatives
• Experience with large industrial, mission-critical, institutional, or complex commercial projects
• Advanced understanding of Canadian building, fire, and life safety codes and standards

Benefits

• retirement plan
• healthcare coverage
• broad range of other benefits

About the company

Jensen Hughes is renowned for leadership in fire protection engineering. Their expertise extends to security and risk-based fields including accessibility consulting, risk analysis, and forensic investigations.