Fire Alarm Design Manager

Looking for a company that values your skills, respects your contributions, and gives you the tools to thrive?

With more than 145 years as a family-owned business, we’ve built a reputation as one of the best mechanical and fire protection contractors in the country. We pride ourselves on delivering unmatched quality and innovation while providing you with job stability, opportunities for career progression, and support. 

This role will be supporting our Chicago market and must be onsite.

How you will contribute:

This is a great opportunity for a strategic leader to drive the growth and expansion of our design team while demonstrating strong organizational and communication skills. You will provide leadership and direction for the Fire Alarm Design team, ensuring the team is positioned to scale effectively, meet business objectives, and deliver high-quality results. While you will oversee project design progression from inception to completion—including design, permits, as-builts, and operations and maintenance manuals—your primary focus will be leading and developing a high-performing team.

In this role, you will establish and execute a vision for the design group, aligning resources, processes, and talent to meet schedules, budgets, and growth goals. You will participate in team and on-site progress meetings while ensuring codes, standards, project specifications, and AHJ requirements are followed. Your ability to prioritize, delegate, and create structure in a fast-paced environment will be key to success.

You will develop and maintain engineering and design standards, policies, and procedures, while providing leadership over tools and processes such as Revit and CAD, file management, and training. You will also drive continuous improvement by gathering feedback from field staff, the sales team, and external customers, and by collaborating with other Design Managers to share best practices and strengthen overall performance. A core component of this role is people leadership, including attracting, hiring, coaching, and developing talent while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth. Success in this position will come from your ability to lead people, scale a team, and strategically grow the design function; a construction background is a plus, and fire alarm design experience is beneficial but not required.

What you need to qualify:

Ahern will make the most of your leadership experience, ideally within construction, engineering, or a related industry, with a proven ability to lead, develop, and scale high-performing teams. You bring strong organizational, communication, and decision-making skills, along with the ability to manage priorities and drive results in a fast-paced environment. While experience in fire alarm or special hazard system design and familiarity with Revit or AutoCAD is beneficial, it is not required; candidates with a construction background and understanding of project lifecycles, codes, and field coordination will be well-positioned for success. A commitment to exceptional customer service, continuous improvement, and building strong relationships while maintaining attention to detail will be critical.

What’s in it for you?
At Ahern, we understand that life is more than just work - and we’re committed to supporting our employees in every aspect of their lives. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to give you the flexibility, security, and support you need to thrive - at work and at home. 

Here’s how we stand out from the rest:

• Top-Tier Benefits: Our 401(k) match and health benefits rank in the top 20% nationwide 


• Incentives: A significant portion of our profits is shared with employees through bonus programs


• Generous PTO with the opportunity to buy additional time off


• Paid Parental Leave: Supporting you at every life stage with paid maternity and paternity leave


• Mental Health Resources: Free, full-service mental health care for you and your family


• Wellness Programs: Access on-site fitness centers, personal development funds, and more


• Professional Growth: Take advantage of education assistance, training programs, and development opportunities to advance your career


• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy hybrid and flexible schedules to fit your needs

By joining Ahern, you’ll gain the stability of a company that’s been a leader in the industry since 1880, the pride of doing meaningful work, and the support of a team dedicated to your success. Don’t settle for just any job—experience what it’s like to work for the best!

Estimated Compensation: $106,000 - $142,000 plus bonus. This positon is also eligible for a vehicle allowance and gas card. Final offers based on education, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Ahern is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.