Plumbing Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Plumbing & Fire Protection Engineering Lead

Location: Buffalo, NY

Hire Type: Direct Hire

Pay Range : $75,000 - $150,000 plus bonus

Work Model: Monday – Friday, Standard Business Hours (Flexible Start/End Times)

Schedule: Monday – Friday, Standard Business Hours

Recruiter Contact: Samantha Marranca | 716-256-1271 | [email protected]

Nature & Scope:

Positional Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Plumbing & Fire Protection Engineering Lead to join its growing multidisciplinary engineering practice. This individual will serve as the technical leader for plumbing and fire protection engineering projects while helping drive the continued growth of the department.

The successful candidate will provide engineering design, project leadership, client management, and technical oversight across a wide variety of building projects. This role requires a strong understanding of plumbing systems, fire protection systems, building codes, and engineering best practices, along with the ability to lead projects from concept through construction administration.

This position offers an opportunity for a highly experienced engineer to play a significant role in shaping the future of the firm's plumbing and fire protection capabilities while mentoring junior staff and supporting business development initiatives.

Role & Responsibility:

Tasks That Will Lead To Your Success

• Lead the design and development of plumbing and fire protection systems for new construction, renovation, and rehabilitation projects.
• Develop engineering concepts, strategies, calculations, reports, specifications, and construction documents.
• Design and oversee:
  • Domestic water systems
  • Sanitary and waste systems
  • Storm drainage systems
  • Fire sprinkler systems
  • Fire protection piping systems
  • Specialty piping systems
• Perform plumbing and fire protection code analysis and compliance reviews.
• Prepare engineering studies, evaluations, and technical reports.
• Develop cost-effective and practical engineering solutions for complex building systems.
• Review designs and calculations prepared by junior engineers and designers.
• Coordinate plumbing and fire protection systems with architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical disciplines.

Technical Engineering Leadership

• Serve as the senior technical resource for plumbing and fire protection engineering projects.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and technical guidance to junior engineers and designers.
• Establish design standards, quality control procedures, and engineering best practices.
• Assist in the development and growth of the plumbing and fire protection discipline.
• Stay current with industry codes, regulations, technologies, and emerging design practices.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives throughout the engineering team.

Specialized System Design

• Design fire protection systems in accordance with applicable codes and standards.
• Perform fire protection hydraulic calculations utilizing industry-standard software.
• Develop compressed gas piping systems for healthcare, laboratory, industrial, and specialty applications.
• Support facility assessments and evaluations of existing building systems.
• Provide technical recommendations regarding system upgrades, replacements, and modernization projects.

Project Management

• Serve as Project Manager and/or Lead Engineer on multiple concurrent projects.
• Manage project scope, budgets, schedules, staffing, and deliverables.
• Coordinate internal and external project stakeholders.
• Monitor project financial performance and resource utilization.
• Support bidding and procurement activities.
• Review shop drawings, product submittals, RFIs, and contractor inquiries.
• Participate in construction administration and field observation activities.
• Conduct site visits to evaluate existing conditions and support project execution.

Client Management & Business Development

• Build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor throughout project lifecycles.
• Present design alternatives, engineering analyses, and cost-benefit evaluations to clients.
• Assist clients in making informed decisions regarding system selection and project planning.
• Support proposal preparation and project pursuit activities.
• Participate in business development efforts and identification of new opportunities.
• Collaborate with leadership on strategic growth initiatives.

Project Types

The Plumbing & Fire Protection Engineering Lead will support projects across multiple sectors including:

• Healthcare Facilities
• Hospitals & Medical Campuses
• Higher Education
• K-12 Education
• Municipal Facilities
• Government Buildings
• Laboratories
• Commercial Buildings
• Institutional Facilities
• Industrial & Manufacturing Facilities
• Renovation & Rehabilitation Projects

Skills & Experience

Qualifications That Will Help You Thrive

Required Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering, Fire Science, or related engineering discipline.
• 15–20+ years of plumbing and fire protection engineering experience.
• Extensive experience within a consulting engineering environment.
• Strong background designing building plumbing and fire protection systems.
• Experience managing projects from design through construction administration.
• Deep knowledge of:
  • Plumbing Codes
  • Fire Codes
  • NFPA Standards
  • Building Codes
  • Industry Design Standards
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Proven client-facing experience and relationship management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) License.
• Fire Protection Engineering credentials or certifications.
• Experience with healthcare and laboratory facility design.
• Fire sprinkler hydraulic calculation experience.
• Compressed gas piping design experience.
• Revit and/or AutoCAD proficiency.
• Experience mentoring engineers and technical staff.
• Business development and proposal development experience.

Leadership Profile

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong technical expertise in plumbing and fire protection engineering.
• Leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Client-focused problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to balance technical design with business and client needs.
• Desire to contribute to the long-term growth of the engineering practice.

Team & Environment

• Reports directly to senior engineering leadership.
• Works closely with structural, mechanical, electrical, architectural, and project management teams.
• Collaborative multidisciplinary engineering environment.
• Significant client interaction and project ownership.
• Opportunity to influence the growth and development of the plumbing and fire protection discipline.

Work Schedule & Travel

Schedule

• Monday – Friday
• Flexible scheduling available
• Typical office hours range between:
  • 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Travel

• Limited regional travel.
• Primarily project sites throughout Western New York.
• Occasional travel to support clients and regional offices.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience.
• Annual performance and profitability bonus opportunity.
• Relocation assistance available for exceptional candidates.

Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Professional Development Support
• Continuing Education Assistance
• Professional License Support
• Employee Assistance Programs

Why Join This Opportunity?

This opportunity offers the chance to become a key technical leader within a growing multidisciplinary engineering organization. The successful candidate will have significant influence over project execution, client relationships, team development, and the future growth of the plumbing and fire protection engineering practice.

You'll work on impactful projects across healthcare, education, municipal, laboratory, and commercial markets while helping develop the next generation of engineering talent and contributing to the continued expansion of a respected engineering team