Fire Alarm Designer

Lever, Inc.; Lowell (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Prescription & Vision

Life, AD&D, and LTD insurance

Paid Vacation and Holidays

MD Live & TriaHealth

Company-Matched 401(k)

Per-Diem for overnight travel

Job summary

Wachter is seeking a Fire Alarm Designer to join our Engineering and Design team. You will design and develop fire alarm systems for commercial and industrial projects, ensuring NFPA code compliance and alignment with customer requirements.

The ideal candidate holds NICET Level 3 or higher (Level 4 preferred) with at least 2 years of relevant design experience, proficient in AutoCAD, Revit, and Bluebeam, and capable of coordinating with AHJs and other building systems.

Qualifications

• NICET Level 3 or (preferably NICET Level IV) Fire Alarm Systems certification or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 2 years of experience designing commercial and/or industrial fire alarm systems.
• Strong knowledge of NFPA 72, NFPA 70 (NEC), IBC, IFC, and AHJ requirements.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam, and other design software for fire alarm layouts and documentation.
• Experience developing complete construction drawing packages including floor plans, riser diagrams, battery calculations, and equipment schedules.
• Familiarity with Notifier, Siemens, Edwards, Simplex, Honeywell, Bosch, or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to review drawings and coordinate fire alarm designs with other building systems.
• Experience supporting permit submissions and responding to plan review comments from AHJs.

Responsibilities

• Design complete fire alarm and emergency communications systems per NFPA, NEC, IBC, IFC, and local codes.
• Prepare detailed construction drawings, submittal packages, layouts, riser diagrams, and battery calculations.
• Review plans to develop code-compliant fire alarm designs.
• Coordinate with PMs, field techs, customers, AHJs, and stakeholders.
• Support permit applications and respond to plan review comments and revisions.
• Ensure designs meet customer requirements, schedules, budgets, and standards.
• Provide technical support to installation teams and assist with troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with sales and estimating on scopes and concepts.
• Maintain knowledge of fire alarm codes and industry best practices.
• Conduct design reviews and quality checks for accuracy.
• Support commissioning and closeout documentation.
• Manage multiple projects and ensure standardized designs across locations.

Skills

NICET Level 3/4 certification

NFPA knowledge

Project coordination

Communication

Independent work

Education

NICET Level 3/4 certification

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Bluebeam

Other design software

Job description

Wachter's greatest asset is the people who work here. Join the Wachter family and chart your career path!

Wachter is accepting applications for Fire Alarm Designer positions in our Engineering and Design department. This role is responsible for designing and developing fire alarm systems for commercial and industrial projects, ensuring compliance with applicable codes, standards, and customer requirements.

Ideal candidates will hold a NICET Level 4 Fire Alarm Systems certification. We will consider a NICET level 3 candidate if you are open to getting your Level 4 certification asap.

Candidate must possess equivalent fire alarm design experience with a strong understanding of NFPA codes, AHJ requirements, and industry best practices. Experience designing fire alarm systems for retail, commercial, industrial, or multi-site deployments is highly preferred.

We seek self-motivated and reliable candidates who can work independently and find solutions to complete the job. Long-term employment with competitive pay and exceptional benefits for qualified candidates. We value relationships and invest in our employees.

Qualifications

• NICET Level 3, (preferably a NICET Level IV) Fire Alarm Systems certification required, or equivalent experience in fire alarm system design and engineering.
• Minimum 2 years of experience designing commercial and/or industrial fire alarm systems.
• Strong working knowledge of NFPA 72, NFPA 70 (NEC), IBC, IFC, and applicable local codes and AHJ requirements.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit, Bluebeam, and other design software used for fire alarm system layout and documentation.
• Experience developing complete construction drawing packages, including floor plans, riser diagrams, battery calculations, voltage drop calculations, device layouts, and equipment schedules.
• Familiarity with major fire alarm manufacturers such as Notifier, Siemens, Edwards, Simplex, Honeywell, Bosch, or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to review architectural, electrical, and mechanical drawings and coordinate fire alarm designs with other building systems.
• Experience supporting permit submissions and responding to plan review comments from AHJs and third-party reviewers.
• Strong understanding of voice evacuation systems, mass notification systems, and networked fire alarm systems.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining design quality.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Excel, Word, and Teams.

Responsibilites

• Design complete fire alarm and emergency communications systems in accordance with NFPA, NEC, IBC, IFC, local codes, and customer specifications.
• Prepare detailed construction drawings, submittal packages, device layouts, riser diagrams, sequence of operations, battery calculations, voltage drop calculations, and equipment schedules.
• Review architectural, electrical, mechanical, and site plans to develop code-compliant fire alarm system designs.
• Coordinate with project managers, field technicians, customers, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), and other stakeholders throughout the design and permitting process.
• Support permit applications and respond to plan review comments, requested revisions, and code compliance inquiries..
• Ensure all designs meet customer requirements, project schedules, budgets, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Provide technical support to installation teams during project execution and assist with troubleshooting design-related issues.
• Collaborate with sales and estimating teams to develop scopes of work, equipment recommendations, and design concepts during project planning.
• Maintain current knowledge of fire alarm codes, emerging technologies, manufacturer requirements, and industry best practices.
• Conduct design reviews and quality control checks to ensure accuracy and consistency across project documentation.
• Support commissioning activities and final project closeout documentation as required.
• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining high-quality standards.
• Work closely with national account customers and internal teams to ensure standardized designs across multiple locations and jurisdictions.
• Identify potential project risks, code issues, and constructability concerns early in the design process and recommend solutions.
• Maintain organized project records, drawings, revisions, and documentation throughout the project lifecycle.

Benefits Package: Company Paid!

• Medical, Dental, Prescription & Vision Benefits
• Life, AD&D, and LTD insurance
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• MD Live & TriaHealth
• Company-Matched 401(k) and IRA Retirement Savings
• Per-Diem paid when overnight travel is required

$90 - $115,000 a year

About:

Wachter is a family-owned company since 1930 and we see each employee as a critical piece of the Wachter Family. With over 900 licenses across the country, Wachter serves commercial and industrial clients with the right technologies needed to keep them successful.

We design, install, and maintain the technologies that keep businesses operating efficiently. Our team of dedicated electricians, engineers, and technicians provides electrical, data, security, communications, and automation services to clients in numerous industries.

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We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.