General Manager

Guardian Fire Services; Williamsport (MD); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Regional Fire Protection is seeking a General Manager for the Williamsport, Maryland branch to lead operations, grow the business, and drive profitability across construction, service, inspection, and maintenance functions.

The role requires strong leadership, financial acumen, and a track record in fire protection project execution. The position offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive management experience in fire protection or related field.
• Experience leading construction/new installation operations preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for the Williamsport branch and set goals aligned with company objectives.
• Oversee construction/new installation, service, inspection, and maintenance operations.
• Manage P&L, budgets, and profitability; monitor backlog and project margins.
• Develop and maintain relationships with customers, contractors, and partners.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Operations management

People management

Safety compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Engineering

Tools

Project management software

Job description

General Manager – Fire Protection

Location:Williamsport, Maryland
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Fire Protection | Fire Sprinkler | Fire Alarm | Life Safety

About Us

Regional Fire Protection, part of the Guardian Fire Services family, is on a mission to protect lives and property with trusted Fire & Life Safety Solutions. Regional Fire Protection delivers comprehensive fire and life safety solutions to customers throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, offering installation and maintenance services for fire sprinkler systems, alarm systems, extinguishers, emergency lighting, and more.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced General Manager – Fire Protection to lead the overall operations and growth of our Williamsport, Maryland branch. This individual will have primary responsibility for the branch's construction and new installation operations, while providing leadership and oversight across the broader branch, including service, inspection, testing, maintenance, sales, design, project management, and field operations.

This is a hands‑on leadership position for an experienced fire protection professional who understands the full lifecycle of fire protection projects and can effectively lead multiple teams and functions. The General Manager will be responsible for people, customers, projects, financial performance, operational execution, and overall branch profitability.

The ideal candidate has a minimum of 5 years of progressive management experience within the fire protection industry, with demonstrated experience leading teams in sprinkler and/or fire alarm construction, project management, design/engineering, sales, service, and field operations.

Key Responsibilities

Branch Leadership & Operations

1. Provide overall leadership and direction for the Williamsport branch.
2. Establish branch goals and operational priorities aligned with company objectives.
3. Lead and develop department managers, project managers, superintendents, foremen, technicians, designers, engineers, sales professionals, and other branch personnel.
4. Oversee coordination between construction, service, inspection, testing, maintenance, sales, design, and project management teams.
5. Establish accountability for safety, quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.
6. Identify operational challenges and implement processes to improve efficiency and profitability.
7. Build and maintain a strong branch culture focused on teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and customer service.

Construction & New Installation

1. Provide senior leadership over the branch's fire sprinkler and fire alarm construction/new installation business.
2. Oversee project execution from estimating and sales through design, permitting, installation, inspection, and closeout.
3. Ensure projects are properly staffed, scheduled, resourced, and executed.
4. Partner with project managers, designers/engineers, superintendents, foremen, and field personnel to ensure projects meet scope, schedule, quality, and profitability expectations.
5. Monitor project backlog, labor utilization, material requirements, job costs, change orders, and project margins.
6. Develop and maintain relationships with general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, and other key customers.
7. Help identify opportunities for additional work and branch growth.

Service & Inspection Oversight

1. Provide leadership and accountability for the service and inspection/testing/maintenance functions of the branch.
2. Partner closely with the Service Manager to ensure service and inspection operations are meeting financial, operational, safety, and customer-service objectives.
3. Ensure effective coordination between recurring service/inspection customers and the construction/new-installation business.
4. Monitor departmental performance, staffing needs, customer retention, and growth opportunities.

Financial & P&L Management

1. Have overall responsibility for the branch's P&L and financial performance.
2. Develop and manage branch budgets, forecasts, revenue targets, gross margins, and operating expenses.
3. Monitor labor, materials, subcontractors, overhead, and other costs to ensure profitability.
4. Review financial performance and take corrective action when necessary.
5. Manage backlog and pipeline to support consistent branch revenue and profitability.
6. Partner with senior leadership on annual planning, forecasting, capital expenditures, and strategic growth initiatives.
7. Identify opportunities to increase revenue, improve margins, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.

Sales & Business Development

1. Work closely with sales leadership to develop and maintain a strong project pipeline.
2. Build relationships with key customers, general contractors, developers, consultants, and industry partners.
3. Participate in major bids, negotiations, customer meetings, and strategic account development.
4. Identify opportunities for organic growth across construction, service, inspections, and maintenance.
5. Represent the company professionally within the local fire protection and construction community.

People Leadership

1. Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing employees.
2. Establish clear expectations and accountability for managers and field leadership.
3. Assess staffing needs and develop workforce plans based on backlog and projected growth.
4. Support the development of foremen, superintendents, project managers, technicians, and other future leaders.
5. Promote a culture of safety and operational excellence.
6. Ensure compliance with company policies, OSHA requirements, applicable codes, and industry standards.

Qualifications

1. 5+ years of progressive management experience in the fire protection industry.
2. Demonstrated experience managing fire sprinkler, fire alarm, or integrated fire protection operations.
3. Experience leading construction/new installation operations strongly preferred.
4. Experience managing multiple functional teams, including some combination of:
   1. Project Management
   2. Design/Engineering
   3. Estimating
   4. Sales
   5. Superintendents
   6. Foremen
   7. Sprinkler Fitters
   8. Fire Alarm Technicians
   9. Service Technicians
   10. Inspection/Testing personnel
5. Demonstrated P&L and financial management experience.
6. Strong understanding of fire protection construction, project execution, labor management, and job costing.
7. Experience working with general contractors, subcontractors, owners, and other construction stakeholders.
8. Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
9. Ability to balance strategic planning with hands‑on operational leadership.
10. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
11. Strong understanding of applicable fire protection codes, standards, safety requirements, and industry practices.

Preferred Experience

1. Previous Branch Manager, General Manager, Operations Manager, or Regional Manager experience within the fire protection industry.
2. NICET certification or other relevant industry certifications.
3. Experience with both sprinkler and fire alarm systems.
4. Experience managing a branch or business unit with full P&L responsibility.
5. Experience growing a fire protection business through both new construction and recurring service/inspection revenue.
6. Bachelor's degree in business, construction management, engineering, or a related field is preferred but not required.

Compensation

Target Base Salary: $130,000–$165,000 annually, depending on experience, scope of responsibility, and demonstrated P&L/branch leadership experience.

Additional compensation may include a performance-based bonus tied to branch revenue, profitability, and other key performance metrics, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

What Success Looks Like

The successful General Manager will build a high-performing, accountable branch that consistently delivers:

1. Profitable construction and installation projects
2. Strong project execution and backlog management
3. High customer satisfaction and retention
4. Effective coordination between construction and service/inspection operations
5. Strong employee recruitment, development, and retention
6. Safe and efficient field operations
7. Consistent revenue and gross‑margin performance
8. Sustainable branch growth
9. Strong financial and operational discipline

Why You’ll Love Working Here

At Regional Fire Protection, we believe in investing in our team’s growth and success. This isn’t just a job—it’s a career path in a growing, stable industry. We’re committed to providing:

• Competitive Pay: Compensation tailored to your experience.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Including health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Future Savings: A 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Generous Time Off: Paid time off to support work‑life balance.
• Professional Development: Training and growth opportunities to help you advance.

We Value All Experiences

We understand that no candidate is perfectly qualified for any job. Experience comes in different forms; many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of dedication, impact, and the ability to thrive in a fluid and collaborative environment. We want you to learn new things in this role and encourage you to apply if your experience is close to what we’re looking for.

We also know that diversity of background and thought makes for better problem‑solving and more creative thinking, so we’re dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team.

Our Commitment to Diversity

Regional Fire Protection is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We are committed to an inclusive experience for all applicants and will make reasonable accommodations in the interview process, to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.