Leadership Development Program

Columbia Safety Services; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Company vehicle or allowance

Life and AD&D insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Telehealth access

Relocation support

Laptop and technology package

Training and continuing education

Job summary

Columbia Safety Services, LLC offers a twelve-month paid leadership development program across multiple Northwest markets, including Seattle, Spokane, and other regional locations. You will rotate through field operations, dispatch, design, accounting, and sales, earning credibility by learning from seasoned professionals.

You will relocate upon completion to the market you are placed in, reporting to the Vice President of Operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent leadership experience.
• Willingness to travel extensively, including extended stays at branch locations.
• Willingness to relocate to one of our markets at program completion.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.

Responsibilities

• Spend time in field wearing PPE, assisting on fire protection installations and inspections.
• Shadow project managers, designers, estimators, and sales staff through live jobs.
• Engage in accounting, billing, purchasing, and licensing functions.

Skills

Leadership experience

Willingness to travel

Willingness to relocate

Fluent in English

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Company: Columbia Safety Services, LLC

Program Length: 12 months, followed by placement into an operating company leadership role

Program Base: Seattle, WA

Rotation Locations: Seattle and Spokane, WA; Albany and Newport, OR; Greater Boise, ID; plus new markets as they open

Reports To: Vice President of Operations

Employment Type: Full-time, salaried, non-exempt (overtime eligible) during the program year

Bargaining Unit Status: Non-union

Travel: Extensive, including extended stays at branch locations throughout the program year

Relocation: Required at program completion, to the market where you are placed

About Columbia Safety Services

Columbia Safety Services is the parent company of a growing group of fire and life safety businesses across the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West:

• Columbia Fire, LLC — Seattle, WA
• Valley Fire Control, LLC — Albany and Newport, OR + Spokane, WA
• FFF Protection — Greater Boise, with an office in Nampa, ID

Our companies design, install, inspect, and service fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, suppression systems, portable extinguishers, and the life safety equipment that protects people and property. We grow both organically and through acquisition, and we are building a formidable platform for the long term.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

Why This Program Exists

We grow by acquisition. Every company we acquire needs leaders who understand two things at once: how the trade actually works in the field, and how the business makes money. That combination is rare, and we cannot hire it off the open market in the numbers we need.

So we are building it.

This program takes people who have already proven they can lead, moves them through every function of the business for a year, and places them into a leadership seat in one of our markets. You will not be handed a team on day one. You will earn credibility with people who have been doing this work for twenty years, and the only way to do that is to do the work alongside them.

What This Actually Looks Like

Twelve months. Multiple offices. Every function.

You will spend real time in the field wearing PPE — pulling wire on a fire alarm installation, running inspections, servicing kitchen suppression systems, working alongside sprinkler fitters. You will sit with dispatch and service coordinators. You will follow project managers, designers, and estimators through live jobs. You will ride with salespeople on customer calls. You will spend time in accounting, billing, purchasing, and licensing.

For a good portion of the year you will be the least knowledgeable person in the room. That is the point. The technicians and managers teaching you will decide fairly quickly whether you are serious. Show up early, ask real questions, and carry your own weight.

Rotation Areas

Field Operations

• Fire sprinkler installation and service
• Fire alarm installation, service, and programming
• Inspection, testing, and maintenance across system types
• Suppression systems and portable fire extinguishers

Operations and Delivery

• Dispatch and service coordination
• Project management
• Design and estimating
• Purchasing and material management
• Safety

Commercial

• Sales and customer relationships
• Proposal and bid development
• Inspection and service agreement growth

Business and Back Office

• Accounting, billing, and collections
• Licensing and compliance
• Recruiting and onboarding
• Reporting and business systems

Executive Exposure and Special Assignments

You will report to the Vice President of Operations and meet regularly with the Columbia Safety Services executive team.

Throughout the year you will be given assignments that go beyond learning: market analysis, acquisition diligence support, process build-out, margin and pricing review, and operational problems that need a fresh set of eyes. These are real deliverables presented to real decision-makers. How you handle them will shape where you land.

What Comes Next

The purpose of this program is to place you into a leadership role at the end of it.

Late in the program year you will tell us which market you want to build your career in, and we will work toward a leadership position in that location. The level depends on your performance, the needs of the business, and what seats are open. It may be a division or department leadership role. In the right circumstances it could be more.

We will be straightforward with you: this program is a substantial investment on our part, and no specific title or position is guaranteed at the end of it. Employment remains at-will. What we commit to is a serious year of development, honest feedback throughout, and every intention of placing you in leadership if you earn it.

Who We're Looking For

We are actively recruiting transitioning military officers and senior noncommissioned officers. The reason is straightforward: military leaders arrive with the part that is hardest to teach — accountability, decision‑making under pressure, the ability to lead people who did not choose you, and a bias toward action. We can teach fire protection. We cannot teach that.

The program is also open to strong candidates from other backgrounds who bring comparable leadership experience.

You are probably a fit if you:

• Have led teams and been accountable for their performance and their welfare
• Are comfortable being new, and being coached by people without your credentials
• Learn quickly and take notes
• Hold high standards without arrogance
• Want to run something, and understand that starts with understanding it
• Are willing to move for the right opportunity

You are probably not a fit if you:

• Expect a management title before you have earned field credibility
• Consider a year in work boots beneath your experience
• Want a defined role with clear boundaries
• Need to be the expert in the room to be comfortable
• Are unwilling to travel heavily or relocate

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, service as a commissioned officer or senior noncommissioned officer, or equivalent leadership experience
• Documented record of leading teams and delivering results
• Willingness to travel extensively, including extended stays at branch locations
• Willingness to relocate to one of our markets at program completion
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Ability to wear standard PPE, climb ladders, work at heights, lift up to 50 lbs, and work on active jobsites and in occupied buildings
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Ability to pass a background check and pre‑employment drug screen

No fire protection or construction experience is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4–10 years of leadership experience
• Military leadership experience, particularly with maintenance, engineering, logistics, or facilities responsibility
• Budget, P&L, or resource management accountability
• Multi-site or geographically dispersed team experience
• Strong analytical and written communication skills
• Eligibility for DoD SkillBridge or a comparable military transition program

Compensation

• Annual salary: $85,000 – $100,000, depending on experience and leadership background
• Classification: full-time, salaried, non-exempt during the program year. Hours are tracked, and overtime is paid for hours worked over 40 in a workweek — which matters, because field rotations regularly run long.
• Travel and lodging covered during rotations; relocation support provided at placement
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Regence BlueShield, Delta Dental of Washington, and VSP — available to employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week, effective the first of the month following or coinciding with your hire date
• The company pays approximately 90% of the employee premium on the HSA‑qualified medical plan, plus a substantial share of dependent premiums
• Health Savings Account with a $600 annual company contribution
• 401(k) with Safe Harbor employer match up to 3.5%
• Paid time off starting at 10 days annually and increasing with length of service
• Company‑paid basic life and AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program, telehealth access, and optional pet insurance
• Company vehicle or vehicle allowance during field rotations, and a company laptop and technology package
• Paid training, certifications, and continuing education
• Full-time, Monday through Friday, with field rotations following branch and crew schedules — early starts are normal
• Occasional after‑hours, on‑call, or weekend work during field and service rotations
• Extended travel with stays at branch locations across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and new markets
• Work performed in offices, commercial buildings, mechanical and riser rooms, active construction sites, and commercial kitchens
• Regular use of PPE, ladders, and lifts

Why This Program Works

• Twelve months of paid, structured exposure to every function of a multi‑state contractor
• Direct reporting to the Vice President of Operations and regular access to the executive team
• Real assignments with real stakes, not observation
• A defined path toward a leadership seat in a growing company
• An industry that is stable, code‑driven, and genuinely about protecting people and property
• Backed by a group building for the long term

Columbia Safety Services, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.

Employment with Columbia Safety Services is at‑will and may be terminated by either party at any time, with or without cause or notice, consistent with applicable law.