Fire Protection Sales Representative
- Compensation
- $81K–$110K / yr
- Location
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Junior
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Sales
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- You can take off a set of drawings and build a defensible number without help.
- You are comfortable in a union shop and you understand what union field labor rates do to a bid.
- You have margin discipline. You would rather no-bid than buy work at a number that hurts the field.
- You pick up the phone when a job goes sideways — early, with a plan, before the customer finds out from someone else.
- You are organized enough to run your own funnel, your own bid calendar, and your own follow-up without being chased.
- You are credible with a superintendent in the field and with an owner in a conference room, and you do not change who you are between the two.
- You are direct. You say what the real problem is, and you say it to the person who can fix it.
- High school diploma or GED.
- Three or more years in fire protection sales, estimating, or design, including direct responsibility for pricing water-based fire protection work.
- Demonstrated ability to complete a full quantity takeoff of a water-based fire protection system from a construction plan set, unassisted.
- Working knowledge of NFPA 13 (including NFPA 13R and 13D as applicable) sufficient to determine occupancy hazard classification, design density and area, and system type from drawings and specificatio
- Ability to read and coordinate architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical drawings.
- Familiarity with NFPA 25 as it applies to selling inspection, testing, deficiency repair, and service work.
- Proficiency with estimating software and spreadsheets, and the ability to build, explain, and defend a bid.
- Valid driver’s license and a driving record that is insurable for operation of a company vehicle.
- Legally authorized to work in the United States.
- Able to perform the physical requirements of site walks on active construction sites (see Schedule & Work Environment).
Nice to have
- NICET Level II or higher in Water-Based Systems Layout, or a Washington State Patrol Certificate of Competency (Level III or higher if you also stamp design work).
- Hands-on layout and design experience in AutoCAD-based fire sprinkler software (AutoSPRINK, HydraCAD, SprinkCAD, or comparable), including hydraulic calculations.
- Established Seattle-market relationships with general contractors, developers, or property management groups.
- Experience estimating with union labor rates and working under project labor agreements.
- Experience with Acumatica, HubSpot, ServiceTrade, ACC Build, Bluebeam, or comparable construction and CRM systems.
- Standpipe, fire pump, or special hazards experience; familiarity with fire alarm scope on combined bids.
- Familiarity with Seattle and King County permitting and plan review.
- Post-secondary coursework or a degree in construction management, engineering, or a related field — or equivalent experience. No degree is required for this position.
Full description
Position
Fire Protection Sales Representative
Company
Columbia Fire, LLC
Location
Seattle, Washington — in person, based at our Seattle office. This position is not remote or hybrid.
Reports To
Contract Division Manager
Employment Type
Full-time, salaried, exempt
Experience Level
Experienced. This is not an entry-level or trainee position. Fire protection experience is required.
Bargaining Unit
Non-union position. Columbia Fire is a Local 699 union sprinkler contractor and our fire sprinkler field positions are in the bargaining unit. This position is not.
Incentive Eligibility
Eligible for the Columbia Fire Standard Sales Incentive Plan (commission). See Compensation.
Travel
Daily local travel throughout greater Seattle and the Puget Sound region. Occasional overnight travel as Columbia Fire bids work in markets outside Seattle.
ABOUT COLUMBIA FIRE
Columbia Fire, LLC is a Seattle-based fire protection contractor founded in 2005. We design, install, inspect, test, service, and repair fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems for general contractors, developers, building owners, and property managers across the Puget Sound region. We are a Local 699 union sprinkler contractor.
Columbia Fire is part of Columbia Safety Services, LLC, a multi-state regional fire and life safety company. Our operating companies and offices:
- Columbia Fire, LLC — Seattle, WA
- Valley Fire Control, LLC — Albany and Newport, OR, and Spokane, WA, with an office in St Maries, ID
- FFF Protection — Greater Boise, with an office in Nampa, ID
We are building something long-term and formidable: a fire and life safety platform that operates well, invests in its people, and keeps its word. 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 ROLE EXISTS
Today, bid coverage in Seattle is set by capacity rather than by choice. Takeoff and estimating sit with a small group and with operations leaders who already carry full workloads, so the bids that get answered are the ones that fit in the gaps. Work we should win gets no-bid, gets priced late, or gets priced by someone who never walked the building. General contractors and owners we want a real relationship with get a number from us instead of a person.
This seat exists to own the front end of the fire sprinkler business in Seattle: find the work, walk it, take it off, price it, sell it, and hand a clean and accurate scope to the project team. It is a sales seat — but a sales seat for someone who can do the technical work behind the number.