Shop Hand Jobs

Position: Delivery Driver / Shop Hand

Company: Columbia Fire, LLC

Location: Seattle, WA (9520 10th Ave S) — in-person, with daily driving throughout the Puget Sound service territory. Not remote-eligible.

Reports To: Warehouse Manager

Employment Type: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt

Bargaining Unit Status: Non-union. Columbia Fire is a Local 699 contractor for fire sprinkler field work; this warehouse and delivery position is outside the bargaining unit.

Incentive Eligibility: Not eligible for bonus or commission

Travel: None outside the service territory. Local driving every day.

Experience Level: Entry-level. No prior warehouse, delivery, or fire protection experience required. We train.

About the Company

Columbia Fire, LLC is a Seattle-based fire protection contractor founded in 2005. We design, install, inspect, test, and service fire sprinkler systems, fire pumps, hydrants, and backflow prevention assemblies, and we are growing our fire alarm capability. We are a union contractor (Sprinkler Fitters Local 699) for sprinkler field work, and we take the quality of that work personally.

Columbia Fire is part of Columbia Safety Services, a multi-state regional fire and life safety company building something long-term and formidable across the Pacific Northwest:

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

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

Every sprinkler crew we run depends on the right pipe, fittings, hangers, and valves being on site before the crew needs them. When that material does not show up, a journeyman fitter stops installing and starts driving — to the shop, to a supply house, or across town to borrow from another job. That is the most expensive delivery driver in the company, and it is a hidden cost on every project where it happens.

Until now, deliveries, supplier pickups, and receiving have been split between the Warehouse Manager and whichever field hand could be spared. That no longer works. This seat exists so one person owns getting material from the supplier to the shop and from the shop to the crew, correctly and on time, and so the Warehouse Manager can run the warehouse instead of driving around it.

About the Role

You will drive a company flatbed (no CDL required) to job sites across the Puget Sound area, picking up from suppliers and delivering to our crews. Between runs you work in the shop: receiving what comes in, checking it against the purchase order, staging it for the job it belongs to, and keeping the yard and shop in a condition where anyone can find what they are looking for.

This is a hands-on, outdoor, on-your-feet job on Seattle construction sites and in a working warehouse. You will handle sprinkler pipe, fittings, hangers, valves, and the tools and equipment that go with them. You will learn what the material is, what it is for, and which crew needs it next. Nobody will be standing over you most of the day, and the job rewards someone who notices what needs doing without being told.

This is an entry-level seat with a real path. Many of the people who run shops and crews in this trade started by delivering material to them. If you prove you can be trusted with the load, the vehicle, and the count, there is room to grow here — in the warehouse, or into the sprinkler apprenticeship.

What You'll Do

Essential Functions

• Load, secure, and deliver pipe, fittings, hangers, valves, tools, and equipment to active job sites using a company flatbed; strap and bind every load so it arrives undamaged and nothing shifts on the road.
• Pick up material from suppliers and vendors; verify the pickup against the purchase order before leaving the counter.
• Unload at the job site and place material where the foreman directs; confirm the delivery with the foreman and photograph the drop.
• Receive incoming shipments at the shop: check quantities and part numbers against the packing slip and purchase order, note shortages and damage the same day, and log receipts in the company's inventory and purchasing system (Acumatica).
• Stage material by job so each project's order is pulled, tagged, and ready to load the day before it is due.
• Operate a forklift and pallet jack to move pipe bundles, pallets, and equipment in the shop and yard.
• Perform daily pre-trip inspection of the truck and forklift; report defects immediately; keep the vehicle fueled, clean, and ready.
• Keep the shop, yard, and material racks organized, labeled, and clear of hazards.
• Work safely every shift: proper lifting, load securement, site check-in procedures, PPE, and forklift rules. Zero injuries and zero vehicle incidents are the standard, not the goal.

Other Duties

• Return job-site surplus and rental equipment to the shop or vendor and record what came back.
• Help the Warehouse Manager with periodic inventory counts and tool tracking.
• Run occasional non-material errands (permits, plans, parts) as directed.
• Help maintain shop tools and equipment: basic cleaning, cord and hose checks, and tagging anything that needs repair.
• Other duties as assigned by the Warehouse Manager.

Who You Are

• You are a careful driver. A flatbed load of pipe on I-5 is your responsibility and you treat it that way.
• You count. When the packing slip says 48 and the pallet has 46, you notice, and you say so before the truck leaves.
• You show up on time, every day, ready to work outside in whatever Seattle is doing that morning.
• You can read a material list, a packing slip, and a site address, and you can use a smartphone for delivery photos, texts, and directions.
• You like physical work and a shop that gets better because you were in it.
• You communicate: when a delivery is going to be late, the foreman hears it from you before the crew runs out of material.

Who Struggles Here

We would rather you find this out now than in month two.

• If you need a dispatcher handing you a sequenced route and a checklist every morning, this will not go well. You will get the day's deliveries and the priorities; the order you run them in is yours to work out.
• If you are not willing to strap, bind, and check your own load — and stand behind it on the freeway — this is not the job.
• If your instinct is to drop material at the gate and leave, rather than find the foreman and put it where the crew needs it, you will frustrate every crew we have.
• If a bent fitting or a short count feels like somebody else's problem, you will fail in this role. What arrives on site is your work product.
• If you cannot be on your feet, lifting, and outdoors for most of a shift, tell us now.
• If you need a finished, written procedure for receiving, staging, and delivery handed to you on day one, that is not what this is. The basics exist; the details are still being built, and you will help build them by doing the work and telling the Warehouse Manager what is not working.

Compensation

The posted pay range for this position is $24.00 to $30.00 per hour. Pay is set within two tiers based on demonstrated capability, not tenure, and advancement between tiers is based on what you can do:

• Shop Hand — $24.00 to $27.00 per hour. Entry tier. Valid driver's license and an insurable driving record at hire; forklift certification within 45 days of hire (company-paid); learns the material, the job sites, and the receiving process.
• Senior Shop Hand — $27.00 to $30.00 per hour. Unlocked by: forklift certified; receives and stages orders in the inventory system without supervision; can pull a sprinkler material order from a job list and know what is missing; at least six months of on-time deliveries with no damaged loads and no preventable vehicle incidents.

This position is not eligible for bonus or commission. All hours are paid at your hourly rate, with overtime paid in accordance with Washington law. A company delivery vehicle is provided for work use; it is not a take-home vehicle.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision through Regence BlueShield, Delta Dental of Washington, and VSP — available to employees scheduled 30+ hours per week, effective the first of the month following or coinciding with hire
• Company pays approximately 90% of the employee premium on the HSA-qualified plan, plus a substantial share of dependent premiums (75% on the HDHP, 60% on the PPO)
• HSA with $600 annual company contribution (HealthEquity)
• 401(k) through Vestwell with QACA Safe Harbor employer match up to 3.5%
• PTO starting at 10 days, increasing with length of service
• Eight paid holidays
• Company-paid basic life and AD&D ($20,000)
• EAP (SupportLinc), telehealth (Doctor on Demand), optional pet insurance
• Paid training and certifications, including forklift certification
• Company-provided PPE and the tools needed for the job

Benefits are summarized here and are governed by the plan documents, which are provided during hiring.

Schedule, Work Environment & Physical Requirements

Schedule. Monday through Friday, typically 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Start times move earlier when a job site has a morning delivery window or a crane pick, and some days run long. Occasional overtime. No on-call and no weekend work in the normal course of the job.

Driving. Daily driving throughout the Puget Sound service territory in a company flatbed under 26,001 lbs GVWR (no CDL required), including downtown Seattle job sites with tight loading zones, parking garages, and heavy traffic. This is local driving; there is no overnight travel.

Environment. Working warehouse, outdoor yard, supplier counters, and active construction sites. Outdoors in all weather — rain, cold, heat, and wind. Concrete floors, uneven ground, noise, dust, and moving equipment. Hard hat, safety glasses, high-visibility vest, and work boots are required on site.

Physical requirements, tied to the essential functions above. Lift and carry 50 lbs unassisted repeatedly through a shift; move loads up to 100 lbs with a second person or mechanical assist (pipe bundles, valve crates, hanger boxes); climb on and off a flatbed deck; throw and tighten straps and chain binders; stand and walk for most of the shift; bend, kneel, reach overhead, and work in confined loading areas; operate a forklift and pallet jack; drive for extended periods; see and hear well enough to operate a vehicle and forklift safely around people and equipment. With or without reasonable accommodation, the person in this role must be able to perform these essential functions.

What Success Looks Like

This role works when the field never thinks about it. Specifically:

• By 90 days: forklift certified; knows every active job site, its check-in procedure, and its foreman; no late deliveries attributable to you; receipts logged the same day they arrive.
• By one year: the shop and yard are organized well enough that anyone can find material without asking; the truck and forklift inspections happen without being reminded; zero vehicle incidents and zero injuries; foremen call you directly because they trust what shows up and when.
• The measure we care about most: how often a fitter leaves a job to go get material. That number should go to zero, and stay there.

Do this well and we would rather promote you out of this role in a few years than keep you in it.

Minimum Qualifications

• No prior experience required. This is an entry-level position (0 years).
• Valid driver's license at hire and a driving record that is insurable under the company's commercial auto policy. A Washington driver's license is required within 30 days of hire if you hold one from another state.
• Ability to read and follow a material list, packing slip, and purchase order; count accurately; and write legible receiving notes.
• Ability to use a smartphone for navigation, delivery photos, and text communication with foremen and the Warehouse Manager.
• Ability to obtain forklift operator certification within 45 days of hire (company-paid, provided on site).
• Ability to perform the physical requirements described in Section 3, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Reliable attendance for a 6:30 a.m. start.

Licenses & Certifications

• Valid driver's license — required at hire.
• Forklift (powered industrial truck) operator certification — required within 45 days of hire; company-paid.
• No CDL required. The delivery vehicle is a flatbed under 26,001 lbs GVWR.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior delivery, warehouse, parts counter, or materials-handling experience.
• Current forklift certification.
• Experience handling pipe, fittings, valves, or other construction materials; familiarity with fire sprinkler or plumbing material is a plus but is not expected.
• Experience securing flatbed loads with straps and chain binders.
• Familiarity with Seattle-area construction sites and job-site check-in practices.
• Experience with an inventory or purchasing system (Acumatica or similar).

Other Requirements

• Valid driver's license and an insurable driving record, as a company vehicle is operated daily.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

How to Apply

Apply through this posting with a résumé or a short work history. A résumé is not required if you do not have one — tell us where you have worked, what you did, and why this job interests you. Candidates who move forward will be asked to walk through how they would secure a flatbed load and what they would do when a delivery is going to be late.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Columbia Fire, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status, use of a trained service animal, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

All employment decisions — including recruiting, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, and discipline — are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

Reasonable Accommodation

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of this position, please contact us and we will work with you to identify an appropriate accommodation.

At-Will Employment

Employment with Columbia Fire, LLC is at-will. Either the employee or the company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Nothing in this job description or posting creates a contract of employment or a guarantee of employment for any specific duration.