Senior Fire Protection Engineer – Life Safety & NFPA Expert
Position Summary
The Senior Fire Protection Engineer serves as the technical subject matter expert (SME) on complex life safety code compliance, fire protection system architecture, and advanced performance-based design. This role leads the design, technical review, and performance modeling for major commercial, industrial, institutional, and high-hazard projects. The ideal candidate blends deep expertise in NFPA standards, International Building/Fire Codes (IBC/IFC), and performance modeling with strong cross-disciplinary engineering collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Code Consulting
Code & Life Safety Analysis: Perform complex life safety evaluations, egress analyses, building code classifications, and hazardous material storage reviews under IBC, IFC, and relevant NFPA standards.
Fire Protection System Design: Oversee or develop technical design specifications, schematics, and performance criteria for fire suppression (sprinkler, special hazards, foam, gaseous), fire alarm/mass notification, and smoke control systems.
Performance-Based Design: Conduct fire, smoke, and egress modeling using advanced computational tools (e.g., FDS, Pyrosim, Pathfinder) to solve non-prescriptive design challenges.
AHJ & Regulatory Negotiation: Lead technical presentations, code variances, and alternative method appeals (AMMR) with local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and fire marshals.
Project Execution & Engineering Review
Quality Assurance / Quality Control: Conduct high-level peer reviews of design drawings, hydraulic calculations, submittals, and spec packages produced by mid-level engineers and CAD designers.
Site Inspections & Forensic Engineering: Perform comprehensive field surveys, system commissioning oversight, acceptance testing, and forensic investigations of legacy systems or failure points.
Hazard Assessments: Conduct special hazard risk assessments, high-piled storage evaluations, and combustible dust/flammable liquid analysis.
Client Relations & Strategy
SME Consulting: Serve as the primary technical interface for architects, structural/MEP engineers, facility owners, and legal entities on high-stakes code and life safety questions.
Mentorship: Train and mentor junior/mid-level fire protection engineers and designers on code interpretation, hydraulic theory, and industry best practices.
Qualifications & Requirements
Education & Credentials
Education: Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering field from an ABET-accredited institution (Master’s degree preferred).
Licensure: Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Fire Protection Engineering required.
Certifications: NICET certifications (Water-Based Systems Layout, Special Hazards, or Fire Alarm Systems) or Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) are strong advantages.
Technical Experience & Expertise
Experience: 8–15+ years of progressive engineering experience in fire protection, life safety consulting, and system design.
NFPA Mastery: Expert working knowledge across core NFPA codes, including but not limited to NFPA 1, 10, 13, 14, 20, 24, 25, 30, 70, 72, 92, 101 (Life Safety Code), 400, and 5000.
Code Mastery: Deep understanding of regional amendments to the International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC).
Software Proficiency: Hands-on capability or technical oversight experience with FDS, Pyrosim, Pathfinder, HYENA/HydraCAD/AutoSPRINK, Bluebeam, and BIM/Revit workflows.
Key Competencies
Exceptional technical writing capabilities for code opinions, variance requests, and engineering reports.
Strong negotiation and communication skills when interfacing with AHJs, project stakeholders, and clients.
Ability to manage technical deliverables on multiple high-budget projects concurrently.
