Fire Protection Engineer

Location: Arlington, VA
Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Fire Protection Engineer for a contract-to-hire opportunity with our client in Arlington, VA. This position will be responsible for the design, engineering, and oversight of fire protection systems for commercial, industrial, and government facilities.

The ideal candidate will have strong technical expertise in fire suppression, sprinkler, and fire alarm systems, along with experience managing projects, performing quality reviews, and mentoring junior engineering staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the Designer of Record (DOR) for fire protection projects, overseeing design, schedules, budgets, quality control, and the preparation and stamping of construction documents.

• Design fire sprinkler, suppression, and fire alarm systems in accordance with NFPA, ICC, International Building Code (IBC), and International Fire Code (IFC) requirements.

• Perform hydraulic calculations, engineering studies, system evaluations, and technical analyses.

• Develop design layouts, specifications, calculations, and construction documentation.

• Coordinate with architects, engineers, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure project requirements are met.

• Conduct product research and assist with equipment and materials selection.

• Provide construction administration support, including field investigations, RFIs, change orders, and document reviews.

• Present technical findings, design recommendations, and project updates to clients and stakeholders.

• Perform quality control reviews at key project milestones to ensure compliance with applicable codes and standards.

• Mentor junior engineers and designers, providing technical guidance and reviewing deliverables.

• Manage multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment while maintaining project schedules and quality standards.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required.

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Fire Protection Safety Technology, or a related discipline.

• Minimum of 4 years of fire protection engineering design experience.

• Proficiency in Revit.

• Strong knowledge of NFPA standards, ICC codes, and applicable building and fire codes.

• Experience designing fire sprinkler, suppression, and fire alarm systems.

• Experience performing hydraulic calculations and preparing engineering design documents.

• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple project priorities.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license in any U.S. state, preferably with successful completion of the Fire Protection Engineering PE examination.

• Previous Department of Defense (DoD) or federal government project experience.

• Familiarity with Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC), federal energy standards, and government design requirements.

• Design-Build project experience and DBIA certification.

• Active security clearance or ability to obtain one.

• Previous experience serving as Designer of Record (DOR) on fire protection projects.

• Experience leading engineering teams and mentoring junior technical staff.