Group Head of Fire Engineering

PM GROUP; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international engineering firm seeks a Group Head of Fire Engineering to define strategies and ensure compliance across projects. The role involves managing multiple projects, liaising with various stakeholders, and promoting safety culture. Ideal candidates will have extensive leadership experience and a strong engineering background.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of leadership experience in engineering, fire engineering, or architecture.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with clients, insurers, and project teams to define fire engineering deliverables.
• Develop fire engineering strategies and produce technical reports.
• Oversee compliance with regional building regulations and codes.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Management

Interpersonal Skills

Decision-Making

Time Management

Education

Level 8 qualification in Engineering

Level 8 qualification in Fire Engineering

Level 8 qualification in Architecture

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Overview

PM Group is a leading international engineering, architecture, project, and construction management firm. With offices across Europe, Asia, and the US, and a team of 3,500 multidisciplinary professionals, we deliver complex capital projects in sectors such as life sciences, food and beverages, mission-critical/ICT, advanced manufacturing, energy, and environmental sectors.

To support our business growth and the expansion of PM Group Design Projects globally, we seek to appoint a Group Head of Fire Engineering. This role reports to the Group Head of Design, Health, and Safety, supporting all PM Group operations.

This senior role involves defining strategies, liaising with sub-consultants, insurers, design houses, and operators to ensure compliance with local and project-specific requirements. The ideal candidate should be self-driven, capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously, and passionate about advancing the capabilities of Fire Engineering within PM Group.

The position will be based in the UK or Ireland.

Responsibilities

1. Liaise with clients, insurers, and project teams to define Fire Engineering deliverables and responsibilities.
2. Initiate pre-consultation meetings with the Fire Certificate permitting authorities.
3. Understand building functions for compliance and associated risks, translating these into strategy documents.
4. Develop fire engineering strategies using engineering principles and produce technical reports.
5. Apply national and international standards, including TGD B (Ireland), BS (UK), NFPA, and IBC codes.
6. Integrate client and insurer requirements with local codes and regulations.
7. Define RACI matrices for fire compliance and translate them into the Basis of Safety, executed by Fire Engineering Co-Coordinators and Project Managers.
8. Oversee compliance with regional building regulations and codes.
9. Manage relationships and contracts with regional sub-consultants and authorities.
10. Lead fire engineering reviews, project meetings, and liaise with design teams to ensure a comprehensive project lifecycle approach.
11. Promote a safety culture across projects.
12. Develop relationships within client teams and with sub-consultants.
13. Support global design teams to ensure fire engineering aspects are integrated across all projects, including managed services.
14. Document best practices across regions.
15. Travel as needed to client or project sites locally and internationally.

Core Competencies

A broad knowledge of fire protection core competencies and their connection to engineering design and building compliance is essential. Typical specialisms include:

• Codes and regulations
• Compartmentation
• Fire resistance and flame spread
• Firefighting requirements
• Clean agent suppression
• Egress and explosion protection
• Fire alarm, detection, and signaling systems
• Passive fire protection
• Performance-based design and analysis
• Process fire safety
• Smoke control systems
• Structural protection
• Sprinkler systems (wet, dry, preaction, foam)

This role may involve working on projects aligned with your core competencies, whether in fire engineering, project engineering, architecture, or general engineering design. It is a global role focused on strategy and risk management within PM Group's design operations.

Fire Engineering is one of seven workstreams for safe asset delivery, alongside:

• Technical Integrity
• Process Safety
• Fire Engineering
• Construction
• Commissioning
• Operable and Maintainable
• Decommissioning

Qualifications

• Level 8 qualification in Engineering, Fire Engineering, or Architecture
• 10+ years of leadership experience in these fields
• Chartered status preferred but not mandatory
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Proposal and commercial management experience is advantageous
• Strong communication, management, and interpersonal skills
• Self-starter with decision-making capabilities and a strong work ethic
• Effective time management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams)

We are committed to inclusivity, corporate responsibility, and sustainability, aligning with our 2025 business strategy. We value diversity and are dedicated to fair hiring practices, providing accommodations for candidates with disabilities as needed.