Senior/Associate Fire Engineer - Expert Witness

JENSEN HUGHES; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fire safety consultancy in the UK is seeking a Fire Engineering Expert Witness to conduct investigations and provide expert testimony in legal disputes. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Fire Engineering, extensive experience in fire safety, and excellent communication skills to convey complex concepts to diverse audiences. This role offers a dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional development and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

33 days paid time off

Contributory pension scheme

Income protection scheme

Qualifications

• Degree in Fire Engineering or a relevant area.
• Established professional background in Fire Safety Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards Chartership.
• Experience in fire safety design for residential and commercial buildings.
• Extensive experience in fire engineering, with expert witness experience.
• Ability to explain complex technical concepts to lay audiences.

Responsibilities

• Conduct site-based investigations and analyse fire incidents.
• Review technical documentation including manuals and maintenance records.
• Provide preliminary verbal and/or written advice to clients.
• Prepare detailed reports for Court proceedings.
• Attend client meetings and provide expert evidence in Court.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Client facing experience

Team-player

Fire Safety Engineering expertise

Education

Degree in Fire Engineering

Job description

About the Role

Jensen Hughes are specialists in fire engineering, fire forensics and litigation. Within the litigation team, we comprise highly experienced consultants committed to delivering technical excellence for clients across the full spectrum of services. Our clients trust us to respond rapidly and deliver conclusive reports, robust evidence and expert testimony of the highest technical standard. Our unique collaborative approach and vast areas of expertise ensure clients benefit from a personal and professional service. As a Fire Engineering Expert Witness, you will assist and work on high profile projects and cases, specifically design and construction defects, cladding issues, internal fire safety defects etc. You will take a lead role with disclosure, research and report writing. You will have access to the firm's resources and know-how and have the opportunity to be involved in training and development. A key attraction of this role is that you will have the opportunity to be responsible for seeing a technical investigation through from beginning to end from initially collecting the evidence on site to preparing the final technical expert witness report and ultimately giving expert evidence in Court. You will provide impartial, evidence-based analysis and testimony in construction and legal disputes as well as regulatory investigations. You will work closely with solicitors, developers, and public bodies to deliver expert opinions grounded in UK and Irish fire safety legislation, standards, and engineering best practice. This role can be based from any of our UK or Ireland offices.

Responsibilities

• Conducting site-based investigations to record evidence and analyse fire incidents.
• Reviewing technical documentation that may include manuals and maintenance records.
• Consulting relevant standards, regulations and other published guidance.
• Providing the client with timely preliminary verbal and/or written advice in a form that can be readily understood by a layperson and ultimately a Judge.
• Preparing reports that may be in the form of a brief letter style report or in the form of a detailed, illustrated report for Court proceedings.
• Attending client meetings to discuss your investigation.
• Meeting with experts appointed by the other involved parties as part of the litigation process.
• Provide expert witness evidence in Court, which will involve being questioned in depth by a Barrister, who will have been briefed by a technical expert.

Qualifications

• Degree in Fire Engineering, or other relevant area.
• An established professional background in Fire Safety Engineering, including cladding and site experience.
• Chartered Engineer or working towards Chartership.
• Experience of fire safety design in residential apartment and commercial buildings including a knowledge of relevant fire safety design codes.
• Extensive experience in fire engineering, with expert witness experience in UK and/or Irish jurisdictions.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to legal and lay audiences.
• A team-player who can work effectively with colleagues at all levels.
• Client facing experience and the ability to understand and respond effectively to client needs.

Desirable Skills

• Prior involvement in high-profile litigation, tribunals, public inquiries, or regulatory investigations.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status with a recognised UK or Irish institution (e.g., IFE, Engineers Ireland).
• Membership in professional bodies such as the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) or Engineers Ireland.
• Experience with cross-border casework and multi-jurisdictional standards.

Our UK and Ireland Benefits Include:

• Private medical insurance
• 33 days paid time off with an additional day after 3 years
• Industry-leading contributory pension scheme
• 4x life assurance
• Income protection scheme
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Employee assistance programme
• Enhanced parental-related pay
• Recognition and reward programmes to celebrate team efforts
• Access to extensive technical training and resources

Supporting Your Work-Life Balance

• Flexible working hours and patterns including early Friday finish
• Flexible holiday use over Christmas/New Year
• Enhanced holiday entitlement after three years
• The option to carry over up to five unused holiday days into the next year

A Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Our benefits represent a meaningful investment in both our people and the future of Jensen Hughes. We regularly review our benefits programme to ensure it aligns with statutory requirements, market trends, and the needs of our team. Any modifications will be carefully considered to support our employees and the company's long-term goals.