Technical Director / Director - Fire Engineering

WSP in the UK & Ireland; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP in the UK & Ireland is seeking a Technical Director – Fire Engineering to lead fire safety projects across the UK, from universities to high-rise towers. The candidate should possess a BSc/MSc in engineering and extensive experience in fire engineering consulting. Responsibilities include coordinating design reviews, presenting to authorities, and supporting professional development. This role offers the chance to work from major UK offices and promotes diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Extensive experience in fire engineering consulting.
• Ability to work from various UK offices.

Responsibilities

• Review and coordinate design information related to fire safety.
• Present designs to authorities and the Fire Service.
• Inform the design team on safety improvements.
• Participate in client updates and briefings.

Skills

Technical report writing

Project management

Team collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

BSc (BEng) or MSc (MEng) in Fire, Structural, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Technical Director – Fire Engineering

As a Technical Director, you’ll typically be working on a variety of projects at once, from a university in Scotland to a high‑rise residential tower in London, with plenty of international projects—all with the same goal of enabling innovative architectural design without compromising the fire safety of the building.

Key responsibilities:

• Review design information and coordinate with other WSP disciplines such as Facades, Acoustics, and Structures.
• Present designs to local authorities and the Fire Service.
• Inform the design team about changes that could increase building safety.
• Participate in client updates and team briefings.
• Assist the successful candidate toward professional registration via IFE and other professional organisations.

Professional development programme (supported by senior leadership):

• Technical report writing
• Team‑specific technical skills
• Project management (introduction and advanced)
• Influential communications
• Commercial concepts
• Collaborative team challenge
• Continuous Improvement

Candidate profile:

• BSc (BEng) or MSc (MEng) in Fire, Structural, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent.
• Extensive experience within the fire engineering consulting industry.
• Ability to work from any of our UK major offices.

We value diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. Please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments to support your application.