Fire Alarm Engineer

Gigaenergy; United States; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Subsidized health, dental, and vision

Equity (options)

401(k) with employer match

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

HSA/FSA

Commuter benefits

Periodic team on-sites

Job summary

Giga Energy is seeking a Fire Alarm Engineer to lead design and compliance for life-safety systems across our AI data center facilities. You will mentor junior staff, collaborate with project teams and clients, and ensure code-conformant, high-quality designs.

The role requires hands-on design ownership, experience with data center projects, and proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD. Travel to project sites and sites in hubs is expected, with remote work options available where appropriate.

Qualifications

• Experience designing fire alarm systems for data centers or mission-critical facilities.
• Strong knowledge of NFPA codes and life-safety standards.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and drafters.
• Proven ability to coordinate with multi-discipline teams and clients.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical design leadership for fire alarm and life-safety systems across data centers.
• Develop sequences of operation, equipment schedules, and device layouts.
• Coordinate with AHJs, clients and contractors to obtain approvals; address design issues.

Skills

Fire alarm design

Code compliance

Mentoring juniors

Client communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Job description

About Giga

Giga is building gigawatts of AI data centers to hasten a future of intelligence and abundance. We build data centers fast and at scale by combining the capabilities of an equipment supplier, engineering firm, general contractor, and real estate developer under one roof. Our team moves quickly and thinks practically. If you're ready to make an impact in an industry that matters, we're looking for people like you.

Why join Giga

• The Pace: We're building at a speed most companies talk about but never actually operate at. If you've been bored somewhere else, you won't be here.
• The Impact: Every person at Giga touches the work that matters. No layers, no waiting for approval chains. You'll see your fingerprints on what we ship.
• The Team: A team of operators defining the future of AI infrastructure. We recruit A-players from the most innovative companies in the world, and they choose Giga because the work here means more.
• The Moment: AI doesn't run without power, and that's us. Giga is the picks and shovels behind the AI revolution. This industry is about to explode, and you'll be in the room where it's already happening.

What you'll do

As Fire Alarm Engineer at Giga, you will provide technical design leadership and expertise for fire alarm systems, detection systems, smoke control systems, and life safety systems across our AI data center facilities. You'll work on multiple concurrent projects, ensuring technical excellence, design quality, and code compliance while mentoring junior staff and collaborating closely with project teams, clients, and authorities having jurisdiction. This is a hands-on specialist role for someone who wants real technical ownership and thrives in fast-paced, collaborative environments.

Where you'll work

This role is based in one of our offices (Houston, TX / Long Beach, CA / San Francisco, CA / Reno, NV) or fully remote. We work in person because the best engineering happens when smart people are in the same room. Some travel to active project sites and client meetings should be expected.

That said, we will make exceptions for truly exceptional talent if you live outside one of our hubs. If you're the right person for this role, we'll have a conversation about what works.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical design leadership for fire alarm systems, detection systems, smoke control systems, and life safety systems on data center and mission-critical facility projects
• Design fire alarm and detection systems using manufacturers' equipment and best practices appropriate for data center facilities
• Design detection and monitoring for lithium-ion battery energy storage and UPS battery systems, including off-gas detection, hydrogen monitoring, and thermal runaway response sequences
• Develop sequences of operation, equipment schedules, riser diagrams, and device layouts, and prepare and maintain fire alarm specifications
• Develop smoke control and management strategies aligned with facility operations and life safety requirements
• Perform quality control review of fire alarm and life safety systems drawings, ensuring technical accuracy, code compliance, and alignment with design intent
• Provide design guidance and markup comments on other engineers' and designers' submittals, explaining best practices based on real-world data center experience
• Ensure design compliance with IBC, IFC, NFPA 1, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, NFPA 72 Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, NFPA 75, NFPA 76, NFPA 92, NFPA 2001, NFPA 2010, NFPA 13, NFPA 855, and NFPA 70 (NEC), and with FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets as Owner design criteria
• Coordinate fire alarm and life safety system designs with mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, architectural, and fire protection disciplines
• Interface with clients, AHJs, and fire alarm contractors to convey and defend design intent, obtain approvals, and resolve technical issues
• Support field activities including site observation, acceptance testing with AHJs, and resolution of construction-phase issues
• Mentor junior engineers and drafters on fire alarm system design, code requirements, and best practices
• Participate in design reviews and quality assurance/quality control efforts across multiple concurrent projects

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of experience designing fire alarm systems
• NICET Fire Alarm Systems (FAS) Level III or IV certification
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field
• Experience working on Data Center projects
• Extensive knowledge and design experience with fire alarm systems and related manufacturers' equipment, including VESDA aspirating systems, VEWFD spot smoke detectors, and addressable panels
• Extensive knowledge and design experience with releasing service and suppression interlocks, including preaction and double-interlock preaction systems, clean agent systems, and generator and battery enclosure interfaces
• Extensive knowledge and design experience with lithium-ion battery hazards, including off-gas detection, hydrogen monitoring, and thermal runaway response sequences
• Proficiency in IBC, IFC, NFPA 1, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, NFPA 72 Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, NFPA 75, NFPA 76, NFPA 92, NFPA 2001, NFPA 2010, NFPA 13 and NFPA 855
• Knowledge and application of FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets as Owner design criteria
• Knowledge and application of NFPA 70 (NEC), including Article 760, and electrical design requirements for fire alarm and life safety systems
• Extensive design experience in data center fire alarm and life safety systems
• Field experience with fire alarm system installation, testing, and commissioning, including acceptance testing with AHJs
• Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD to produce complete construction documents — riser diagrams, device layouts, equipment schedules, and sequences of operation — including battery, voltage drop, and NAC and SLC circuit calculations
• Proven ability to self-check work, verifying cross-references between sheets, specifications, and sequences of operation, and confirming model numbers against manufacturers' data sheets
• Able to work with the Engineer of Record on design direction, incorporate review comments, and coordinate with drafters and other design disciplines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain design decisions to the Engineer of Record, clients, and AHJs
• Able to carry multiple concurrent design assignments and deliver on schedule without sacrificing quality
• Able to work with minimal day-to-day oversight, make decisions with available information, and move fast in a high-velocity environment

Bonus points

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification
• Experience estimating and scheduling mid-to-large-scale projects
• Experience in fire protection and plumbing design is a plus.
• Familiarity with hyperscale, colocation, and AI-focused data center facility requirements
• Texas project experience and familiarity with local AHJ processes

How We Work

We value people who take ownership, raise risks early, communicate directly, and follow through. Incomplete information is part of the job. Make the best decision you can, document it, and adjust as the facts change. Move quickly on reversible decisions and take more care when security, safety, financial, employee, or customer risk is involved.

Benefits

• Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
• Equity (options) in a rapidly growing startup
• 401(k) with 4% employer match
• Unlimited PTO
• Parental leave
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Commuter benefits, where applicable
• Opportunities to collaborate in person at periodic team and company on-sites

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Giga Energy is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.Giga Energy complies with all applicable labor laws, including the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and other relevant state and federal regulations. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage applicants who require accommodations during the hiring process to contact us.