Fire Alarm Engineer 3

M.C. Dean, Inc.; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 104,000 - 156,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

A competitive salary

Medical, dental, vision, life, anddisb

Paid‑time off

Tuition reimbursement

401k Retirement Plan

Military Reserve pay offset

Paid maternity leave

Job summary

M.C. Dean, Inc. is seeking a Fire Alarm Engineer 3 in the Bethesda area to manage the full lifecycle of fire detection and alarm projects, including design, fabrication, pretesting, installation and commissioning.

You will produce code‑compliant deliverables and shop drawings, using REVIT and AutoCAD, and mentor junior engineers. Applicants must have strong knowledge of NFPA 72 and related standards, as well as the ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders across healthcare, data centers,

Qualifications

• B.S. in Electrical or Fire Protection Engineering with 5+ years of experience.
• 2+ years of experience in the design and review of Fire Protection.
• Experience in developing plans and specifications for a wide variety of Fire Alarm.
• Knowledge of NFPA and building codes; experience with plan reviewers & AHJs
• Life safety design knowledge plus programming and commissioning of FA systems; Notifier & VESDA a plus.
• Fluent in ACAD / Revit or other design tools.
• Performs complete system layout per code, battery calculations and sequence of operations/scripts; field experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design of Fire Alarm & Detection, Supervising Station and Mass Notification Systems
• Design of Special hazard suppression systems
• Maintain design standards and processes for Life Safety Group
• Consult with architects, engineers and clients on Building/Fire Code & Standards including negotiating with Fire Marshals and Building Officials

Skills

Client facing

Team orientation

Multitasking

Schedule & budget ownership

Integrity

Quality awareness

Technical leadership

Education

B.S. in Electrical or Fire Protection Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Notifier

VESDA

Job description

Overview

About M.C. Dean

M.C. Dean is Building Intelligence. We design, build, operate, and maintain cyber-physical solutions for the nation’s most mission-critical facilities, secure environments, complex infrastructure, and global enterprises. With over 7,000 employees, our capabilities span electrical, electronic security, telecommunications, life safety, automation and controls, audiovisual, and IT systems. Headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, M.C. Dean delivers resilient, secure, and innovative power and technology solutions through engineering expertise and smart systems integration.

Why Join Us?

Our people are passionate about engineering innovation that improves lives and drives impactful change. Guided by our core values—agility, expertise, and trust—we foster a collaborative and forward-thinking work environment. At M.C. Dean, we are committed to building the next generation of technical leaders in electrical, engineering, and cybersecurity industries.

Fire Alarm Engineer 3

A Fire Alarm Engineer 3 handles all the life cycle of any fire detection and alarm project: design, fabrication, pretesting, installation and commissioning. The Fire Alarm Engineer 3 provides both a code compliant set of deliverables, and shop drawings to achieve the intent of design in construction. They have vast experience in the use of REVIT and AUTOCAD. They understand that requirements for these systems are driven by Building, Life Safety Codes, jurisdiction‑specific mandates, and owner specifications and are able to shape a project life safety requirement from these. They are able to produce Basis of Design Narratives, and Specifications for projects in many occupancy types, including health care, transit, data centers, and federal projects that also include healthcare and aircraft hangars. They are comfortable in design‑build projects, and are able to produce and update a schedule, and respect a budget. They are capable to mentor junior engineers. They should master the use of NFPA 72 and other applicable standards. Fire Alarm Engineer 3 has mastered the basics of fire protection and have large experience in fire detection projects but also have experience with the other two pillars of fire protection: suppression and containment. They understand a fire detection and alarm system provides emergency control functions that interface with most other construction trades, and are prepared to commission complex projects. A Fire Alarm Engineer 3 at M.C. Dean is also able to produce artifacts and plans to transition the engineering phase and follow through fabrication, PITCO, and onsite Commissioning. They are responsible to provide training on the operations and maintenance of the system and produce all close‑out documentation.

Clearance/Citizen Type:

Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements including U.S. citizenship for access to classified information.

(Ability to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance required.)

Responsibilities

• Design of Fire Alarm & Detection, Supervising Station and Mass Notification Systems


• Design of Special hazard suppression systems.


• Maintain design standards and process for Life Safety Group.


• Consult with architects, engineers and other clients on Building/Fire Code & Standards including negotiating with Fire Marshals and Building Officials

Traits / Qualities

• Client facing


• Works well in team environment


• Capable of working on multiple tasks / assignments and can prioritize work


• Takes ownership of schedule & budget as it relates to engineering and design deliverables


• High integrity


• Quality awareness


• Demonstrate technical leadership, providing resolution to technical issues either through own knowledge or by coordination with Subject Matter Expert

We offer an excellent benefits package including:

• A competitive salary


• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance


• Paid‑time off


• Tuition reimbursement


• 401k Retirement Plan


• Military Reserve pay offset


• Paid maternity leave

Qualifications

Education / Technical & Experience:

• B.S. in Electrical or Fire Protection Engineering with 5 + years of experience;


• Minimum of 2+ years of experience in the design and review of Fire Protection.


• Experience in developing plans and specifications for a wide variety of Fire Alarm.


• Intimate knowledge of NFPA and building codes; experience with working with plan reviewers & AHJs


• General life safety design knowledge along with programming and commissioning of FA systems; experience with Notifier & VESDA is a plus.


• Fluent in ACAD / Revit or other design tools;


• Performs complete system layout in accordance with code, battery calculations and develop sequence of operations / scripts for complete FA systems; and


• Prior hands on field experience is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Possess NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level II or Pass exam within 90 days of employment.


• Possess NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level III (Preferred)

Abilities:

• Exposure to computer screens for an extended period of time.


• Sitting for extended periods of time.


• Reach by extending hands or arms in any direction.


• Have finger dexterity in order to manipulate objects with fingers rather than whole hands or arms, for example, using a keyboard.


• Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.


• Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.


• Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.


• Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.


• Identify and understand the speech of another person.

Pay Range

USD $104,240.00 - USD $156,360.00 /Yr.