Fire Protection Engineer

Actalent; Bethesda (MD); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent in Bethesda, MD is seeking a Fire Protection Engineer to review, inspect, and guide fire protection and life safety systems across a large campus of about 50 buildings. The role offers a hybrid schedule, blending on-campus collaboration with remote work to support work-life balance.

You will lead design reviews, conduct construction inspections, issue occupancy permits, and coordinate with architects, engineers, and the campus fire marshal to ensure codes and standards are met.

Qualifications

• PE license required.
• Minimum 2+ years of engineering, fire protection, or related field.
• BS degree in engineering.
• Hands-on NFPA experience (NFPA 30, NFPA 35).
• Experience reviewing architectural, engineering, fire alarm, and fire sprinkler drawings.
• Experience with permitting and design review for fire protection and life safety.
• Construction inspections experience.
• Familiarity with NFPA standards for complex facilities.
• Proficiency with Revit and AutoCAD for reviewing design documents.
• Experience with piping and plumbing design in building systems.
• Familiarity with IEC codes.

Responsibilities

• Review designs and fire protection shop drawings for 50+ buildings on campus.
• Conduct construction inspections to verify code compliance.
• Issue final occupancy permits after confirming life safety requirements.
• Witness and document acceptance tests for fire alarm and sprinkler systems.
• Evaluate existing building conditions via life safety and hazard surveys.
• Provide guidance using NFPA codes (NFPA 30, NFPA 35).
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, and campus stakeholders.
• Support permitting activities and ensure documents meet codes.
• Coordinate with fire marshal and internal team on fire protection strategy.
• Use Revit and AutoCAD to review piping and plumbing designs.

Skills

PE license

NFPA codes

Revit

AutoCAD

Life safety

Mechanical systems

2+ years engineering

Design review

Piping design

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Job description

Job Title: Fire Protection Engineer

Job Description

This Fire Protection Engineer role offers a hybrid work schedule that allows you to split your time between on-campus and remote work, supporting a healthy work-life balance. You will play a key role in reviewing, inspecting, and guiding fire protection systems and life safety measures across a large, complex campus of approximately 50 buildings. The position involves little to no travel beyond the campus itself and provides the opportunity to contribute to impactful projects in a collaborative, close-knit engineering team environment.

Responsibilities

• Review architectural and engineering designs, as well as fire protection system shop drawings, for more than 50 buildings on a large campus.
• Conduct construction inspections for new and existing facilities to verify compliance with applicable codes and standards.
• Issue final occupancy permits after confirming that fire protection and life safety requirements are met.
• Witness and document acceptance tests for fire alarm and fire sprinkler system modifications and installations.
• Evaluate existing building conditions by performing life safety and hazard analysis surveys.
• Provide technical guidance and interpretations using various NFPA codes, including NFPA 30 and NFPA 35.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, and campus stakeholders to resolve fire protection and life safety issues.
• Support permitting activities and ensure design and construction documents align with relevant codes and standards.
• Coordinate with the fire marshal and internal engineering team to maintain consistent fire protection strategies across the campus.
• Use design and drafting tools such as Revit and AutoCAD to review and interpret piping and plumbing design documents.

Essential Skills

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Minimum of 2+ years of experience in engineering, fire protection, or a closely related field.
• Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in engineering in any discipline.
• Hands-on experience applying NFPA codes, including NFPA 30 and NFPA 35.
• Experience reviewing architectural, engineering, fire alarm, and fire sprinkler drawings.
• Experience with permitting processes and design review for fire protection and life safety systems.
• Experience conducting construction inspections related to fire protection and life safety.
• Mechanical engineering experience or experience working with mechanical systems in a building context.
• Familiarity with NFPA standards and their application to complex facilities.
• Proficiency with Revit and AutoCAD for reviewing and interpreting design documents.
• Experience with piping design and plumbing design in building systems.
• Familiarity with IEC standards or codes related to electrical and safety systems.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with additional NFPA codes beyond NFPA 30 and NFPA 35.
• Experience mentoring or leading other engineers or technical staff.
• Experience working in laboratory or hospital environments, particularly those involving hazardous chemicals.
• Experience with IEC codes and their application to building or safety systems.
• Experience stamping permits or working with egress system design and approval.