Fire Protection Engineer

Washington Headquarters Services; Blue Ridge Summit (PA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Recruitment incentives

Retention incentives

Job summary

Washington Headquarters Service in Adams County, PA seeks a Senior Fire Protection Engineer to serve as the technical authority for fire protection design, criteria development, review, and acceptance activities for mission-critical facilities.

The role involves planning, analyzing, designing, and overseeing facility repair, upgrade projects to ensure life safety, system reliability, and mission continuity, coordinating with internal teams, A-E firms, contractors, and leadership.

Qualifications

• PE license preferred.
• One year of specialized experience at GS-13 level equivalents in fire protection design, review and acceptance of complex systems.
• Experience developing or revising fire protection design criteria and directing multi-discipline design efforts.

Responsibilities

• Lead fire protection design authority for complex projects with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Establish and maintain fire protection design criteria and sign/seal designs requiring PE certification.
• Review and approve designs and test plans for compliance with UFC, NFPA, IBC and related standards.
• Oversee acceptance testing and maintain complete technical records for fire protection work.
• Provide senior technical leadership and coordinate with A-E firms, contractors, and external agencies.

Skills

Fire protection engineering

Life-safety systems

Leadership

Education

ABET-accredited degree in fire protection engineering or related field

Job description

Position Title: Fire Protection Engineer

Agency: Department of War, Washington Headquarters Service

Series/Grade: GS-0804-13

Salary Range: $121,785 – $158,322

Appointment Type: Permanent

Duty Location: Adams County, PA

About the Role & Mission:

Washington Headquarters Service is seeking a Senior Fire Protection Engineer to serve as the technical authority for fire protection design, criteria development, review, and acceptance activities in support of highly sensitive, mission-critical facilities. In this role, the selected candidate will provide specialized engineering expertise to plan, analyze, design, and oversee facility repair, improvement, and upgrade projects, ensuring the highest levels of life safety, system reliability, and mission continuity.

About the Hiring Agency:

Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) provides essential administrative, operational, and facility support to the Office of the Secretary of War, the Joint Staff, and other Department of War components. This position is located within the Engineering Plans and Services organization and plays a key role in maintaining the integrity and readiness of critical infrastructure.

The Role in Action:

• Lead Fire Protection Design Authority: Serve as the technical expert on fire protection systems for multi-disciplinary design efforts (Architectural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Environmental) for complex projects involving suppression, detection, alarm, and life-safety systems.
• Establish and Maintain Design Criteria: Develop, revise, and issue fire protection design criteria; sign and seal designs requiring professional engineering certification.
• Review & Approve Designs and Tests: Conduct comprehensive technical reviews and formal approval of in-house and Architect-Engineer (A-E) fire protection designs, Value Engineering proposals, and contractor test plans for compliance with UFC, IBC, NFPA, and applicable standards.
• Direct Acceptance Testing & Documentation: Oversee system acceptance testing, qualify field personnel, establish documentation requirements, and ensure complete technical records for all fire protection work.
• Provide Senior Technical Leadership: Represent the organization in coordination with internal engineering elements, A-E firms, contractors, and external agencies; resolve complex technical issues and brief senior leadership.

Key Attributes:

• Deep mastery of fire protection engineering principles, codes, and standards applied to complex, high-consequence facilities.
• Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary design efforts and serve as the final technical authority on life-safety systems.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred, with the ability to sign and seal fire protection designs.
• Strong judgment in applying or adapting criteria where unique mission-driven conditions exist.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for briefing senior officials, writing formal criteria, and coordinating across agencies and contractors.
• Mission-focused mindset with experience supporting high-reliability or continuity-of-operations environments.

Qualifications:

You may qualify at the GS-13 level if you possess:

• A current, valid Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level that demonstrates mastery in applying advanced fire protection engineering theories, principles, and practices to the design, review, and acceptance of complex fire protection systems.
• Experience developing or significantly revising fire protection design criteria, directing multi-discipline design efforts, and performing formal technical reviews and approvals of fire protection systems for compliance with UFC, NFPA, IBC, and related standards.
• Ability to serve as a senior technical advisor, resolve controversial or unprecedented engineering issues, and coordinate work across multiple organizations and contractors.
• A bachelor's degree (or higher) in fire protection engineering or a closely related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program (or equivalent combination of education and experience).

Incentives:

Relocation expense reimbursement, as well as recruitment and retention incentives, may be offered.

Conditions of Employment:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance based on a Special Background Investigation (SBI) and eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
• This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The incumbent must refrain from illegal drug use and may be subject to random urinalysis testing.
• This position is designated Mission Essential. The employee may be required to report for, or remain at, work during dismissal or closure situations.
• Must file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and annually thereafter.
• Occasional travel (up to 25%) may be required on military or commercial aircraft.
• Selective Service registration required if applicable.