Principal Fire Protection Engineer

CTS Complete Technical Services; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

CTS Complete Technical Services seeks a Principal HSED Engineer - Fire Protection to lead fire protection design across Pre-FEED, FEED and Detailed Design for oil & gas projects. You will develop P&IDs, layouts, and safety studies, coordinating with global teams and subcontractors to deliver compliant, practical solutions.

The role requires a PE license in TX/LA and 6+ years in fire protection engineering within oil & gas, LNG, refining or petrochemicals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; Fire Protection Engineering is preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas and/or Louisiana.
• Minimum of six (6) years of fire protection engineering experience in the oil and gas industry.
• Strong communication skills interfacing with clients, contractors and teams.
• Proficiency with fire protection software and engineering tools used for design, studies and calculations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver fire protection designs, studies, specifications, calculations, and drawings across project phases.
• Prepare and support fire protection deliverables including P&IDs, layouts, equipment location plans, envelopes and documentation.
• Develop and review safety studies: fire protection, fire hazard analysis, electrical area classification, fire water demand.
• Provide technical leadership and apply fire protection principles for safe project design.
• Coordinate with clients, contractors and global teams on deliverables and requirements.
• Support field surveys and incorporate field information into deliverables.

Skills

Fire protection design

Project engineering leadership

Technical communication

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Process safety knowledge (advantageous

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Fire Protection Engineering preferred

Job description

The Principal HSED Engineer - Fire Protection provides technical leadership and subject-matter expertise in fire protection engineering for oil and gas projects through Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design phases. The role is responsible for developing and delivering safe, compliant, practical, and technically sound fire protection solutions while supporting the overall execution of project engineering activities.

This position leads the development of fire protection engineering designs, studies, specifications, calculations, and drawings; coordinates with multidisciplinary and global project teams; manages specialty study subcontractors; and interfaces with clients and contractors. Knowledge of process safety engineering is advantageous and supports the integration of fire protection requirements into broader project safety and design objectives.

Functional Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver fire protection engineering designs, studies, specifications, calculations, and drawings across applicable project phases.
• Prepare and support fire protection system deliverables, including P&IDs, fire and detection layouts, equipment location plans, fire exposed envelopes, and related engineering documentation.
• Develop and review safety studies associated with fire protection, including fireproofing studies, fire hazard analysis, electrical area classification, and fire water demand calculations.
• Apply fire protection engineering principles to develop practical solutions that support safe project design and execution.
• Provide technical expertise in fire protection engineering and contribute process safety knowledge where applicable.
• Review engineering information and project requirements to ensure fire protection deliverables are technically appropriate and aligned with project objectives.
• Support field surveys and incorporate relevant field information into engineering evaluations and deliverables.

Leadership / Management Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership for fire protection engineering activities throughout Pre-FEED, FEED, and Detailed Design.
• Lead project planning, staffing, scheduling, and technical execution for assigned fire protection engineering scope.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary and global engineering teams to support safe and effective project delivery.
• Manage specialty study subcontractors, including providers supporting blast, noise, and other applicable technical studies.
• Interface with clients and contractors on fire protection engineering requirements, technical matters, deliverables, and project execution needs.
• Provide technical direction and support to project team members and help resolve fire protection engineering issues as they arise.
• Support team coordination and execution to maintain alignment between technical requirements, schedules, and project priorities.

Compliance / Operational Responsibilities:

• Support regulatory compliance associated with fire protection engineering and project design requirements.
• Conduct field surveys as required to support engineering development, verification, and project execution.
• Promote safe, compliant, and practical fire protection solutions throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate fire protection requirements with other engineering disciplines to support integrated project design.
• Maintain technical quality and consistency of fire protection engineering deliverables.
• Support project execution in accordance with applicable engineering requirements, client expectations, and project objectives.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; Fire Protection Engineering is preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas and/or Louisiana, with the ability to obtain additional professional registrations as required.
• Minimum of six (6) years of fire protection engineering experience in the oil and gas industry.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to interface effectively with clients, contractors, multidisciplinary teams, and global engineering resources.
• Proficiency with fire protection software and engineering tools used to support design, studies, calculations, and technical deliverables.

Role Specific Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong knowledge of fire protection engineering principles and their application to oil and gas facilities.
• Experience developing fire protection designs, studies, specifications, calculations, drawings, P&IDs, and fire and detection layouts.
• Experience with fireproofing studies, fire hazard analysis, electrical area classification, and fire water demand calculations.
• Experience supporting onshore and/or offshore facilities, LNG, refining, and petrochemical projects.
• Knowledge of process safety engineering is advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to lead project engineering activities, including planning, staffing, scheduling, and technical execution.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary and global engineering teams.
• Experience managing specialty technical study subcontractors and interfacing with clients and contractors.
• Strong technical leadership, communication, coordination, and team-management capabilities.

Additional Information:

• Candidates must be U.S. citizens. U.S. citizenship is required for this position.