Principal Fire Protection Engineer

Amentum; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off and holidays

Retirement benefits (401(k) matching)

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Employee stock purchase plan

Tax-saving options

Disability and life insurance

Pet insurance

Job summary

Amentum seeks a Principal Fire Protection Engineer to lead fire protection design, evaluation, and life-safety systems at the Oak Ridge, TN site. You will apply advanced fire science and performance-based design to complex facilities, advise clients, and guide internal teams on risk mitigation strategies.

You will mentor engineers and stay current with industry standards, codes, and best practices while delivering high-quality technical work across multidiscipline teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in fire protection engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with fire protection systems, hazard assessments, codes and regs.
• Experience leading complex technical assignments and multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Independently plan and execute complex fire protection engineering assignments.
• Lead small teams and technical work packages on projects and proposals.
• Develop, coordinate, review, and approve technical deliverables and reports.
• Resolve technical issues and escalate where needed with leadership or authorities.
• Lead interfaces with clients, vendors, and multidisciplinary teams, presenting issues and decisions.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers.
• Maintain technical expertise through industry standards, literature, and professional development.

Skills

Technical leadership

Technical writing

Communication

Client engagement

Mentoring

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering

PE license

CFPS certification

Bachelor's or Master's in Fire Protection Engineering

related engineering degree

Job description

Amentum delivers world-class solutions through the expertise, dedication, and collaboration of our people. We partner with our customers to solve complex challenges and are committed to fostering a workplace where employees can grow, succeed, and make a difference. We are currently seeking a Principal Fire Protection Engineers to support our Oakridge, TN site.

As a Principal Fire Protection Engineer, you will provide senior technical leadership and subject matter expertise in fire protection engineering to support the design, evaluation, and implementation of life safety systems. You will apply advanced fire science, performance-based design methodologies, and code analysis to complex facilities while advising clients and internal teams on risk mitigation strategies.

In this role, you will serve as a technical leader, mentor, and trusted advisor, helping ensure the successful delivery of projects while fostering the professional development of fire protection engineers and specialists.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently plan and execute complex fire protection engineering assignments within one or more primary technical areas, including:
• Fire detection, alarm, and emergency signaling systems
• Fire suppression and special hazards systems
• Fire water supply systems
• Fire codes, standards, and regulatory compliance
• Fire hazard analyses and assessments
• Fire safe shutdown evaluations
• Fire protection assessments
• Fire protection program support
• Lead small teams, defined scopes, or multi-deliverable technical work packages within larger projects, proposals, studies, modification packages, assessments, program activities, field-support efforts, and client-support assignments.
• Develop, coordinate, review, and approve technical deliverables, including calculations, design inputs, layouts, specifications, design basis documents, system narratives, cause-and-effect documentation, field review records, technical evaluations, assessments, reports, work plans, and technical correspondence.
• Resolve routine and complex technical issues within assigned scopes and identify matters requiring escalation to discipline leadership, licensed professionals, clients, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), regulatory support functions, or other designated authorities.
• Lead technical interfaces with clients, vendors, internal stakeholders, field personnel, and multidisciplinary engineering teams, including presenting technical issues, explaining assumptions, documenting decisions, and supporting resolution of review comments.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance to fire protection engineers and specialists to support team development and knowledge sharing.
• Maintain technical expertise through project work, industry standards, technical literature, operating experience, professional development, and participation in internal and external technical communities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in fire protection engineering, fire safety design, fire hazards analysis, or a related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated expertise in fire protection systems, fire hazard assessments, and the application of applicable fire codes, standards, and regulations.
• Experience leading complex technical assignments, engineering studies, assessments, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong technical writing, communication, presentation, and client engagement skills.
• Ability to work independently while providing technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to junior engineers and specialists.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license, preferably in Fire Protection Engineering.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Fire Protection Engineering.
• Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) certification.
• Experience with performance-based fire protection design methodologies.
• Experience supporting government, defense, nuclear, energy, industrial, or critical infrastructure projects.
• Thorough knowledge of NFPA codes and standards, International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), and other applicable regulatory requirements.

Compensation Details:

$140,000-$180,000

The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

Benefits Overview:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
• Educational reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Tax-saving options
• Disability and life insurance
• Pet insurance

Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Original Posting:

09/15/2026 - Until Filled

Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.