Senior Fire Protection Consultant

WSP USA; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA seeks a Senior Fire Protection Consultant for its Arlington, VA office to lead fire protection and life safety design efforts. You will mentor project teams, ensure high-quality code-compliant solutions, and drive innovation across complex buildings.

The role emphasizes building code consulting, collaboration with clients and PMs, and ongoing professional development within WSP's Fire & Life Safety specialty group.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master of Science Degree in Fire Protection Engineering as stated.
• PE license or NICET Level IV Certification; CFPS/PMP are advantageous.
• 5–7+ years in the industry; last 1–2 years as a project manager.
• Deep understanding of Building and Fire Codes (IBC, NFPA, UFC, OBO, etc).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to convey complex concepts.

Responsibilities

• Oversee design and implementation of state-of-the-art fire protection and life safety systems.
• Provide expert guidance to ensure code compliance and industry standards.
• Lead building code consulting efforts for local, state, and national codes.
• Collaborate with project managers and cross-functional teams; review designs and docs.
• Contribute to business development and maintain knowledge of trends in the field.

Skills

Fire protection engineering

Project management

Communication

Building codes

Code compliance

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor/Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering

PE license

NICET Level IV Certification

CFPS or PMP (advantage)

Knowledge of NFPA/IBC/UFC

Tools

REVIT

AutoCAD

Job description

Who We Are

At WSP, we are driven by inspiring future-ready pioneers to innovate. We’re looking to grow our teams with people who are ready to collaborate in building communities and expanding our skylines. To do this, we hire candidates of all experiences, skillsets, backgrounds and walks of life. We actively foster a work environment and culture where inclusion and diversity is part of our fundamental structure. This is delivered behaviorally, through our policies, trainings, local partnerships with professional diverse organizations, internal networks and most importantly with the support and sponsorship of our leaders who help drive our commitment to an inclusive, diverse, welcoming and equitable work environment. Anything is within our reach and yours as a WSP employee. Come join us and help shape the future!

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for a Full-Time Senior Fire Protection Consultant for our Arlington, VA office. This search is for a dynamic and experienced FPE and will play a crucial role within our Fire & Life Safety specialty group.

This position will be responsible for providing technical expertise, and guidance as a mentor to ensure the highest quality of fire protection and life safety solutions. The successful candidate will lead the development and execution of fire protection and life safety strategies, foster a culture of technical excellence, drive innovation, and uphold our high standard of care, particularly in the context of building and fire code consulting.

Your Impact

Technical Excellence

• Oversee the design and implementation of state-of-the-art fire protection and life safety systems.

• Provide expert technical guidance and solutions to ensure compliance with industry standards, building codes, and regulations.

• Drive continuous improvement in design methodologies and technological advancements to enhance the quality of fire protection and life safety solutions.

• Act as a subject matter expert in the areas of building and fire codes, fire alarm and sprinkler design, and the industry standard of care.

Building Code Consulting

• Lead building code consulting efforts, providing expert guidance to clients and project teams to ensure compliance with local, state, and national building codes and regulations.

• Stay current with evolving building codes and contribute to the development of company-wide strategies for code compliance.

• Experience with a wide range of complex projects and occupancy types (high-rise buildings, large campus arrangements, mixed use developments, healthcare facilities, governmental facilities, etc.)

Project Excellence

• Collaborate with project managers and cross-functional teams to ensure the highest quality of fire protection and life safety solutions for a diverse portfolio of projects.

• Review and approve project designs, calculations, and documentation to ensure accuracy and adherence to standards.

• Maintain a deep understanding of industry best practices, codes, regulations, and emerging trends in fire protection and life safety engineering.

• Ensure that the fire protection and life safety practice consistently meets and exceeds the established standard of care for all projects.

• Contribute to the overall business development of the company.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master of Science Degree in Fire Protection Engineering, or relevant years of related field experience in the fire protection industry.

• Professional Engineering (PE) license or NICET Level IV Certification; additional certifications (such as CFPS, PMP) are advantageous.

• Proven experience (5-7+ years) in the industry, the last 1 - 2 of which should be as a project manager for significant projects.

• A deep understanding of Building and Fire Codes, Standards, and Regulations (IBC, NFPA, UFC, OBO, etc).

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with clients, project teams, and regulatory authorities.

• The ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Ability to strategically assess and implement technological advancements in fire protection and life safety engineering.

• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment.

• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of REVIT and AutoCAD.

• Experience in fire protection engineering design applications.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $107,000 - $145,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.