Senior Fire Protection Engineer

DLR Group; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 100,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Disability

Wellness programs

Flex spending

Paid holidays

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Employee stock ownership

Bonus opportunities

Job summary

DLR Group is seeking a Senior Fire Protection Engineer to lead fire protection design from schematic through construction across Federal, K-12, Healthcare, Higher Education, Justice/Civic, Sports, and Arts sectors.

You will collaborate with the mechanical team to develop drawings and calculations, manage design delivery, and ensure code compliance. A PE license and 7+ years' experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering.
• 7+ years of experience in design and analysis of fire protection systems.
• Active Fire Protection Professional Engineer (PE) licensure.
• Experience with both new construction and retrofit of fire protection systems.
• Strong working knowledge of IBC, IFC, and NFPA codes and standards.
• Excellent verbal, written, and organizational skills across multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead fire protection engineering teams across multiple regions, providing technical leadership and project support.
• Manage planning, execution, and delivery of fire protection design services firmwide, ensuring schedules, milestones, budgets, and quality standards.
• Develop fire protection scopes, budgets, proposals, and design strategies across diverse project types.
• Prepare and review fire and life safety analyses and building code compliance reviews (IBC Chapters 1–10).
• Oversee production, coordination, and QA of construction documents, reports, specifications, and plan reviews.
• Coordinate with clients, consultants, vendors, AHJs to support permitting and approvals.
• Lead construction administration activities including submittal reviews, site observations, and meetings.
• Support business development through client relationship management and proposals.

Skills

Fire protection engineering

Project leadership

Code compliance

Client coordination

Construction administration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering or related engineering

Job description

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

As a Senior Fire Protection Engineer, you will lead fire protection engineering services from schematic design through construction administration across a wide range of sectors including Federal, K-12, Healthcare, Higher Education, Justice/Civic, Sports and Culture & Performing Arts. As a key member of an integrated design team, you will collaborate closely with other disciplines to deliver highly coordinated building designs that elevate human experience through thoughtful, performance-driven design solutions.

Position Summary

You will lead the design of fire protection systems and collaborate closely with the mechanical engineering team to develop engineering drawings and perform required calculations.

The successful candidate will

• Lead fire protection engineering teams across multiple regions, providing technical leadership, staff oversight, mentorship, and project-specific support.
• Manage the planning, execution, and delivery of fire protection design services firmwide, ensuring schedules, milestones, budgets, and quality standards are met.
• Develop fire protection scopes of work, project budgets, proposals, and design strategies across a diverse range of project types and market sectors.
• Prepare and review fire and life safety analyses, building code compliance reviews (IBC Chapters 1–10), and applicable NFPA standards.
• Oversee the production, coordination, and quality assurance of construction documents, technical reports, specifications, and plan review deliverables.
• Coordinate with clients, consultants, vendors, and local and state authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to support permitting, approvals, and effective project execution.
• Lead construction administration activities including submittal reviews, site observations, construction meetings, and issue resolution during implementation.
• Support business development efforts through client relationship management, participation in interviews, and contributions to proposals/RFP responses.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering
• 7+ years of experience in the design and analysis of fire protection systems within the built
• Active Fire Protection Professional Engineer (PE) licensure required.
• Demonstrated experience with both new construction and renovation/retrofit of fire protection systems.
• Strong working knowledge of International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), and applicable NFPA codes and standards.
• Excellent verbal, written, and organizational skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders.

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• disability
• wellness programs
• flex spending
• paid holidays
• paid time off
• 401(k) plan
• employee stock ownership
• bonus opportunities

Pay Range

$100,000 - $177,320 USD

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and we are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model, with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.