Senior Fire Protection Engineer SME (Data Centers)

Jacobs; Nashville (TN); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work policy

Health, dental, vision insurance

401(k) plan + company stock options

Paid holidays and PPTO

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Senior Fire Protection Engineer / SME to lead fire protection design across data center programs. You will mentor staff, set technical standards, and ensure compliance with NFPA, IBC, IFC, and client requirements.

Collaboration with clients, AHJs, and engineers will shape innovative, reliable systems. Ideal candidates hold a PE license, 15+ years of FP engineering experience, and a background in large-scale industrial or data center facilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering or related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 15+ years of fire protection engineering experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams or as SME.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Fire Protection Engineering Senior Engineer/SME for Data Center and Mission Critical projects.
• Provide technical leadership for design criteria, code analyses, and life safety engineering.
• Lead design reviews, QA/QC, and develop design standards.
• Mentor junior staff and support project staffing, budgets, and risk management.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams and interface with clients, AHJs, and insurers.
• Support business development and large-scale data center initiatives.

Skills

Technical leadership

Subject matter expert

15+ years experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering

Tools

Revit

BIM coordination

AutoSPRINK

HASS

HydraCALC

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

This job opportunity is available at ANY location in the United States. Ideally, selected candidates will be near a JACOBS U.S. based office, but we intend to hire the "best" candidates.

At Jacobs, we drive to make a positive impact on people’s lives everywhere by bringing solutions and adding value to our communities and society as a whole. Grow your career with Jacobs, a company that inspires and empowers you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow, and succeed – today and into tomorrow.

In our Mechanical Data Center team, we elevate our clients by delivering cost-effective and transformative projects. We understand that the success of our clients is about more than well-designed facilities; it’s about well-designed strategies tailored for every market and every location.

We are seeking a Senior Fire Protection Engineer / Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support our rapidly growing Data Center practice. This position will serve as the technical leader for fire protection engineering across multiple projects and programs, providing strategic guidance, mentoring staff, developing standards, and ensuring technical excellence for complex mission‑critical facilities.

In this role, you will collaborate with clients, architects, engineers, contractors, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), and internal leadership teams to develop innovative fire protection designs that meet stringent reliability, operational, and code requirements. You will serve as a trusted advisor to project teams, contribute to business development efforts, and help shape the future direction of our fire protection capabilities within the Data Center market.

Highlights of your contributions will include

• Serve as the Fire Protection Engineering Senior Engineer/SME for Data Center and Mission Critical projects
• Provide technical leadership and oversight for fire protection system design, code analysis, and life safety engineering
• Establish project fire protection design criteria, basis of design reports, and technical standards
• Lead fire protection design reviews and quality assurance/quality control efforts across multiple projects
• Conduct code evaluations and interpretations using applicable NFPA, IBC, IFC, FM Global, and client-specific standards
• Develop suppression system concepts, including
• Water-based sprinkler systems
• Fire pumps and fire water storage systems
• Pre-action systems
• Clean agent systems
• Special hazards protection systems
• Perform and oversee hydraulic calculations for site fire water distribution networks, fire pumps, water storage tanks, and sprinkler systems
• Coordinate fire protection designs with mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, and architectural disciplines
• Interface directly with clients, insurance carriers, code officials, and AHJs to obtain approvals and resolve technical issues
• Support large-scale campus master planning efforts and establish fire protection strategies for hyperscale and AI-focused data center developments
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and support discipline growth initiatives
• Assist project managers with scope development, staffing plans, budgets, schedules, and risk management
• Support proposal development, interviews, and business development activities within the Data Center market
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, codes, and industry trends impacting mission‑critical facilities

Bring your curiosity, talent for multi-tasking and collaboration, and extreme organizational skills, and we’ll help you grow, pursue, and fulfill what drives you – so we can make big impacts on the world together

Here's what you'll need

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required
• 15+ years of fire protection engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience serving as a technical lead or subject matter expert

Extensive knowledge of

• NFPA Codes and Standards
• International Building Code (IBC)
• International Fire Code (IFC)
• FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets
• OSHA requirements
• Local and state fire codes
• Experience designing fire suppression systems for large industrial, commercial, mission critical, or Data Center facilities
• Strong understanding of fire pumps, water-based suppression systems, water supply analysis, and hydraulic calculations
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and mentor developing staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage executive leadership, clients, and AHJs

Ideally, You’ll Also Have

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Fire Protection Engineering
• NICET certifications
• Significant Data Center and Mission Critical facility experience
• Experience with hyperscale, colocation, and AI-focused Data Center developments
• Experience with battery energy storage systems (BESS), lithium‑ion battery protection, and emerging fire protection technologies
• Familiarity with fire alarm systems, smoke detection systems, emergency communication systems, and life safety analysis
• Experience developing engineering standards, specifications, and best practices
• Working knowledge of Revit, BIM coordination, and hydraulic calculation software such as AutoSPRINK, HASS, HydraCALC, or similar tools
• Experience supporting global project delivery teams and multi‑office engineering organizations

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well‑being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $169,500.00 to $233,000.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on August 03, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.