Fire Protection Engineer Jobs

The Seattle Fire Department Fire Prevention Division is dedicated to preventing fires and assuring fire and life safety for people who live, work, and visit in Seattle. The division is recognized nationally for its successful prevention programs that have led to fire rates in Seattle that are significantly lower than US and regional averages. The Fire Prevention Division provides plan review and inspection services for all new construction and major remodels as part of the City’s permitting process. The Fire Prevention Division also regulates the use of hazardous materials and enforces life safety conditions at large events such as concerts, outdoor fairs, festivals, and night clubs. The division is staffed by fire fighters and professional staff and is a dynamic and fast-paced professional environment serving a meaningful mission. We are also known as the Fire Marshal’s Office.

As a Fire Protection Engineer, you will be part of a team of four engineers, three senior engineers, and a permit technician who report to a Supervising Fire Protection Engineer. Your team is responsible for ensuring that commercial building construction in the city limits meets the minimum requirements of the Seattle Fire Code (SFC), the Seattle Building Code (SBC), and adopted National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. You will also contribute fire protection engineering and code expertise to other City departments and may play a role in the process of developing local amendments to NFPA standards, the International Fire Code (IFC), and the International Building Code (IBC).

To succeed in this position, you will bring strong technical skills including knowledge of fire codes, national standards, engineering principles, and fire protection systems. You must also have the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing and use software tools to review electronic plan submittals.

The Seattle Fire Department provides a professional, friendly work environment in a world-class urban city with year-round outdoor recreation opportunities at your doorstep. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to work with team members from many units in the Fire Prevention Division and the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. The City of Seattle offers competitive salaries, a pension and comprehensive benefits. Flexible work schedules may be available, including a hybrid schedule with up to three days each week from a remote location.

• Perform technical reviews of plans for fire protection systems. Perform calculations as required to verify the adequacy of designs.
• Use the City’s Accela permitting system and BlueBeam software to locate electronic plan submittals and annotate them with corrections and assign fees.
• Review architectural plans for compliance with Seattle Fire Code and related Building Code requirements.
• Prepare letters regarding approval of plans and corrections required.
• Represent the Fire Marshal at meetings with architects, contractors, industry groups, and other city departments.
• Assist fire inspectors with complex or unusual field inspections.
• Communicate effectively internally and externally, orally and in writing.
• Provide technical and code assistance to members of the Seattle Fire Department, the public, and design and construction professionals.
• Use the Fire Department’s proprietary plan review database to record project information.
• Handle a high volume of work accurately, consistently, and timely.

Requires a bachelor’s degree in fire protection, mechanical, chemical, civil engineering or a closely related field that includes significant fire protection engineering coursework and a minimum of three years of experience in building construction and fire protection. A combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work may be considered.

Additional attributes and skills a successful candidate will possess:

• Experience as a user of business systems to facilitate plan reviews and approvals processes, such as Accela.
• Ability to perform assigned tasks with frequent interruptions.
• Desire to be part of the Seattle Fire Department, supporting the mission of the Fire Prevention Division.
• State of Washington Professional Engineer License is desirable.
• Obtaining certification as an ICC Fire Plans Examiner or equivalent within the first year of employment, with recertification every three years, is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and be an effective team-member.
• Ability to perform some essential work onsite. SFD is providing hybrid schedules for employees who are interested in remote work. Hybrid schedules may include two days in the office and up to three days from a remote location each week.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse environment.
• Proven technical expertise related to engineering principals and fire protection systems.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and an ability to effectively represent the decisions of the Seattle Fire Prevention Division to all levels of the organization and to external customers.

Initial selection steps for this position will include: 1. an oral interview (90%), 2. evaluation of application, resume and cover letter (10%).

The full salary range for this position is $52.07 - $60.81 per hour.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and covered family-members/most employees-plans

The Seattle Fire Department is looking to create a diverse team of hardworking, committed individuals with a passion for public service and who are deeply aligned with our City's values of Race and Social Justice. The City of Seattle is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, gender identity, political ideology, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, and local laws.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.