Principal Fire Protection Engineer
About the role
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 Engineer 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.
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.
Requirements
- 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.
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