Fire Protection Engineer/Consultant - Fire Modeling
Job Description
HGI is a leading fire protection engineering and consulting firm helping clients achieve safe, code-compliant, and cost-effective building designs. We are seeking a Fire Protection Engineer or Consultant – Fire Modeling to join our growing team and work alongside senior staff who provide mentorship as you build your expertise in fire, smoke, and egress modeling for performance-based design, code equivalency, smoke control, and fire hazard analysis projects.
This is an opportunity to deepen your technical expertise in fire dynamics and computational modeling, and to build your engineering judgment in presenting and defending modeling methodology, assumptions, and conclusions to clients, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (“AHJs”), and peer reviewers. If you’re a highly motivated engineer or consultant who thrives in a collaborative, remote-friendly environment, we want to hear from you.
This position is offered under two titles: Fire Protection Engineer, held by candidates with a P.E. license, or Fire Protection Consultant, held by all other candidates.
ROLE HIGHLIGHTS
Modeling Approach & Stakeholder Communication
You will develop project-specific modeling approaches, including objectives, performance criteria, design fire scenarios, and tenability/acceptance criteria, for review by the Project Manager (“PM”) and senior engineers before detailed analysis begins. You will also communicate directly with clients, AHJs, third-party peer reviewers, and design team members on assigned project tasks.
Fire, Smoke & Egress Modeling
You will perform computational fluid dynamics (“CFD”) fire and smoke modeling, egress and evacuation modeling, and supporting hand calculations and zone modeling, including available/required safe egress time (“ASET/RSET”), tenability, smoke control, detector and sprinkler activation, radiant heat exposure, and fire spread analyses. You will critically check inputs and results against hand calculations, test data, and engineering judgment, with a clear understanding of model limitations.
Documentation & Peer Review
You will prepare modeling methodology reports, performance-based design reports, code equivalency requests, and smoke control rational analyses that are accurate, complete, and technically defensible. You will also participate in peer review of models developed by HGI engineers and third parties.
Professional Growth
You will deliver modeling and analysis with guidance and technical review from senior staff, support other HGI project teams on assigned modeling tasks, and grow your technical depth across fire modeling and fire protection engineering, including design development, engineering documents, and construction administration as project needs require.
Responsibilities
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Perform fire modeling tasks on multiple assigned projects concurrently, organizing and planning work for timely execution within the project schedule
- Communicate promptly and effectively with clients, AHJs, third-party peer reviewers, design team members, and other stakeholders, with guidance from the Project Manager
- Develop and document project-specific modeling approaches, including objectives, performance criteria, design fire scenarios, tenability/acceptance criteria, and modeling tools, for review and approval before detailed analysis begins
- Develop design fires and characterize heat release rates, and perform fire dynamics hand calculations and zone modeling (e.g., SFPE Handbook correlations, NUREG-1805 Fire Dynamics Tools, CFAST)
- Perform CFD fire and smoke modeling (e.g., FDS/PyroSim, Smokeview) and egress and evacuation modeling (e.g., Pathfinder), including occupant characteristics and pre-movement time assumptions
- Perform ASET/RSET, tenability, smoke control system design and analysis (e.g., NFPA 92, IBC Section 909), detector and sprinkler activation, radiant heat exposure, and fire spread analyses
- Perform mesh/grid sensitivity, parameter sensitivity, and uncertainty analyses, and substantiate models for their intended application (e.g., ASTM E1355, published verification and validation data)
- Prepare modeling methodology reports, performance-based design reports, code equivalency requests, smoke control rational analyses, narratives, and letters, clearly documenting inputs, assumptions, limitations, and results with appropriate graphics, plots, and animations
- Participate in peer review of modeling developed by HGI engineers and third parties, with final review by senior staff
- Maintain organized model input files, output data, and project records in accordance with HGI document control practices
- Support due diligence, code research, and hazard analyses for HGI design and construction administration efforts, review contractor submittals and system installations, and assist with smoke control and fire protection system acceptance testing
- Communicate available fire protection solutions, the capabilities and limitations of fire modeling, and HGI’s recommendations to clients so they can make informed business decisions
- Coordinate tasks with entry-level engineers and technicians, providing feedback to help them learn and grow
Job Requirements
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Working knowledge of fire dynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and combustion principles
- Working knowledge of IBC/IFC, NFPA 101, NFPA 92, and the SFPE Engineering Guide to Performance-Based Fire Protection
- Ability to critically evaluate model inputs and results against hand calculations, test data, and engineering judgment
- Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to convey complex model results clearly and concisely
- Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and thrive in a remote work environment while maintaining strong coordination with the project team
- Willingness to travel for site visits, AHJ and peer review meetings, and construction period services, typically 5–10%
- Flexibility to work outside normal business hours as needed to meet tight deadlines or monitor long-duration model runs
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- B.S. in Engineering (Fire Protection, Mechanical, or related engineering field)
- 3+ years of relevant fire protection engineering experience, including hands-on fire and/or egress modeling on performance-based design or code equivalency projects; 2+ years of fire modeling experience preferred
- Proficiency in FDS/PyroSim, Smokeview, and Pathfinder or equivalent egress modeling software
- Familiarity with Revit, AutoCAD, and BIM 360, including import of building geometry into modeling software
- Experience with SAFIR, FLACS, FireFOAM, or OpenFOAM, scripting/data processing (e.g., Python, MATLAB), and parallel (MPI) CFD simulations a plus
- Formal fire modeling training (e.g., SFPE courses, software vendor training, or college coursework) preferred
- Professional Engineer (“P.E.”) license or Engineer Intern (“EI/EIT”) status preferred; candidates with a P.E. license hold the title Fire Protection Engineer, while other candidates hold the title Fire Protection Consultant
- Valid U.S. driver’s license
- U.S. citizenship or valid work visa required
