Fire Engineer - Fully Remote in Manchester

An experienced Fire Engineer is required to deliver building fire engineering consultancy across a portfolio of complex healthcare and residential projects throughout the UK. This is a fully remote, home based position that can be based anywhere in the country. The role will involve travel to client sites when required. Most projects are within healthcare, hospitals and complex operational estates, alongside selected high rise residential buildings.

Applicants must possess relevant healthcare fire safety experience and a working knowledge of Healthcare Technical Memoranda, particularly the HTM 05 fire safety guidance. The successful Fire Engineer will prepare and review fire strategies, provide technical advice to clients and design teams, attend sites and support projects through design, construction and completion. This is not a purely desk based position. You must be comfortable inspecting active and completed works, identifying potential defects and challenging contractors where installations do not meet the fire strategy, specification, relevant standards or regulatory requirements.

Fire Engineer responsibilities

• Prepare fire strategies for new and existing buildings.
• Deliver fire engineering assessments and technical reviews.
• Apply fire engineering principles to healthcare and high rise residential projects.
• Apply HTM 05 guidance within hospitals and other healthcare environments.
• Review architectural, mechanical, electrical and fire safety design information.
• Assess designs against Building Regulations, Approved Document B, British Standards and relevant fire safety legislation.
• Develop practical and proportionate fire engineered solutions.
• Produce clear technical reports, specifications and supporting documentation.
• Review drawings, design proposals and construction information.
• Provide technical advice to clients, architects, contractors and design teams.
• Attend design team, project and client meetings.
• Support projects through Building Control and regulatory review.
• Attend client sites to inspect ongoing and completed construction work.
• Review compartmentation, fire stopping, fire doors, fire dampers, service penetrations and other passive fire protection measures where relevant to the fire strategy.
• Identify construction defects, non compliant installations and departures from approved designs.
• Challenge contractors and project teams where proposed or completed works do not meet the required standard.
• Produce site inspection reports and clear remedial recommendations.
• Assist with construction stage fire engineering and technical assurance.
• Manage allocated projects, deadlines and client requirements.
• Maintain accurate project records and technical documentation.
• Develop strong working relationships with clients and other stakeholders.
• Work with senior fire engineers on complex technical matters.
• Contribute to consistent technical standards and quality assurance processes.
• Continue developing toward Senior Fire Engineer and Principal Fire Engineer level.

Healthcare and HTM experience

A significant proportion of the workload involves hospitals and other complex healthcare environments. Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience or strong technical knowledge in areas including:

• Healthcare fire safety and fire engineering.
• HTM 05-01 and the wider HTM 05 fire safety guidance.
• Fire strategies for hospitals and operational healthcare buildings.
• Progressive horizontal evacuation.
• Compartmentation and fire resisting construction.
• Fire safety within buildings containing vulnerable occupants.
• The interaction between clinical operations, evacuation requirements and fire safety measures.
• Refurbishment, alteration and remedial works within occupied buildings.
• Construction stage inspections and verification of completed works.
• Working with healthcare estates teams, design teams and contractors.

Essential experience

Applicants should have:

• Professional experience working as a Fire Engineer, Fire Safety Engineer or Fire Engineering Consultant.
• Experience preparing or contributing to fire strategies.
• Previous building fire engineering consultancy experience.
• Relevant healthcare fire engineering or healthcare fire safety experience.
• Working knowledge of HTM 05 fire safety guidance.
• Good knowledge of UK Building Regulations and Approved Document B.
• Knowledge of relevant British Standards and UK fire safety legislation.
• Experience reviewing technical drawings and design information.
• Experience producing professional fire engineering reports.
• Confidence attending construction sites and inspecting completed installations.
• The ability to identify and clearly explain potential fire-safety defects.
• The confidence to challenge contractors and project teams where work is non compliant.
• Strong written, verbal and client facing communication skills.
• The ability to manage individual projects and work independently from a remote location.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess:

• A degree or equivalent qualification in Fire Engineering, Fire Safety Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Evidence of relevant continued professional development.
• Professional membership and progress toward Chartered Engineer status would be advantageous.
• Support toward further professional development and Chartership will be available.

Desirable experience

The following would be beneficial:

• High rise residential or higher risk building projects.
• Building Safety Act knowledge.
• Existing building assessments, refurbishment or remediation schemes.
• Construction stage fire engineering.
• Passive fire protection inspections.
• Compartmentation, fire door, fire stopping or fire damper technical reviews.
• Experience working within live, occupied or highly regulated buildings.
• Liaison with Building Control, fire and rescue services or other regulatory stakeholders.

Important distinction

This is a building fire engineering consultancy position focused on fire strategies, technical design, engineering assessments, site assurance and regulatory compliance. It is not solely a fire risk assessment, passive fire contracting, fire door surveying, installation management or operational Fire Safety Manager position. Applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant technical fire engineering experience, including involvement in the preparation or review of building fire strategies.

Package and benefits

Salary of £60,000-£75,000, dependent on experience. Performance related bonus. Fully remote and home-based working. 10% employer pension contribution. Life assurance at four times salary. 28 days' annual leave plus five designated bank holidays. Private medical healthcare following successful completion of probation. Business mileage reimbursement. Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme following probation. Company funded training and professional development. Support toward professional membership and Chartership. Employee Assistance Programme. Clear progression toward Senior Fire Engineer and Principal Fire Engineer positions.

Apply

This opportunity would suit a technically capable Fire Engineer seeking a fully remote position, strong healthcare exposure and a clear route toward senior level responsibility. To apply, please submit an updated CV clearly detailing your fire strategy, healthcare, HTM, site inspection and building fire engineering experience.