Principal Engineer - Fire and Life Safety Engineering (Italy)

WSP is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Fire Engineering Consultant to join our multidisciplinary team and support the delivery of Fire Engineering and Fire Life Safety services across a diverse portfolio of projects including Complex Buildings, Data Centers, Industrial Facilities, Water & Wastewater Infrastructure and Transportation Infrastructure.
The successful candidate will contribute to both design engineering activities and fire engineering advisory services, supporting clients from concept development through detailed design, compliance assessment and project delivery.
The role offers the opportunity to work closely with international teams and multiple business units, providing technical excellence on complex and high-profile projects worldwide.

Fire Engineering Advisory
• Develop project-specific Fire Engineering Strategies and Fire Safety Concepts.
• Conduct fire code compliance reviews and identify compliance pathways.
• Perform fire and life safety assessments for new and existing assets.
• Support performance-based fire engineering studies, including the development of CFD simulations for fire and occupant egress analysis.
• Develop emergency, evacuation and egress strategies.
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative fire risk assessments.
• Provide technical advice to clients, designers and stakeholders on fire safety requirements and best practices.
• Prepare technical reports, compliance statements and design memoranda.
Fire Protection Design
• Design Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (FDAS).
• Design Water-Based Fire Protection Systems including:
o Automatic Sprinkler Systems
o Hydrant Systems
o Fire Water Storage and Pumping Systems
• Design Special Hazard Fire Suppression Systems.
• Support Smoke Control and Smoke Management Designs.
• Prepare fire protection calculations, hydraulic calculations and equipment sizing.
• Produce and review technical specifications, drawings and tender documentation.
• Review contractor submissions, shop drawings and material submittals.
Project Delivery
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams including Architecture, Structures, Mechanical, Electrical, Process and Infrastructure disciplines.
• Participate in design reviews and technical workshops.
• Support project managers in planning and technical delivery activities.
• Contribute to innovation, digitalization and knowledge sharing initiatives.
• Mentor junior engineers and support capability development activities.

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 5-10 years of professional experience in Fire Engineering, Fire Protection Design or Fire Life Safety Consultancy.
• Experience gained within engineering consulting companies, specialist fire engineering firms or multidisciplinary design consultancies.
• Excellent written and spoken English communication skills.

Mandatory Technical Skills
• Experience in Fire Protection System Design.
• Experience in Fire Engineering and Fire Life Safety Consultancy.
• Strong knowledge of international fire codes and standards, including:
o NFPA Standards
o BS Standards
o EN Standards
o International Building Code (IBC)
• Experience preparing Fire Engineering Strategies and Fire Safety Reports.
• Knowledge of evacuation and egress design principles.
• Experience in multidisciplinary design coordination.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with AutoCAD and basic BIM workflows.

Trainable Technical Skills
Knowledge of Italian Fire Safety Regulations and European Fire Codes will be developed through project experience and internal training.

Sector Experience (Mandatory)
The candidate shall demonstrate experience in at least two of the following sectors:
• Commercial and Mixed-Use Developments
• Mission Critical Facilities
• Data Centers
• Industrial Facilities
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Transportation Infrastructure with particular reference to road and railway tunnels
• Rail and Metro Systems

Nice-to-Have
• Experience with performance-based fire engineering approaches.
• Experience with CFD fire and smoke modelling. Working knowledge of:
o FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator)
o PyroSim
o Pathfinder
o MassMotion
o AnyLogic
• Experience working on international projects.
• Knowledge of Data Centre design standards and resiliency requirements.
• Familiarity with BIM/Revit workflows.
• Professional certifications such as:
o CFPS (Certified Fire Protection Specialist)
o IFE Membership
o Fire Engineering professional registrations
• Experience supporting Authority Approvals and Regulatory Engagement.

Soft Skills
Communication & Stakeholder Management
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to present technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Confidence in interacting with clients, authorities and multidisciplinary teams.
Problem Solving
• Analytical mindset with strong technical judgement.
• Ability to identify practical and innovative fire safety solutions.
• Capability to manage complex technical challenges independently.
Collaboration
• Strong team-working attitude within international and multidisciplinary environments.
• Ability to build positive professional relationships across business units and geographies.
• Willingness to share knowledge and support junior colleagues.
Personal Effectiveness
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Strong attention to detail and quality.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet project deadlines.

BGV:

• Employment with WSP India is subject to the successful completion of a background verification (“BGV”) check conducted by a third-party agency appointed by WSP India.

• Candidates are advised to ensure that all information provided during the recruitment process — including documents uploaded — is accurate and complete, both to WSP India and its BGV partner”.