Lead Fire Protection and Life Safety Engineer

Giga is a company focused on developing AI energy infrastructure to improve the energy experience. The Lead Fire Protection Engineer will act as a technical authority for fire safety systems, ensuring compliance and optimizing designs for high-density compute environments.

Responsibilities:

• Define standardized fire protection designs for Giga's modular data center product line, ensuring compliance with NFPA and IBC across all deployments
• Design and specify critical environment suppression including Double-Interlock Pre-Action systems and Clean Agent gaseous suppression (FK-5-1-12/NOVEC 1230) for high-value compute areas
• Execute rigorous hydraulic calculations to size piping, pumps, and standpipes, ensuring adequate water supply and pressure for high-challenge fire loads
• Develop suppression and containment strategies for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Lithium-Ion risks, ensuring compliance with NFPA 855 and managing explosion control requirements
• Engineer detection strategies for modular environments ranging from spot-type smoke detectors to linear heat detection or beam detection, balancing cost, reliability, and code compliance
• Create Cause and Effect matrices (I/O Matrix) for Fire Alarm Control Panels, coordinating complex interlocks with Mechanical (AHU shutdown, damper closure) and Electrical (EPO, shunt trip) systems
• Engineer audible/visual notification appliance layouts meeting NFPA 72 intelligibility and visibility requirements in high-noise industrial environments
• Execute egress modeling and occupant load calculations per NFPA 101 and IBC Chapter 10, validating exit widths, travel distances, and emergency lighting for modular and campus layouts
• Interpret and apply NFPA 75 (IT Equipment), NFPA 76 (Telecommunications), NFPA 13, and NFPA 72 across all fire protection design work
• Conduct technical discussions with Fire Marshals and insurance carriers (FM Global/AXA XL), negotiating performance-based design alternatives when prescriptive code limits innovation
• Generate fire protection drawing sets, hydraulic calculation reports, fire alarm sequence matrices, life safety plans, and code compliance report

Requirements:

• Professional Engineer (PE) in Fire Protection Engineering required
• 7+ years of experience in mission-critical, industrial, or semiconductor facility design
• Expert-level command of NFPA 13 (Installation of Sprinkler Systems)
• Deep knowledge of NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code)
• Strong understanding of NFPA 75/76 (Protection of IT/Telecommunications Facilities)
• Experience with NFPA 855 (Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems)
• Proficiency in hydraulic calculation software (HydraCAD, AutoSPRINK, or HASS)
• Experience with Revit MEP for fire protection design and coordination
• Proven ability to design Double-Interlock Pre-Action and clean agent suppression systems
• Track record coordinating fire alarm sequences with mechanical and electrical systems
• Strong understanding of egress modeling and life safety code requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
• Excellent communication skills for engaging with Fire Marshals and insurance carriers
• Experience with FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) or Pathfinder for egress modeling
• Background in data center or high-density compute facility fire protection
• Specific experience with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) fire protection
• Knowledge of FM Global or similar insurance carrier standards and requirements
• Experience with modular construction or prefabricated fire protection systems
• Understanding of performance-based fire protection design methodologies
• Track record creating standardized fire protection solutions for mass production
• Startup or high-growth company experience
• Experience with design-build or fast-track project delivery
• Background in both sprinkler hydraulics and special hazard suppression
• Familiarity with lithium-ion battery thermal runaway and suppression strategies