Fire Protection Engineer

City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone.

Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

The City of Oakland is recruiting for two Fire Protection Engineers within the Oakland Fire Department. This role is responsible for inspecting buildings and fire protection systems to verify compliance with applicable laws, codes, and regulations. The Fire Protection Engineer reviews and interprets architectural plans and computer-based fire modeling, evaluates fire and life safety systems—including sprinkler and fire pump systems, fire alarm and smoke control systems, fire-resistive construction, and means of egress and performs other related duties as assigned.

Joining the Oakland Fire Department means becoming part of a team that is deeply engaged with the community, energized by innovation, and committed every day to making Oakland safer for everyone.

• A strong technical problem-solver
  . You use engineering principles, sound judgment, and analytical skills to evaluate complex fire protection and life safety issues.
• Detail-oriented and thorough
  . You pay close attention to plans, calculations, specifications, inspections, and code requirements while recognizing how individual systems work together.
• Knowledgeable about fire and building safety
  . You understand fire protection systems, building design, engineering concepts, and applicable fire, building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing requirements.
• A clear communicator
  . You explain technical requirements and engineering concepts in a way that is understandable to architects, engineers, contractors, property owners, City staff, and community members.
• Collaborative and professional
  . You build productive working relationships with a diverse range of people and approach disagreements or challenging code issues with professionalism and respect.
• Organized and self-directed
  . You manage multiple projects, inspections, plan reviews, deadlines, and follow-up activities while maintaining accurate records and consistent work quality.

• Reviewing and developing plans, evaluating architectural, engineering, site, and development plans to identify fire and life safety issues.
• Evaluating fire protection and life safety systems.
• Conducting field inspections and visiting construction sites and existing buildings to assess fire protection features.
• Analyzing complex engineering information.
• Addressing specialized fire protection needs.
• Documenting findings and communicating requirements.
• Serving as a technical resource for the community.

• Your work directly protects the community. You will help make buildings safer for Oakland residents, workers, visitors, and firefighters.
• You will work on projects that present different challenges, from new construction and development projects to complex fire protection systems and specialized hazards.
• You will see the impact of your work through technical office work and field inspections.
• You will collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, developers, City staff, fire service professionals, and community members while…