The Engineer – Fire Safety supports the Line Manager in managing fire and life safety risks across airport facilities and operations. The role is responsible for conducting detailed fire safety engineering assessments for existing assets and new developments, ensuring compliance with UAE Civil Defense, NFPA, GCAA, Abu Dhabi EHSMS Regulatory Framework, and other applicable regulations. The position provides technical fire engineering expertise to identify risks, develop mitigation measures, and recommend practical, risk-based solutions to achieve regulatory compliance and operational safety objectives. This includes reviewing fire protection systems, life safety provisions, and performance-based fire engineering solutions where applicable.
Responsibilities
- Deploy Abu Dhabi Airports fire, life, and safety programs to obtain and maintain required certifications and meet national and international regulations.
- Conduct annual fire safety reviews of all operational buildings in line with the Airport Fire Safety Strategy.
- Ensure compliance with UAE Civil Defense, NFPA, Abu Dhabi EHSMS, GCAA, Municipality, and other relevant regulations.
- Seek building certifications based on UAE Fire Code Council classifications.
- Conduct civil defense hazard evaluations and provide required documentation to authorities.
- Supervise, coordinate, and participate in inspections during construction to ensure compliance with fire and life safety requirements.
- Evaluate building modification requests for alignment with approved fire, life, and safety strategies.
- Support the development of fire, life, and safety intervention and evacuation procedures across airports and subsidiaries.
- Provide fire, life, and safety design input in coordination with design and engineering teams.
- Ensure adequate fire protection measures, including exits, detection and alarm systems, firefighting equipment, and emergency evacuation plans.
- Support the design, installation, maintenance, and inspection of fire stop systems to ensure required fire-resistance ratings.
- Inspect fire stop assemblies and report any damage, alterations, or breaches for prompt remediation.
- Conduct regular inspections of hydrants and fire equipment to ensure operational readiness for emergencies.
- Develop and review Fire Safety Strategies and Fire Engineering Reports for new and existing facilities.
- Lead technical coordination with UAE Civil Defense, GCAA, municipalities, and approving authorities during design reviews, inspections, and certification processes.
- Review fire protection system designs including sprinklers, deluge, foam, detection, alarm, voice evacuation, smoke control, and pressurization systems.
- Review fire system cause-and-effect matrices, interface logic, and testing procedures.
- Support testing, commissioning, and witnessing of fire protection systems.
- Support departmental planning, objectives, KPIs, budgeting, audits, reporting, and change management activities.
- Identify training and development needs, with a focus on Emiratization, and support performance management activities.
- Maintain adherence to departmental policies, procedures, and quality standards.
- Proactively pursue professional development to enhance technical competencies.
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the reporting manager.
Requirements and Skills
Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Fire Safety Engineering, Fire Science, or a related discipline.
- NEBOSH Fire & Safety Risk Management certification preferred.
- NFPA, IFE, or IFSM membership or affiliation preferred.
Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in the installation, testing, commissioning, handover, and maintenance of fire systems.
- Experience in developing fire safety strategies and fire engineering reports.
- Strong knowledge of UAE Civil Defense Fire Code and applicable NFPA standards.
- Experience liaising with UAE Civil Defense, municipalities, and other approving authorities.
- Fire engineering experience within the GCC or UAE is preferred.
- Airport fire and life safety experience is preferred.
- Emergency management experience is preferred.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong safety and compliance orientation.
- Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent planning, organizing, and attention to detail.
- Strong collaboration, influencing, and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication and report-writing abilities.
- Proficiency in MS Office, AutoCAD, auditing software, and tablet-based inspection tools.
- Familiarity with fire modelling and evacuation tools such as FDS, Pathfinder, STEPS, or equivalent (where applicable).
- Learning agility and commitment to continuous professional development.
