Fire & Safety Compliance Engineer (BESS)/Battery Systems Fire Safety Engineer

We are seeking an experienced Fire Safety Engineer to serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for fire safety in utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This role is critical in ensuring the safe design, compliance, and operation of BESS projects, while also engaging with stakeholders, regulators, and first responders to advance fire safety standards across the industry.

Job Title: Fire Safety Engineer
Location: Juno Beach, FL
Duration: Long Term

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the Fire Safety SME for BESS, providing technical guidance and oversight.
• Review UL 9540a reports across all levels (cell, module, unit, and installation) and provide recommendations.
• Analyze, approve, and guide fire safety system designs from BESS manufacturers and projects.
• Review and provide feedback on project- and product-level designs to ensure compliance with UL, NFPA, IFC, and other relevant standards.
• Oversee project-level safety analyses including Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Heat Flux Analysis, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.
• Build and maintain relationships with fire institutions, first responders, Fire Marshals, Fire Departments, and educational institutions at the national, state, and local levels.
• Represent BESS fire safety initiatives to local jurisdictions, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), public utility commissions (PUCs), and community groups through meetings and presentations.
• Educate firefighters and first responders on BESS hazards, hazard mitigation strategies, fire safety system designs, sequences of operation, and emergency response/operation plans (ERP/EOPs).
• Standardize BESS fire safety system information and ensure consistent messaging across regions.
• Actively participate in technical committees and task groups to influence the development of industry codes and standards related to BESS safety.
• Develop standardized templates and outlines for third-party analysis and reporting to streamline supplier onboarding and enhance consistency across vendors.

Qualifications:

• Proven expertise in fire safety engineering, preferably within battery energy storage systems (BESS) or related energy technologies.
• Strong understanding of UL, NFPA, IFC, and other relevant codes and standards.
• Hands-on experience with safety analyses (HMA, FMEA, CFD, heat flux).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including experience working with first responders and AHJs.
• Willingness to travel for stakeholder meetings, training sessions, and community outreach.

VDart Group is a global leader in technology, product, and talent solutions, serving Fortune 500 clients across 13 countries. With a workforce of over 4,000 professionals, we focus on delivering innovation across industries including healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. VDart is committed to People, Purpose, and Planet, recognized for sustainability through the EcoVadis Bronze Medal and UN Global Compact membership.