Principal Fire Engineer / Consultant

Role Overview

Jensen Hughes seeks an experienced Principal Fire Engineer / Principal Consultant to join its growing Middle East team, based in Dubai, UAE. This senior-level role will support a diverse portfolio of projects across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, combining deep technical expertise in fire and life safety engineering with strong leadership, commercial awareness, and client management capabilities.

Company Overview

Jensen Hughes is renowned for its leadership in fire protection engineering, a legacy upheld since 1939. Expertise extends across security and risk-based fields including accessibility consulting, risk analysis, process safety, forensic investigations, security risk consulting, emergency management, and digital innovation. The firm collaborates to solve complex safety and security challenges, helping clients protect what matters most. For over 80 years, Jensen Hughes has mitigated risks threatening lives, property, and reputations through technology, expertise, and industry-leading research.

Jensen Hughes believes that creating and sustaining a culture of trust, integrity, and professional growth starts with putting people first. Employees are the greatest strength, and the organization values unique perspectives and talents. Global Employee Networks connect people across the organization, supporting career development and providing forums to share experiences on topics of passion.

Role Purpose

Lead the delivery of complex Fire and Life Safety projects across the Middle East, providing hands-on technical guidance and managing a team of approximately 4–7 Fire Engineers while driving business growth, client engagement, and fostering a culture of technical excellence across the region.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Design

• Develop innovative, performance-based fire engineering solutions across diverse sectors, providing technical leadership to ensure high-quality, code-compliant, and technically robust outcomes.
• Lead delivery of complex Fire and Life Safety projects, conducting building plan and fire code reviews, fire engineering analyses, technical reports preparation and analysis, and site inspections oversight.
• Develop fire protection strategies, performance-based design approaches, and alternative compliance solutions to address client challenges.
• Develop alternative compliance strategies providing technical oversight to ensure delivery of high-quality, standards-compliant solutions.

Stakeholder & Client Management

• Build and maintain strong client relationships, support business development and growth initiatives, and act as a trusted advisor to clients and stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary technical lead in discussions with design teams, clients, and Civil Défense authorities, ensuring delivery of high-quality, code-compliant solutions.

Professional Development & Team Leadership

• Mentor, manage, and develop junior engineers while driving technical excellence, collaboration, and team engagement.
• Keep abreast of industry developments, emerging technologies, standards, and best practices through active participation in industry events, conferences, and professional networks.

Operations & Project Management

• Support project planning, resource management, and commercial performance to ensure successful project delivery.

Qualifications & Experience

• Post-graduate level or higher in Engineering (preferably Fire Engineering), Architecture, or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status or progressing towards chartership.
• Professional Engineer (PE) registration in Fire Engineering or equivalent professional certification highly desirable.
• Minimum 13 years of experience in Building Code and Fire and Life Safety consulting within a professional consultancy environment.
• Established network of clients and ability and willingness to support business growth.
• Proven Middle East experience in building code consulting, performance-based design, plan reviews, field reviews, and Fire and Life Safety inspections for leading multidisciplinary projects managing responsibilities in large, complex scenarios.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong communication, leadership, and project management skills.
• Ability to mentor teams, engage clients, and contribute to long-term business growth.
• Commercial awareness and ability to identify opportunities to strengthen client relationships and business growth.
• Commitment to technical excellence, innovation, and the long-term success of Jensen Hughes.

Additional Information

• Work with market-leading clients on some of the region's most complex and high-profile projects, supported by the resources and expertise of a globally recognized firm.
• Benefit from strong support and mentorship from the leadership team, along with flexibility to balance professional and personal commitments.
• Career progression opportunities through a well-defined development framework outlining expectations, growth pathways, and promotion criteria.
• Jensen Hughes is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified candidates receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.