Associate Engineer

About the Department

The San José Fire Department's (SJFD) core mission is to serve the community by protecting life, property, and the environment through prevention and response. SJFD is a high-volume, high-performance, all-risk Fire Department that protects approximately 200 square miles including, residential, commercial, high-rise, wildland interface areas, and a number of high-hazard occupancies. For additional information visit sjfd.org.

Glimpse of the Job and Your Opportunity to Contribute

The San José Fire Department (SJFD) is seeking to fill two (2) Associate Engineer positions in the Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP). The Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP) Development Division contributes to the Department’s mission through its primary focus on key areas of responsibility that include; public education and outreach services, investigation of fires to determine cause and origin, and code compliance activities such as plan review and inspection.

Under the general supervision of a Senior Engineer, the Associate Engineer position performs a variety of professional engineering, plan review, and inspection work.

Typical duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Examine plans, perform calculations and review specifications for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings for compliance with the California Building Code, California Fire Code, California State Fire Marshal regulations, and applicable NFPA standards and local ordinances.
• Provide technical advice to consultants, architects, engineers, contractors, developers, department officers and staff, and the Fire Marshal on the application or interpretation of fire safety codes/regulations, and on the resolution of fire safety issues found in the preliminary design of buildings.
• Analyze and evaluate proposals for alternate materials, methods of construction, and/or variances to fire safety codes and regulations.
• Conduct field inspections to ensure that the finished construction complies with approved plans.

The subject of the incumbent’s tasks will be focused on one or more of the following Sections of BFP areas: Building Life Safety Systems, Fire Suppression Systems, Fire Detection/Fire Alarm Systems, Hazardous Materials and Site Development.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional engineering discipline (e.g. Fire Protection, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, etc.) OR possession of an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate.

Experience: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional engineering experience.

Acceptable Substitution: A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional engineering discipline may be substituted for one (1) year of professional engineering experience.

Licenses or Certificates: Possession of a valid State of California’s driver’s license is required.

Form 700: This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office.