Fire Protection Engineer, Data Center Design

Fluidstack is recruiting a Fire Protection Engineer for Data Center Design to join our team building next-generation AI infrastructure in Austin, TX. This is a remote, full-time position with a compensation range of $200,000–$250,000 annually plus stock options, based on background and qualifications.

Position Summary

As Fire Protection Engineer for Data Center Design at Fluidstack, you will direct the fire protection engineering discipline across our expanding portfolio of utility-scale data centers. You will take full ownership of specifications, design packages, and permitting strategies—moving from initial concept through final construction documents. This role demands both deep technical mastery and diplomatic skill: you'll engage regularly with fire marshals, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), and cross-functional engineering teams to deliver code-compliant designs that keep projects on schedule.

Your Responsibilities

• Direct the complete fire protection design lifecycle, including VESDA and addressable fire alarm systems, pre-action and wet pipe sprinklers, and clean-agent suppression technologies across all data center facilities.
• Manage permitting and code review interactions as the primary Fluidstack contact with local fire authorities, negotiating code-equivalent solutions for novel designs to avoid delays.
• Create integrated campus-level fire suppression strategies across multi-phase buildouts, coordinating water supply, distribution redundancy, and system interactions between buildings.
• Evaluate fire protection submittals, shop drawings, and third-party consultant deliverables for code alignment and consistency before construction mobilization.
• Guide commissioning activities with Commissioning Agents, troubleshoot test discrepancies, and provide fire protection expertise on live-site retrofits, capacity upgrades, and incident response.

Skills & Qualifications

• Proven track record designing, specifying, and commissioning fire detection and suppression systems for mission-critical, industrial, or large-scale commercial facilities—not merely reviewing others' work.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Fire Protection Engineering, or NICET Level III/IV certification in Fire Alarm and Water-Based Systems.
• Direct negotiation experience with fire marshals and AHJs on non-standard designs, with demonstrated ability to navigate permitting efficiently.
• In-depth working knowledge of NFPA 75, NFPA 76, and NFPA 2001, plus FM Global data center loss prevention standards, and the judgment to translate code into actionable direction for engineering and operations teams.
• Collaborative experience integrating fire protection with electrical, mechanical, and control system design to create cohesive, buildable solutions.
• Clear technical writing—your narratives, hydraulic calculations, and AHJ correspondence must remain reliable references long after project completion.
• Bonus qualifications: Hands-on experience with FM-200 or Novec 1230 systems in data centers, permitting across multiple state or local jurisdictions, hyperscale or colocation campus design, or involvement in NFPA code development.

More About Fluidstack

Fluidstack builds utility-scale compute infrastructure optimized for frontier artificial intelligence. We acquire power sources, engineer and construct data centers, and operate them at massive scale. Our mission is to deliver tens to hundreds of gigawatts of AI compute faster than any competitor—rethinking every design and operational layer. Our data center design team is currently advancing multiple game-changing initiatives: scaling modular data center designs, deploying next-generation liquid cooling and electrical distribution architectures, and engineering multi-gigawatt campuses with behind-the-meter power integration. We operate with extreme ownership, velocity, and first-principles rigor—we challenge every assumption, and the best ideas drive decisions.

Applying for This Role

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