Associate Engineer (Fire Protection)

The San Jose Police Department’s San José Fire Department is hiring two Associate Engineer positions for the Bureau of Fire Prevention. In this onsite role in San Jose, CA, you will perform professional engineering, plan review, and inspection work focused on fire safety and code compliance under the general supervision of a Senior Engineer.

Associate Engineers in the Bureau of Fire Prevention carry out technical reviews and field verification activities to help ensure buildings meet applicable life safety and fire protection requirements, including California codes and recognized fire protection standards.

Role overview

• Perform professional engineering, plan review, and inspection duties under general supervision of a Senior Engineer.
• Work is focused in one or more Bureau of Fire Prevention areas, including Building Life Safety Systems, Fire Sprinkler/Suppression Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, and Site Development.
• This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this or other divisions or departments.

Responsibilities

• 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, applicable NFPA standards, and local ordinances.
• Provide technical advice to consultants, architects, engineers, contractors, developers, department officers and staff, the Fire Marshal, and others regarding the application or interpretation of fire safety codes and regulations, including resolution of fire safety issues identified during preliminary design.
• Analyze and evaluate proposals for alternate materials and methods of construction and/or variances to fire safety codes and regulations.
• Conduct field inspections to verify finished construction complies with approved plans.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional engineering discipline (for example, Fire Protection, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil) or possession of an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate.
• Three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional engineering experience.
• A master’s degree in the required professional engineering discipline may substitute for one (1) year of professional engineering experience.
• Possession of a valid State of California driver’s license is required.
• Complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment.
• Answer all job-specific questions; failure to do so may result in an incomplete application and withholding from further consideration.

Salary and additional details

• Salary range for this classification: $135,975.84 - $172,099.20 (USD), with an approximate 5% ongoing non-pensionable pay included in the range.
• Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of eligibility to work in the United States.
• The City of San Jose will not sponsor, represent, or sign documents related to H1-B or other employer application visa types requiring employer applications.

Other qualifications

• Knowledge of codes and standards relevant to building life safety and fire protection.
• Experience examining building plans for compliance with building fire safety and fire protection requirements.
• Experience in the design, evaluation, and inspection/testing of fire/life safety systems, including passive fire protection, emergency evacuation systems, fire sprinkler/suppression systems, and fire alarm systems.
• Possession of certifications and/or licenses related to the field of fire protection.
• Ability to convey information clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, with effective listening skills and openness to others’ ideas.
• Ability to use logical, systematic, sequential approaches to problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate customer needs and deliver services effectively with professional demeanor.
• Ability to identify issues and opportunities, use effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing solutions, and align unit goals with organizational direction.
• Ability to define problems, determine significance, collect information, and use logic to arrive at decisions or solutions.
• Ability to build effective relationships through collaboration and conflict resolution.

Selection process and application notes

• Selection will be based on evaluation of training and experience from the application and responses to all job-specific questions.
• Additional phases may include one or more interviews.
• The recruitment is open until filled, and applications received on or before September 11, 2026 will be given first consideration.
• Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses; use of AI content in responses may result in removal from the hiring process.
• Applications are not accepted through CalOpps or other third-party job board systems.
• If the online application is successfully submitted, an automatic confirmation email is sent; if no confirmation is received, email [email protected] for status research.
• Application responses and interview answers must reflect the applicant’s own knowledge, skills, and experiences.

If you have questions about duties, selection, or hiring process, contact Denisse Madriz at [email protected].