Deputy Authority Having Jurisdiction, Fire Protection

Requisition Id 12036 

Overview: 

This position will primarily support the day-to-day operations and activities of the ORNL Contractor Authority Having Jurisdiction for Fire Protection.  This position is also supports the implementation of ORNL’s comprehensive fire prevention/protection program, which is designed to reduce the threat of fire and related perils to life, missions, property, and the environment, while complying with Department of Energy (DOE) requirements.  ORNL FPEs are assigned to support research, operations, and facility management activities across the campus and at associated off-site facilities. This includes missions in nuclear facilities, accelerator facilities, supercomputing facilities, and a wide range of other laboratories and structures.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

This position will primarily focus on supporting the day-to-day operations and activities of the ORNL Contractor Authority Having Jurisdiction for Fire Protection.  These include:

• Reviewing and recommending approval of the fire department Baseline Needs Assessment;

• Forwarding to DOE for concurrence, decisions for not performing an FHA for new facilities for which DOE O 420.1C, Change 3, would require one;

• Determining applicability of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards to site activities;

• Evaluating and approving the acceptability of FP and life safety equipment or materials for use in non-standard configurations;

• Approving performance-based alternatives for fire and life safety related requirements;

• Resolving any conflicts between applicable industry codes and standards;

• Recommending the OSO AHJ concur with Equivalencies and Exemptions to DOE Orders;

• Recommending the OSO AHJ approve significant equivalent approaches and alternative methods to NFPA, International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), and DOE-STD-1066-2023;

• Approving moderate field compliance conditions, equivalent approaches, and alternative methods to NFPA, IBC, IFC, and DOE-STD-1066-2023, after consultation with OSO;

• Approving minor field compliance conditions, equivalent approaches, and alternative methods to NFPA, IBC, IFC, and DOE-STD-1066-2023;

• Enforcing the requirements of applicable industry codes and standards;

• Issuing, revoking, and/or suspending permits;

• Reviewing and approving construction documents and shop drawings;

• Reviewing and approving facility modifications as they relate to FP and life safety;

• Reviewing and approving the installation and acceptance testing of new FP and life safety features;

• Performing fire safety acceptance inspections for approval of occupancy of new facilities or those having undergone major modifications;

• Interpreting FP requirements in applicable codes and standards;

• Approving inspection, testing, and maintenance (IT&M) procedures for fire systems and components;

• Developing corrective actions for non-compliant conditions; and

• Investigating the cause, origin, and circumstances of any fire, explosion, release of fire-related hazardous materials, or other fire-related hazardous conditions.

• Providing technical support for areas of interest beyond traditional fire protection responsibilities (e.g. nuclear safety, occupational safety, etc.).

• Serving on support teams and special projects; and

• Performing, and/or reviewing, scheduled Fire Protection Engineering Assessments (FPEAs) and/or Fire Hazards Analyses (FHAs) in alignment with the requirements of DOE Order 420.1C;

• Performing design reviews of planned construction and building/process modifications;

• Supporting the design, installation, modification, and commissioning efforts for fire- and life safety-related systems/features;

• Mentoring fellow engineers on the FP design requirements of consensus standards and special design approaches unique to ORNL.

• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• The successful candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Fire Protection Engineering Technology from an ABET/ETAC accredited program. 

• The successful candidate will have a minimum of ten years of documented fire protection engineering-related experience, with a minimum of one year of experience in nuclear environment(s). 

• The ability to acquire and maintain a Department of Energy “Q” security clearance (comparable to DOD Top-Secret) is a requirement.

• This position requires passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing.

• This position requires the successful completion of a pre-employment physical. 

• Upon appointment of an AHJ, the selected indivudal’s qualifications will be submitted to DOE for appointment. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• In addition to interpreting and applying prescriptive code requirements, the ideal candidate will possess the ability to develop, propose, and implement defendable risk-based decisions related to fire safety issues. 

• The ideal candidate will understand and be able to apply the principles of the “Highly Protected Risk” concept from DOE Order 420.1C.

• The ideal candidate will have good oral communication and technical writing skills and will be proficient with common computer software used in the office environment.

• The ideal candidate will have a strong sense of customer support and an ability to develop and foster positive customer relationships.

• The ideal candidate will possess the social skills necessary to have positive interactions and collaborations with fellow ORNL FPEs. 

• The ideal candidate will have experience with the fire hazards of gloveboxes, hot cells, and similar nuclear work environments. 

• A P.E. license in the field of fire protection engineering is preferred.

• Working knowledge of the Builing Code considered a plus.

• Qualification as a Systems Engineer (per DOE O 426.1) is preferred.

• Membership in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and/or the National Fire Protection Association is preferred.  

Special Requirements:

• Physical Requirements: This position requires passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing. This position requires the successful completion of a pre-employment physical. 

• Visa Sponsorship: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

• Q clearance: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

#LI-DC1

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.