Principal Fire Consultant | London or Bristol | Full Time | Permanent

Cundall is looking for an experienced Principal Fire Consultant to join its Fire Safety Engineering team.

This is a senior role for someone who can lead fire safety design work, support clients and help grow the regional team. You will work on major building projects across sectors such as healthcare, education, retail, commercial, entertainment and tall buildings.

You will also support projects in the MENA region, helping deliver safe, smart and practical fire safety solutions. Because apparently buildings need to be safe, legal and beautiful at the same time. Humanity does enjoy making the brief spicy.

About Cundall’s Fire Safety Team

Cundall’s Fire Safety Engineering team helps make sure buildings meet fire safety law and protect the people who use them.

The team designs fire safety solutions that support safe buildings without harming the overall design. This means working closely with architects, engineers, clients and approval bodies from early design through to construction.

The team is known for its technical skill, proactive approach and focus on strong design.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Fire Consultant, you will lead and deliver fire safety engineering design services.

You will:

• Lead fire safety design: Create practical and compliant fire safety solutions.
• Support major projects: Work across healthcare, education, retail, commercial, entertainment and tall buildings.
• Prepare fire strategies: Develop clear strategies for early approval.
• Support concept design: Provide advice at master-planning and feasibility stages.
• Create fire drawings: Help prepare detailed fire strategy drawings.
• Advise clients: Give expert support during statutory approval and construction.
• Use modelling tools: Support evacuation and smoke modelling where needed.
• Review systems: Help optimise fire safety systems.
• Assess risks: Support fire risk management and fire assessment work.
• Support investigations: Assist with fire investigation where needed.
• Review designs: Check work produced by other team members.
• Sign off work: Verify designs and provide clear feedback.
• Manage resources: Help plan project staffing and delivery needs.
• Prepare proposals: Support fee proposals and fee calculations.
• Mentor others: Train and guide junior team members.

Fire Consultant Responsibilities

This Fire Consultant role needs someone who can balance technical depth, clear advice and strong project leadership.

You will take ownership of design quality, project delivery and client care. You will also help develop the regional team and improve the service offer for new and existing clients.

Your work may include:

• Feasibility studies
• Fire safety strategies
• Advanced fire safety design
• Fire strategy drawings
• Statutory approval support
• Construction stage advice
• Evacuation strategies
• Smoke management
• Structural fire engineering
• Fire risk management
• Fire safety assessment
• Fire investigation

About You

You will be an experienced fire safety engineering professional with strong technical and client-facing skills.

You will bring:

• Fire safety experience: Strong experience in fire safety engineering design.
• Leadership skills: The ability to guide teams and support junior staff.
• Technical knowledge: A clear understanding of fire safety design in the built environment.
• Design software skills: Experience using relevant fire safety design and modelling tools.
• Client focus: The ability to explain complex issues in a clear and useful way.
• Project skills: Confidence managing work, deadlines, resources and design quality.
• Commercial awareness: Experience supporting fee proposals and project resourcing.
• Quality focus: The ability to review, verify and sign off design work.
• Collaborative style: A positive approach to working with architects, engineers and clients.
• Clear communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Qualifications and Experience

You should have:

• A degree in a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status, or be working towards chartership.
• Substantial experience in fire safety engineering design.
• Experience working in a building services or built environment setting.
• Knowledge of British Standards.
• Knowledge of NFPA, IBC and IFC.
• Experience with performance-based design.

Key Fire Consultant Skills

Cundall is looking for someone with strong skills in:

• Fire safety engineering
• Fire strategy design
• Performance-based design
• Evacuation strategy
• Smoke management
• Structural fire engineering
• Fire risk management
• Fire safety systems
• Design review
• Project leadership
• Client advice
• Team mentoring

Why Join Cundall?

This is a strong opportunity to join a respected global consultancy and play a leading role in its Fire Safety Engineering team.

You will work on complex and high-profile projects, help shape safer buildings and support the growth of the regional team.

You will also have the chance to mentor others, influence design quality and work with a wide range of clients and project teams.

Diversity and Inclusion

Cundall wants to build a diverse workforce supported by an inclusive culture.

The company welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. It aims to create a workplace where people can do their best work and feel valued.

Application Tips

Use your CV to show clear examples of fire safety engineering design work.

Include the sectors you have worked in, the types of fire strategies you have produced and any experience with evacuation modelling, smoke modelling, structural fire engineering or performance-based design.

It will also help to show where you have led teams, mentored junior staff, reviewed designs, supported fee proposals or worked with approval bodies. Keep your examples clear, specific and easy to scan.