Associate Director - Fire Protection Engineering

Come and grow with us.

Our global portfolio of work comprises the design of iconic and award-winning buildings and landscapes. From strategic planning through to project realisation, the connections we make among people and place provide sustainable outcomes for our clients and the communities we serve. We place a premium on investing in digital capabilities and innovations which bring a unique consistency and efficiency to our scalable work. Together with our clients, we are working to evolve and elevate the built environment across sectors including social infrastructure, transit, technology and logistics, and commercial and corporate real estate, while focusing on solutions that promote long term health and wellbeing for all.

Everyone belongs at AECOM

We’re committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging - because great ideas come from diverse perspectives. AECOM is proud to be a Fortune 500 Most Admired Company, a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, #Work180 Equitable Workplace Awards 2025 Winner and an AWEI Bronze Tier LGBTQ+ Inclusive Employer.

Our Building Engineering team are seeking an Associate Director – Fire Protection Engineering to join our team in Melbourne. In this role, you will provide technical leadership across major projects while helping shape the future growth of our fire protection capability. You will work across a diverse portfolio including defence, education, health, commercial and aviation sectors, leading complex projects and developing high-performing teams.

How you’ll make a difference:

• Provide technical and strategic leadership across a range of fire protection projects, overseeing design and delivery from concept through to construction and commissioning.
• Lead the development and implementation of wet and dry fire protection systems, including fire hydrants, hose reels, sprinkler systems, alternative suppression systems, gas suppression, fire detection and evacuation systems.
• Ensure all designs comply with the National Construction Code (NCC), Australian Standards, and relevant authority requirements, while maintaining the highest safety and quality standards.
• Act as a senior client interface, building trusted relationships with key clients and stakeholders while identifying opportunities for new and repeat business.
• Provide technical mentoring and leadership to engineers across the team, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Lead multi-disciplinary collaboration across major projects, working closely with mechanical, electrical, structural and specialist engineering teams to deliver integrated building solutions.
• Support the growth of the fire protection discipline through strategic input, project leadership and contribution to business development initiatives.

The following qualifications and experience are highly desired, but if you don’t tick all the boxes, you could still be a perfect fit for this role. Please apply, all applications will be considered.

The qualities that help you thrive:

• Ideally, 13+ years’ experience as a Fire Protection Engineer within an Engineering Consultancy environment or Government Department with extensive Design experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multidisciplinary projects and managing project teams.
• Strong technical background in Fire Suppression Systems & Design, including Fire Hydrants, Hose Reels, Sprinkler Systems, Portable Fire Equipment and fire water supply infrastructure.
• Experience with Fire Detection & Alarm Systems, Emergency Warning & Intercom Systems and integrated fire protection solutions will be highly regarded.
• Relevant engineering degree with NER registration and/or FPAS accreditation – Fire Systems Design (desirable).
• Proven ability to develop client relationships and contribute to business development and project growth.
• Exposure to industry software such as Hyena, Revizto, Revit or AutoCAD.

Due to the nature of the projects, Australian Citizenship is highly preferred.

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses.  Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well-being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.