Fire Suppression Engineer

This position is based at our Hampton Farms location in Severn, NC.

Position Summary

Hampton Farms is seeking a Plant Fire Suppression Engineer who will be responsible for supporting, designing, evaluating, and maintaining fire suppression systems across all company food manufacturing facilities nationwide. This role will focus heavily on ensuring that roasting equipment and associated plant operations are supported by properly engineered fire suppression systems that meet all applicable safety, insurance, and regulatory requirements.

This position blends engineering principles with fire science to protect personnel, equipment, facilities, and assets from fire-related hazards. The engineer will partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, contractors, insurance representatives, and local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) to ensure fire protection systems are compliant, reliable, and properly maintained.

In addition to supporting roasting operations, this role will oversee plant building maintenance activities related to overall fire suppression infrastructure and fire protection systems.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Fire Suppression System Engineering & Design
• Develop, evaluate, and support detailed fire suppression system designs for roasting operations and plant facilities, including:
• Sprinkler systems
• Gas suppression systems
• Foam suppression systems
• Dust collection and combustible dust protection systems
• Other specialized suppression technologies
• Ensure all roasting systems are properly engineered and compliant with NFPA standards, insurance requirements, manufacturer specifications, and local/state/federal regulations.
• Perform hydraulic calculations and review suppression system layouts and engineering drawings.
• Review facility modifications, equipment changes, and capital projects to ensure proper fire protection integration.
• Risk Assessment & Compliance
• Conduct fire hazard and risk assessments within manufacturing and roasting environments.
• Identify process-specific fire risks and recommend appropriate suppression and mitigation strategies.
• Review building and facility plans to ensure compliance with fire protection codes, insurance standards, and engineering requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of evolving fire safety regulations, codes, and suppression technologies.
• Installation, Testing & Commissioning
• Oversee installation, testing, commissioning, and startup of fire suppression systems.
• Coordinate system integration with fire detection and alarm systems.
• Partner with contractors, engineering firms, plant personnel, and equipment manufacturers to ensure successful project execution.
• Support standardization of fire suppression systems and engineering practices across all plant locations.
• Maintenance & Reliability
• Oversee plant building maintenance activities related to fire protection infrastructure and suppression systems.
• Coordinate inspections, preventive maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting of fire suppression equipment to ensure system reliability and readiness.
• Support plant maintenance teams in resolving fire protection system deficiencies and operational issues.
• Maintain documentation, inspection records, drawings, and compliance reports related to fire suppression systems.
• Safety, Training & Reporting
• Provide technical guidance to plant personnel regarding fire safety procedures and fire suppression systems.
• Participate in safety training programs, drills, and emergency preparedness activities.
• Assist in incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action planning related to fire protection events or system failures.
• Prepare and present reports on system performance, fire safety evaluations, and compliance findings.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience supporting industrial fire suppression systems, fire protection engineering, or manufacturing engineering environments.
• Experience supporting food manufacturing, industrial processing, roasting operations, or similar industrial environments strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of:
• NFPA standards and fire codes
• Industrial fire suppression systems
• Combustible dust hazards
• Fire detection and alarm systems
• Facility fire protection infrastructure
• Mechanical and building systems
• Experience managing fire protection projects from concept through implementation.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, fire protection layouts, P&IDs, and system specifications.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, organizational, and project management skills.
• Ability to travel regularly to manufacturing facilities nationwide.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license not required.
• NICET Level II or higher certification in Fire Protection Systems preferred.
• NFPA certifications preferred.
• AutoCAD and/or Inventor experience preferred.
• Experience with fire modeling tools, BIM software, and suppression system layout software preferred.
• Experience working with insurance risk engineering organizations (FM Global, Zurich, etc.) preferred.
• Experience regarding combustible dust and roasting operations highly desirable.

Physical Demand and Work Environment

• Moderate physical activity:
• Exposure to manufacturing environment: Ability to walk manufacturing facilities and construction/project areas for extended periods of time. Visits to production areas may involve noise, temperature variations (hot/cold zones), and adherence to strict food safety and PPE requirements (e.g., hairnets, safety glasses, protective footwear, hard hats, hearing protection, respirators).
• Ability to climb stairs, ladders, and access elevated platforms and equipment areas as needed.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials, tools, or equipment up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to work in industrial manufacturing environments that may include exposure to heat, dust, noise, moving mechanical equipment.
• Ability to inspect equipment in confined or difficult-to-access areas when necessary.
• Ability to travel frequently to plant locations nationwide, including overnight travel.
• Ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, and use a computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to respond to plant emergencies or urgent operational issues when required.

Benefits

• Health Insurance ~ Employee Assistance (EAP) ~ Teladoc ~ Life Insurance
• Employee Referral Program ~ 401K Match ~ Disability ~ Tuition Assistance (TAP)
• Paid Vacation and Personal Days ~ Vision ~ Paid Holidays ~ Jury Duty Leave
• Dental ~ Bereavement Leave ~ Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Core Values “Equip” - Environment Quality Understanding Integrity People

Application Process - This job is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference checks, education verification, pre-employment drug screening, and a criminal history check.

EOE - Equal Opportunity Employer

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