Fire Alarm Engineer

About Giga

Giga is building gigawatts of AI data centers to hasten a future of intelligence and abundance. We build data centers fast and at scale by combining the capabilities of an equipment supplier, engineering firm, general contractor, and real estate developer under one roof. Our team moves quickly and thinks practically. If you're ready to make an impact in an industry that matters, we're looking for people like you.

Why join Giga

• The Pace: We're building at a speed most companies talk about but never actually operate at. If you've been bored somewhere else, you won't be here.
• The Impact: Every person at Giga touches the work that matters. No layers, no waiting for approval chains. You'll see your fingerprints on what we ship.
• The Team: A team of operators defining the future of AI infrastructure. We recruit A-players from the most innovative companies in the world, and they choose Giga because the work here means more.
• The Moment: AI doesn't run without power, and that's us. Giga is the picks and shovels behind the AI revolution. This industry is about to explode, and you'll be in the room where it's already happening.

What you'll do

As Fire Alarm Engineer at Giga, you will provide technical design leadership and expertise for fire alarm systems, detection systems, smoke control systems, and life safety systems across our AI data center facilities. You'll work on multiple concurrent projects, ensuring technical excellence, design quality, and code compliance while mentoring junior staff and collaborating closely with project teams, clients, and authorities having jurisdiction. This is a hands-on specialist role for someone who wants real technical ownership and thrives in fast-paced, collaborative environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical design leadership for fire alarm systems, detection systems, smoke control systems, and life safety systems on data center and mission-critical facility projects.
• Design fire alarm and detection systems using manufacturers' equipment and best practices appropriate for data center facilities.
• Design detection and monitoring for lithium-ion battery energy storage and UPS battery systems, including off-gas detection, hydrogen monitoring, and thermal runaway response sequences.
• Develop sequences of operation, equipment schedules, riser diagrams, and device layouts, and prepare and maintain fire alarm specifications.
• Develop smoke control and management strategies aligned with facility operations and life safety requirements.
• Perform quality control review of fire alarm and life safety systems drawings, ensuring technical accuracy, code compliance, and alignment with design intent.
• Provide design guidance and markup comments on other engineers' and designers' submittals, explaining best practices based on real-world data center experience.
• Ensure design compliance with IBC, IFC, NFPA codes, and FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets as Owner design criteria.
• Coordinate fire alarm and life safety system designs with mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, architectural, and fire protection disciplines.
• Interface with clients, AHJs, and fire alarm contractors to convey and defend design intent, obtain approvals, and resolve technical issues.
• Support field activities including site observation, acceptance testing with AHJs, and resolution of construction-phase issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and drafters on fire alarm system design, code requirements, and best practices.
• Participate in design reviews and quality assurance/quality control efforts across multiple concurrent projects.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of experience designing fire alarm systems.
• NICET Fire Alarm Systems (FAS) Level III or IV certification.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• Experience working on Data Center projects.
• Extensive knowledge and design experience with fire alarm systems and related manufacturers' equipment, including VESDA aspirating systems, VEWFD spot smoke detectors, and addressable panels.
• Extensive knowledge and design experience with releasing service and suppression interlocks, including preaction and double-interlock preaction systems, clean agent systems, and generator and battery enclosure interfaces.
• Extensive knowledge and design experience with lithium-ion battery hazards, including off-gas detection, hydrogen monitoring, and thermal runaway response sequences.
• Proficiency in IBC, IFC, NFPA codes.
• Extensive design experience in data center fire alarm and life safety systems.
• Field experience with fire alarm system installation, testing, and commissioning.
• Proficiency in Revit and AutoCAD to produce complete construction documents.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to carry multiple concurrent design assignments and deliver on schedule without sacrificing quality.

Bonus points

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification.
• Experience estimating and scheduling mid-to-large-scale projects.
• Experience in fire protection and plumbing design is a plus.
• Familiarity with hyperscale, colocation, and AI-focused data center facility requirements.
• Texas project experience and familiarity with local AHJ processes.

Benefits

• Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Equity (options) in a rapidly growing startup.
• 401(k) with 4% employer match.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Parental leave.
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA).
• Commuter benefits, where applicable.
• Opportunities to collaborate in person at periodic team and company on-sites.