Fire Protection Engineer
Location: Memphis, TN
Department: Data Center
ABOUT xAI
xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
We are seeking an exceptional Fire Protection Engineer to design, implement, and optimize advanced fire protection and life safety systems for xAI’s high-density AI supercomputing facilities and on-site power generation infrastructure. This role focuses on protecting mission-critical environments with extreme power densities, liquid cooling systems, and large-scale natural gas generation while meeting the highest standards of reliability, code compliance, and operational uptime.
You will own fire protection strategy from conceptual design through construction, commissioning, and ongoing operations. This is a full-time, onsite role based in the Memphis region, working closely with mechanical, electrical, thermal, gas pipeline, and construction teams.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design and engineer comprehensive fire protection systems for data centers and power plants, including clean agent suppression, pre-action sprinkler systems, water mist, fire detection/alarm, smoke control, and gas detection.
- Perform fire hazard analyses, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) fire modeling, and risk assessments for high-heat-flux GPU clusters, battery storage, and natural gas turbine installations.
- Develop fire protection drawings, P&IDs, specifications, sequences of operations, and performance-based design approaches.
- Integrate fire protection systems with HVAC, liquid cooling, electrical infrastructure, and gas pipeline safety systems to ensure coordinated performance.
- Ensure full compliance with NFPA (70, 72, 75, 76, 855, 2001), IBC, IFC, FM Global, and local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) requirements.
- Support permitting, authority approvals, and third-party reviews; participate in commissioning, integrated system testing, and handover to operations.
- Conduct failure mode analysis, root cause investigations, and continuous improvement of fire protection standards for current and future facilities.
- Provide technical guidance during construction and act as a subject matter expert during any fire protection-related incidents or drills.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- 1+ years of experience in fire protection system design and engineering, with direct experience in data centers, mission-critical facilities, or power generation plants.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Experience designing fire protection for hyperscale AI/HPC data centers or large natural gas-fired power generation facilities.
- Hands-on experience with clean agent systems (Novec 1230, FM-200), very early warning smoke detection (VESDA), and water mist systems.
- Familiarity with performance-based design approaches and alternative means and methods approvals.
- Experience working with AHJs in Tennessee and Texas.
- Knowledge of integrating fire protection with liquid cooling and high-density electrical systems.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willingness to work extended hours and be fully onsite as needed during critical design, construction, and commissioning phases.
- Ability to work in active construction and industrial environments.
- Strong communication and documentation skills for collaborating with internal teams, contractors, consultants, and regulators.
xAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.
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