Fire and Gas System Engineer

Career Area:

Engineering

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Role Definition

As a Fire & Gas System Engineer, you will be responsible for the end-to-end design, development, validation, and commissioning of fire and gas detection and suppression systems for industrial applications (e.g., oil & gas, power generation, manufacturing). You will ensure compliance with NFPA and other international safety standards, leveraging deep field experience and controls engineering expertise.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver robust, reliable, and compliant solutions that protect people, assets, and operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering efforts for fire and gas detection and suppression systems in industrial projects
• Ensure compliance with NFPA, ISA, and relevant international codes and standards
• Design, analyse, and optimize fire and gas systems for reliability, efficiency, and safety.
• Develop specifications for detectors (smoke, flame, gas), suppression agents (CO₂, FM-200, water mist), and control panels.
• Perform risk assessments, hazard analyses, and safety studies (HAZOP, LOPA) to identify and mitigate fire/gas risks.
• Oversee installation, commissioning, and validation of fire and gas systems in the field.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues during operations and maintenance.
• Document engineering designs, calculations, and compliance reports.
• Collaborate with controls engineers to integrate fire/gas systems with plant automation and safety instrumented systems.
• Drive technical excellence and continuous improvement within the engineering team.
• Support training and knowledge sharing, leveraging expertise from technical seminars and field experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Proven expertise in NFPA standards and fire/gas system engineering.
• Field experience in installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of fire/gas systems.
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end system design, development, validation, and commissioning.
• Experience with controls engineering and integration of safety systems.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering.
• NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist or equivalent certification.
• TÜV Functional Safety Engineer or similar credential.
• Experience with advanced suppression technologies (CO₂, FM-200, water mist).
• Participation in technical committees (NFPA, ISA, etc.).

Skill Descriptors

Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.
•    Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.
•    Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.
•    Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.
•    Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.
•    Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient.
•    Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.
•    Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work.
•    Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.
•    Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

Managing Multiple Priorities: Knowledge of effective self-management practices; ability to manage multiple concurrent objectives, projects, groups, or activities, making effective judgments as to prioritizing and time allocation.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Recognizes changing demands and priorities; validates changes with management.
•    Obtains information about how current assignments contribute to organizational goals.
•    Completes current work according to assigned priorities.
•    Responds to day-to-day operational priorities while still making progress on project work.
•    Performs at least 2-3 concurrent activities without reducing productivity.

Technical Excellence: Knowledge of a given technology and various application methods; ability to develop and provide solutions to significant technical challenges.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Provides effective technical solutions to routine functional challenges via sound technical competence, effectively examining implications of events and issues.
•    Effectively performs the technical job aspects, continuously building knowledge and keeping up-to-date on technical and procedural job components.
•    Applies technical operating and project standards based on achieving excellence in delivered products, technologies and services.
•    Applies current procedures and technologies to help resolve technical issues in one's general area of technical competence.
•    Helps others solve technical or procedural problems or issues.

Computer-Aided Design & Engineering: Knowledge of tools and techniques of specialized graphics programs; ability to produce, analyze, simulate and test product design drafts.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Coaches others on orthographic, isometric and axonometric projections.
•    Presents complex products and systems graphically.
•    Performs manipulations on design objects, such as changing projections and managing drawing layers.
•    Directs the matrix computations performed to transform objects in coordinate space.
•    Consults on benefits and drawbacks of top-down design vs. bottom-up design.
•    Compares and contrasts uses of bird's-eye views and worm's-eye views.

Product Design - MFG: Knowledge of processes, approaches, tools and techniques of product design; ability to convert customer and market requirements into product design.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Develops improvement plans for senior management and evaluates the outcome of the design against the functionality.
•    Advises others on the development of multiple products and their functionality.
•    Trains others on advanced tools and approaches of product design.
•    Monitors the processes and procedures of a complex product design to ensure functional requirements are met.
•    Evaluates feedback from customers and consults on functional weaknesses.
•    Controls design and development costs of a proposed product through effective resource coordination.

Product Design and Development: Knowledge of product features; ability to design, build, and develop a new product, technology, or service from concept through to production.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Builds three-dimensional models with basic materials.
•    Communicates with professionals to understand various requirements of product design.
•    Tests and evaluates alternative means of production being considered for use.
•    Uses automated tools to design or modify the design of a product.
•    Assists in building a complex prototype of product.

Relocation is available for this position.

Posting Dates:

September 26, 2025 - October 9, 2025

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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