Amy Dowie: A Career in Fire Safety Engineering

To mark International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June 2026, under the theme “Engineering Intelligence,” we spoke with Amy Dowie, Senior Fire Safety Consultant at Jensen Hughes. Amy reflects on her journey into the profession and shares her thoughts on how to inspire and support more women to pursue careers in engineering.

Q: How did you find your way into fire safety engineering?

Amy: Maths and science have always interested me. I remember my mother giving me science books as an Easter present once, and I was thrilled. As I got older, engineering felt like a natural fit, and I went on to study a Bachelor of Engineering at the Australian National University, majoring in electrical and biomedical engineering.

My first taste of the construction industry came through a part time job at university. There was a lot of construction happening on campus at the time, so I got involved in representing students with disabilities and communicating their needs regarding access to and around the buildings. That early focus on accessibility has stayed with me, and it connects to the access consulting work Jensen Hughes does today.

Toward the end of my undergraduate degree, I saw an advertisement for a role in fire safety engineering and thought it sounded interesting. I started part time and, once I graduated, decided to stay on to build a career in the field.

Q: Which projects have been most rewarding?

Amy: One I’m particularly proud of was a large combustible cladding audit. I was only 18 months into my career when I managed risk assessments for 106 buildings across 70 sites in two months, all during the COVID-19 pandemic. Balancing safe working practices on site was demanding because the data had to be gathered in person. It was important work, though. Some of those buildings were hospitals and schools, and the goal was to keep them safe.

That project, and the client feedback that came with it, contributed to my winning the Young Achiever of the Year Award from Fire Protection Association Australia in 2022, which meant a great deal to me.

Additionally, working on the Australian Parliament House has been extremely rewarding. The building has one of the largest footprints in the southern hemisphere, with many additional requirements related to its use, heritage and security. Typically, this means that every project there is nuanced, with no standard fire engineering solutions, and I find I thrive on the complexity of it all. I have been involved in numerous projects there over a five-to-six-year period and have seen the completion of many long-standing projects whilst building strong relationships with the design teams. 

Q: What stops more people, and particularly women, from considering fire safety engineering?

Amy: Awareness is the biggest barrier. Many people do not realise these careers exist. A lot of the people I work with never set out to work in fire safety, yet they find it genuinely fulfilling once they are in it.

There also aren't many dedicated fire safety engineering courses, especially at the university level, which makes the field harder to discover. That means many talented young women can be overlooked simply because they never hear about it. To help, Jensen Hughes attends university career days to raise awareness of the industry.

Q: What has your own experience as a woman in the industry been like?

Amy: Engineering is still a male dominated field. In Australia, women make up around 16%of professional engineers and about 19% of engineering graduates, according to Engineers Australia. Improving that balance matters to me.

Early in my career, I was often the only woman in stakeholder meetings, and usually the youngest person in the room, so it took confidence to assert myself. It makes a real difference when you are not the only woman at the table, which is why representation matters so much to me. I joined the National Association of Women in Construction, and through it, I have helped organise events and support the local community.

Things are moving in the right direction, and you can feel the cultural shift happening. It is slower in this industry than in some, but I am optimistic. I want people to know there are many ways to be an engineer, whatever your gender.

Q: What is next for you?

Amy: As a Senior Fire Safety Engineer, my next career chapter is all about embracing innovation and leadership. I'm eager to delve into more unconventional and challenging projects with the hope of some new and exciting projects on my horizon. Beyond technical pursuits, I'm committed to taking on mentoring roles within my team and supporting others the best I can to grow in knowledge and confidence. I am always looking to build stronger relationships with the people I’m working with to not only deliver better project outcomes but also have some fun along the way.