Superintendent

Superintendents manage building projects and supervise foremen the day-to-day activities involved with a construction project. Superintendents manage the overall construction project demands, delegating tasks, and create the project schedule with the Project Manager. They observe all activities on a construction site and maintain a Daily Report that explains what was accomplished.

Superintendent skills and qualifications 

Construction Superintendents use a variety of skills, technical abilities and industry knowledge to manage a construction project effectively, including: 

• Excellent communication abilities, including writing, speaking and active listening 
• Great planning skills, resource allocation, contingencies and execution 
• Understanding of construction equipment, including safe operating practices and signs of maintenance issues 
• Great problem-solving and decision-making skills 
• Effective leadership abilities, like motivation, goal setting and conflict management 
• Organizational skills, including time management, delegation, prioritization and multitasking 

Superintendent typical experience requirements 

As a supervisory position, Superintendent candidates should have years of previous experience in the construction industry. Previous managerial experience on a construction team is required. Many candidates have worked in construction as Construction Foreman, Designers, Engineers, or in other capacities.  

What is the difference between a Superintendent and a Project Manager? 

Superintendents are experienced Foreman’s who spend their time on-site guiding a construction team, while Project Managers handle the logistics and administrative aspects of construction projects. They have different skill sets, with Superintendents having a background in construction and Project Managers having a history of working with client accounts. Project Managers work closely with the clients commissioning a construction project. They manage invoices, negotiate supply contracts and prepare risk analysis. Superintendents focus on implementing instructions at a job site, ensuring safety regulations are enforced and motivating their staff. 

Who does a Superintendent oversee? 

Superintendents oversee the construction site. They coordinate all of the activities of production, additional contractors and consultants assisting on the project. Superintendents are directly involved with managing the team, assigning foremen to new tasks each day and checking their work for quality and stability. 

What are the qualities of a good Superintendent? 

Good Superintendents are highly organized and coordinated. They are able to keep a running written list of all tasks that need to be completed at any given moment. Successful Superintendents are also clear communicators who can give specific and direct instructions on a job site according to detailed blueprints. Superintendents also need to be physically capable of working on a construction site and helping the team carry heavy loads and prepare construction materials. 

What are the daily duties of a Superintendent? 

On a typical day, Superintendents spend long shifts on a construction site. They begin the day delegating tasks to prepare the construction area. Throughout the day, Superintendents give direct orders and clarify instructions for the Foreman’s onsite. Superintendent must constantly be training and passing on trade knowledge. Superintendents manage performance reports, daily reports, coordinating and communicating the project, other trades, coordination meetings, coordinate RFI’s with Project Manager, safety meetings, JSA’s, participate in sub meetings, efficiencies for the entire team, ensure that the team is safely operating to OSHA/Contractor safety standards and respond to any accidents or errors. Maintaining cleanliness and condition of company supplied vehicles/equipment. Scheduling of concrete, inspections or other materials deliveries. 

Here are all the daily duties of a Superintendent.

• Material Handling - stocking on jobsite, ordering and delivery
• Project scheduling with Project Manager - production, durations, and manpower 
• Verifying AutoCad drawings - verifying anchors, embeds, wall and footing elevation, wall and footing location, constructability, form layout, and sawcut location 
• Making sure project is being constructed to current plans - tracking RFIs, and addendums 
• Equipment and tool rental 
• Scheduling concrete pumps 
• Scheduling concrete delivery 
• Scheduling inspections - framing inspections, rebar inspection and concrete testing with the General Contractor  
• Supervise concrete placements
• Send a weekly schedule broken into a daily schedule to Foremen
• Onsite point of contact between General Contractor and Steed 

Salary : $80,000 - $95,000