Superintendent Level 1
Position Summary
The Level 1 Superintendent is responsible for independently managing smaller heavy civil, utility, roadway, paving, drainage, and sitework projects while leading field crews, subcontractors, and daily operations. This role requires strong field leadership, a solid understanding of project sequencing, and the ability to safely and efficiently manage day-to-day construction activities with limited oversight.
Typical Project Size
- Projects up to approximately $5 million
- Smaller bridge, roadway, utility, paving, drainage, and sitework projects
- May assist on larger, more complex infrastructure projects
Key Responsibilities
Operations & Project Leadership
- Lead multiple crews, foremen, subcontractors, and daily field operations
- Coordinate manpower, equipment, trucking, materials, and subcontractor activities
- Maintain production goals while meeting safety, quality, and schedule requirements
- Manage night operations and traffic-sensitive work when required
- Develop and maintain short-term schedules and look-ahead plans
- Review daily quantities, production rates, and project performance
- Understand and oversee layout, grading, and site operations
- Perform quantity takeoffs including earthwork, utility, paving, and sitework quantities
- Interpret plans and specifications while visualizing final project conditions
- Support successful project execution from startup through completion
Safety & Risk Management
- Promote and maintain a strong safety culture on all projects
- Conduct toolbox talks, pre-task planning, and daily safety reviews
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, DOT, utility, railroad, and company safety standards
- Maintain work zone traffic control compliance and public safety
- Identify, communicate, and mitigate field risks proactively
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead field personnel professionally while fostering accountability and teamwork
- Motivate crews to achieve productivity, schedule, and quality goals
- Make sound operational decisions independently
- Address routine personnel matters professionally and fairly
- Communicate effectively with inspectors, owners, project managers, and stakeholders
- Support the development of future field leaders through mentorship and example
Technology & Systems
- Utilize project management and cost-tracking software effectively
- Use tablets, GPS systems, digital plans, and field reporting tools
- Maintain accurate daily reports including labor, equipment, materials, quantities, and production tracking
- Review productivity and cost reports with project management teams
- Understand basic scheduling software and project controls systems
Qualifications
Experience
- 5+ years of heavy civil construction experience
- 2+ years of supervisory experience preferred
- Experience with roadway, utility, sitework, paving, bridge, or infrastructure projects
Technical Skills
- Blueprint and specification interpretation
- Basic layout and surveying knowledge
- Quantity takeoffs
- Equipment operations and production planning knowledge
- Traffic control and work zone management
- Basic scheduling and sequencing understanding
- Cost tracking software familiarity
- DOT specification familiarity
Preferred Qualifications
- OSHA 30 certification
- DOT or municipal infrastructure experience
- GPS and machine control familiarity
- Utility coordination experience
- Experience with night work and traffic phasing
Leadership Expectations
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Professionalism and accountability
- Reliable decision-making and follow-through
- Team-oriented leadership approach
- Positive attitude and adaptability
- Ability to lead effectively in a fast-paced construction environment
Compensation
- Salary Range: $105,000 – $125,000 (DOE)
- Insurance: Premium Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage (100% paid for the individual, 50% for family members)
- Bonus Program: Based on individual, company, and division performance
- 401k and Profit Sharing Plan: Safe harbor 401K profit sharing contribution. One-year vesting period for the profit sharing contribution.
Superintendent Level 2
Position Summary
The Level 2 Superintendent independently manages larger, more complex infrastructure projects while overseeing multiple crews, foremen, subcontractors, and field engineers. This role requires advanced operational planning, financial awareness, subcontractor management, and leadership development skills.
Typical Project Size
- Projects ranging from approximately $5 million to $25 million
- Complex roadway, bridge, utility, rail, and infrastructure projects
- Multi-phase and multi-discipline operations
Key Responsibilities
Operations & Project Leadership
- Lead multiple crews, foremen, subcontractors, and field engineers
- Manage complex project sequencing, logistics, and daily operations
- Coordinate utility conflicts, MOT phases, shutdowns, and public impacts in accordance with MUTCD standards
- Develop and maintain look-ahead schedules and lead schedule recovery efforts when required
- Partner with Project Managers on cost control, forecasting, and production planning
- Monitor labor, equipment, trucking, and production performance
- Oversee structure work, deep utility installations, electrical coordination, and complex grading operations
- Lead owner, stakeholder, and coordination meetings
- Maintain full operational control of assigned projects
Financial & Commercial Management
- Understand project budgets and production cost impacts
- Assist with change order development and pricing
- Identify productivity improvements and value engineering opportunities
- Manage subcontractor scopes, risk allocation, and field impacts
- Participate in forecasting and project cost reviews
Safety & Risk Management
- Promote and enforce a strong safety culture
- Conduct incident investigations and implement corrective actions
- Ensure compliance with environmental requirements and permitting regulations
- Manage traffic control, public safety, and high-risk operations
- Support railroad, utility, and specialty safety compliance when applicable
Leadership & Team Development
- Train, mentor, and develop foremen and emerging superintendents
- Address employee performance and personnel matters professionally
- Foster accountability, ownership, and teamwork in the field
- Collaborate closely with Project Managers and Engineers
- Build strong relationships with owners, inspectors, and project stakeholders
Technology & Systems
- Utilize scheduling software and project management platforms effectively
- Review production, cost, and performance reports
- Work with digital plan systems, GPS modeling, and machine control technologies
- Support implementation of company operational standards
- Maintain accurate field documentation using modern reporting systems
Qualifications
Experience
- 8+ years of heavy civil construction experience
- 4+ years of superintendent experience
- Proven success managing complex infrastructure projects
Technical Skills
- Advanced blueprint and specification interpretation
- Strong utility construction and grading knowledge
- Scheduling and project sequencing expertise
- Cost and production analysis
- Change order management
- Project controls familiarity
- Basic estimating knowledge
- Advanced subcontractor coordination
Preferred Qualifications
- OSHA 30 or OSHA 500 certification
- DOT, bridge, rail, or transit construction experience
- Experience with scheduling software
- Railroad coordination or outage work experience
- Utility relocation coordination experience
- Design-build project experience
Leadership Expectations
- Strong leadership presence and decision-making ability
- Commitment to mentoring and developing others
- Proactive problem-solving mindset
- High standards of accountability
- Professional communication with owners, clients, and stakeholders
- Ability to lead effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure environments
Compensation
- Salary Range: $130,000 – $160,000 (DOE)
- Insurance: Premium Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage (100% paid for the individual, 50% for family members)
- Bonus Program: Based on individual, company, and division performance
- 401k and Profit Sharing Plan: Safe harbor 401K profit sharing contribution. One-year vesting period for the profit sharing contribution.
Superintendent Level 3
Position Summary
The Level 3 Superintendent serves as a senior field operations leader responsible for highly complex infrastructure projects and/or multiple simultaneous projects. Building upon the responsibilities of Superintendent Levels 1 and 2, this position provides strategic operational leadership, mentors superintendents and project engineers, and partners with executive leadership to deliver successful projects while strengthening client relationships and organizational performance.
Typical Project Size
- Projects ranging from approximately $25 million to $100 million+
- Large-scale transportation, bridge, rail, transit, utility, and infrastructure projects
- Multi-phase, multi-discipline, accelerated, and technically challenging operations
Key Responsibilities
Executive-Level Operations Leadership
- Lead multiple projects, superintendents, foremen, and project engineers
- Independently manage smaller projects without dedicated project management support when required
- Maintain full operational control of major infrastructure projects
- Lead operational decision-making, project execution strategies, and sequencing plans
- Coordinate high-risk operations, major project logistics, and accelerated construction efforts
- Direct schedule recovery initiatives and critical path planning
- Oversee coordination between field operations and project management teams
- Manage key subcontractor relationships and operational risk
- Support strategic planning for major infrastructure opportunities
- Lead operations on high-profile DOT, bridge, rail, and transit projects
Financial & Business Leadership
- Understand estimating systems, bidding strategies, and constructability considerations
- Participate in opportunity planning, constructability reviews, and preconstruction efforts
- Develop and implement value engineering solutions
- Analyze project profitability drivers and operational financial impacts
- Support claims documentation and major change order strategies
- Participate in forecasting, resource planning, and workforce planning initiatives
- Assist with operational staffing and long-term resource allocation
Leadership & Organizational Development
- Mentor and develop superintendents, foremen, field engineers, and emerging leaders
- Build future operational leadership within the organization
- Establish accountability, operational standards, and performance expectations
- Promote company culture, safety culture, and professionalism across all projects
- Lead conflict resolution and high-level personnel management
- Develop strong relationships with owners, agencies, and key stakeholders
- Represent Waters Construction professionally within the industry and public sector
Technology & Modern Construction Systems
- Utilize advanced project controls, scheduling systems, and operational technologies
- Leverage GPS machine control, digital field management systems, digital scheduling platforms, and production analytics
- Support continuous improvement initiatives and operational innovation
- Promote standardization, efficiency, and best practices across projects
- Apply data-driven approaches to productivity and performance management
Specialized Infrastructure Experience (Preferred)
- Railroad and transit operations
- Accelerated bridge construction
- Complex MOT staging and traffic control in accordance with MUTCD standards
- Deep utility infrastructure
- Marine construction and heavy foundation work
- Design-build project delivery
Qualifications
Experience
- 12+ years of heavy civil construction experience
- 6+ years of superintendent leadership experience
- Proven success managing large-scale infrastructure operations
- Experience leading complex, multi-discipline construction projects
Technical Skills
- Advanced operational planning, scheduling, and project sequencing
- Complex MOT staging and traffic control expertise in accordance with MUTCD standards
- Strong estimating and constructability knowledge
- Advanced cost, productivity, and resource management
- Contract administration and change management awareness
- Advanced project controls expertise
- Strong leadership, organizational, and team management skills
Preferred Qualifications
- Major DOT infrastructure experience
- Rail and transit construction experience
- Design-build project experience
- Large bridge and structural construction experience
- Advanced scheduling proficiency
- Advanced safety certifications
- Leadership development or supervisory training programs
Leadership Expectations
- Executive-level professionalism and leadership presence
- Strong mentorship and talent development capabilities
- Strategic operational mindset
- Ability to lead large organizations and complex project teams
- Exceptional owner-facing communication skills
- High emotional intelligence, accountability, and sound decision-making under pressure
Compensation
- Salary Range: $170,000–$190,000+ (DOE)
- Insurance: Premium Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage (100% paid for the individual, 50% for family members)
- Bonus Program: Based on individual, company, and division performance
- 401k and Profit Sharing Plan: Safe harbor 401K profit sharing contribution. One-year vesting period for the profit sharing contribution.