Construction Manager Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post presents complete information on the job description of a construction manager, to help you learn the work they do.

It highlights the key tasks, duties, and responsibilities that commonly make up the construction manager work description.

It also presents the major requirements individuals are usually expected to meet to be hired for the construction manager role by most employers/recruiters.

Please, continue reading to increase your knowledge of the construction manager career:

What Does a Construction Manager Do?

A construction manager is responsible for overseeing, directing, and managing the development of construction projects from its start to completion.

His/her job description entails overseeing key tasks that range from planning to budgeting and making crucial decisions, and ensuring that construction projects fall within the proposed budget and the given deadline.

It also involves planning of construction projects and overseeing their progress along the way in a very timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

The construction manager is also responsible for overseeing tasks such as budgeting, organization, implementation, and the scheduling of construction projects.

He/she may have an office to work in, though he/she is frequently required to work on construction sites.

One of the core duties that are performed by construction managers is to make schedules for construction projects by supervising production from the conception phase to the construction phase, while also monitoring deadlines to ensure that construction projects are completed within the proposed timeframe.

He/she is also saddled with the responsibility of determining costs, which requires him/her to assess a construction project’s costs and prepare a budget that outlines both soft and hard costs.

He/she is also required and expected to come up with effective ways to minimize budget which may involve finding and using alternative building materials, and/or other relevant ways.

A construction manager must also monitor and control safety by supporting and supervising staff in the day-to-day management and giving directions as necessary and when required.

It is also highly important that a construction manager attends construction meetings alongside staff, supervisors, and other parties that are involved in the construction project and contributing to these meetings by discussing budgets, plans, and goals.

He/she may also be required to create agendas for meetings and gather documents such as schedules and logs.

If you are seeking to work as a construction manager, some of the required skills and qualities employers/recruiters may want you to fulfill include adequate and technical understanding of construction, excellent oral and written communication skills, and good decision-making skills; good financial management skills, profound budgeting experience, and good problem-solving skills; attention to detail, excellent leadership skills, and good time and project management skills.

In terms of academic qualifications, the ideal candidate for the construction manager role is usually required to possess a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Architecture, or Engineering, or in a similar discipline.

To enhance their careers, construction managers can belong to certain professional organizations, including the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) and the American Institute of Constructors (AIC).

These professional associations provide opportunity for skills development, networking, and exposures to current best practices in the construction industry.

Construction Manager Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Construction managers perform the following responsibilities:

• Monitoring and directing construction projects from conception to completion
• Overseeing all onsite and offsite constructions to monitor and ensure strict compliance with building and safety regulations
• Liaising and working cooperatively with construction workers, contractors, and subcontractors
• Examining and reviewing construction work progress daily
• Negotiating contracts and terms of agreements, drafting contracts, and obtaining permits and licenses
• Examining, assessing, managing, and mitigating risks
• Ensuring that construction standards are of high quality and proper construction techniques are utilized
• Ensuring strict compliance with health, safety, and all other relevant regulations.

Download Construction manager job description template.

Construction Manager Job Description for Resume

If you are making a new resume or CV and have worked previously as a construction manager or are presently working in that position, you should boost the resume/CV by adding the professional experience section to it.

The professional or work experience section helps you to effectively let the recruiter/employer know that you have been successful performing the duties and responsibilities of a construction manager.

This information in your resume/CV can greatly help you gain an interview with the recruiter/employer, especially if the construction manager work experience is important to the new position that you are applying for.

You can quickly make an impactful professional experience section for your resume/CV by applying the construction manager job description example provided above.

(Learn how to make an effective resume applying the Employer-focused Resume Writing Technique)

Construction Manager Requirements – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Career Success

If you are seeking the construction manager job, here are major requirements most recruiters/employers may want you to meet to be considered for hiring:

• Adequate knowledge and technical understanding of construction such as knowledge of building codes, trade sequencing, and best building practices, as these enable construction managers to handle complex and detailed projects
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as he or she is required to coordinate and liaise with a variety of different professionals such as contractors, subcontractors, city inspectors, architects, and suppliers
• Strong judgment, as this enables a construction manager to decide majorly for construction projects, while also fully understanding the implications of his or her decisions
• Good financial management skills and budgeting experience, since a construction manager must estimate costs and ensure that projects do not go over the proposed costs
• Project controls, which involves the ability to evaluate data and determine the needs of a project
• Several years of professional and proven-work experience
• A Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, or in a related field.

Construction Manager Career Progression

Here is the typical career progression for the construction manager role, including timeframes and the skills needed at each stage for career advancement:

1. Construction Manager (Mid-Level)

Timeframe: 7–12 years: After gaining prior experience as project engineer or assistant manager, you can become a construction manager within seven to twelve years of your career.

Role Overview: The construction manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of construction projects, managing schedules, budgets, site teams, and client relationships. They ensure projects are completed safely, on time, and within budget.

Goal: In this role, you should strive to develop the following skills for promotion to a higher role:

• Advanced project management and leadership
• Budgeting and cost control
• Contract negotiation
• Communication and client management
• Risk assessment and problem-solving.

Next Level: Having demonstrated relevant skills and competence in your job, you can be promoted to the senior construction manager role.

2. Senior Construction Manager/Senior Project Manager

Timeframe: 10–15 years: You can become a senior construction manager within ten to fifteen years in your career.

Role Overview: The senior construction manager is responsible for managing multiple or large-scale projects simultaneously, overseeing subordinate construction managers, and ensuring adherence to company standards and profitability.

Goal: In this role, you should strive to develop the following skills and competences to help you advance to the next level of your career:

• Multi-project coordination
• Advanced scheduling and resource allocation
• Stakeholder management
• Strategic decision-making
• Mentorship and leadership development.

Next Level: Having demonstrated relevant skills and competences, you can be promoted to the position of director of construction.

3. Director of Construction/Head of Construction Operations

Timeframe: 15–20 years: You can become a director of construction within fifteen to twenty years in your career.

Role Overview: The director of construction is responsible for leading the construction department or division of the organization, setting operational strategy, overseeing project portfolios, and ensuring profitability and growth.

Goal: In this role, you should strive to develop the following skills and competences to enhance your career advancement:

• Organizational leadership
• Business and financial strategy
• Policy and operational planning
• Contract and partnership management
• Innovation and sustainability leadership.

Next Level: Having demonstrated relevant skills and competences in performing your duties, you can be promoted to the vice president of construction role.

4. Vice President of Construction/Chief Construction Officer (Senior Leadership)

Timeframe: 20–25+ years: You can become a vice president of construction within twenty to twenty five years in your career.

Role Overview: The vice president of construction is responsible for the entire construction arm of the company, focusing on long-term goals, market expansion, and overall performance. They provide leadership vision and strategic oversight.

Goal: In this role, you should strive to develop the following skills and competences to enhance your promotion to a higher role:

• Executive leadership and decision-making
• Corporate financial management
• Industry networking and partnerships
• Strategic innovation and risk management.

Next Level: Having demonstrated relevant skills and competences in your job, you can be promoted to the position of chief operating officer.

Construction Manager Employment Statistics

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, in its May 2023 report, the number of construction managers in employment in the United States was 329,190.

However, survey data on Zippia shows that there are presently more than 233,245 employed construction managers in the U.S. with 214,585 men and 18,660 women while their average age is 46 years.

Construction Manager Employment by Industry

The Zippia data shows industries that employ the highest number of construction managers in the United States to include:

Construction Manager: Industries with Highest Employments. Data from Zippia

Construction Manager Employment by State

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the States with the highest number of employed construction managers to include Texas and California, with 45,770 and 36,950 employments respectively.

Construction Manager Salary

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics gave the average salary of a construction manager in the United States as $116,960 per year.

However, Ziprecruiter gives $95,168 per year and Glassdoor states $130,000 yearly.

Construction Manager Salary by States

According to the May, 2023 data on BLS, the States that pay the highest salaries to construction managers in the United States include New York and New Jersey, with average salaries of $156,760 and $149,900 yearly respectively.

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the construction manager career.

They will be able to make the right decision about getting into the career or not by learning about the duties and responsibilities construction managers commonly perform from reading this page.

Information provided on this page is also valuable to recruiters/employers looking to hire for the vacant construction manager position in their companies.

They can apply the sample construction manager job description provided on this page in making a detailed description of the available position in recruiting for their companies.