Civil construction inventory specialist job description
A civil construction inventory specialist keeps count of the pipe, fittings, manhole and inlet parts, and stone piles in the yard and on jobs. They log every delivery and every load that leaves, measure stockpiles, and reorder before crews run short. They also file the material papers that inspectors and owners ask for.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, heavy and civil construction · BLS, May 2025
Serve as the backbone of inventory management for construction supplies in the civil and infrastructure contracting environment, ensuring a seamless supply chain that directly supports project execution and operational efficiency.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all construction supplies throughout their lifecycle.
Monitor stock levels to ensure sufficient supply and timely replenishment of materials.
Coordinate with procurement and project management teams to schedule reorders and deliveries.
Verify the receipt, shipment, and quality of materials against order specifications.
Implement and refine inventory control procedures to minimize discrepancies and waste.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily inventory reports and update digital tracking systems.
Place orders for construction supplies as inventory levels reach predefined thresholds.
Communicate with suppliers to confirm order details and resolve any discrepancies.
Conduct regular physical counts and cross-verify with digital records.
Collaborate with internal teams to forecast future material needs and adjust reorder plans.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inventory accuracy rate: >98% of stock records maintained.
Timely reorder completion rate: Achieve 100% compliance with reorder schedules.
Stock-out incidents: Maintain incidents at <2% per quarter.
Cost savings through efficient stock management: Target a 5% reduction annually.
On-time delivery confirmation rate: Sustain >95% of deliveries on schedule.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in inventory management within a related field.
Proficiency with modern inventory management software and ERP systems.
Strong analytical skills and meticulous attention to detail.
Excellent communication and teamwork abilities to collaborate across departments.
High school diploma or equivalent; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the civil engineering or construction supply industry.
Familiarity with ERP systems and project management software systems.
Previous experience working with civil and infrastructure contracting projects.
Understanding of construction supply chain logistics and best practices.
Background in process improvement within a fast-paced operational setting.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Frequent standing, walking, and maneuvering within a warehouse environment.
Occasional bending, reaching, and climbing to access stored supplies.
Exposure to varying temperature conditions within warehouse or outdoor storage areas.
Adequate vision and hearing to monitor inventory processes effectively.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional need for overtime during peak inventory and project periods.
Primarily an indoor work environment within a warehouse setting with some site visits.
Limited travel required between company sites or construction projects.
On-call duties may be required during supply emergencies or project deadlines.
9. Compensation and Benefits
$18 - $22 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonuses tied to key inventory management KPIs.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
401(k) with company matching available.
Paid time off, employee discount programs, and other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster an environment of collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect where every team member is encouraged to develop their skills and contribute to our success.
Our culture emphasizes transparency, continuous learning, and a commitment to customer satisfaction and quality.
We value diversity and inclusivity, ensuring a welcoming workspace for everyone.
Our team-driven approach provides ample opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.
Join us to be part of a forward-thinking company dedicated to excellence and community impact.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Much of a civil contractor's stock never sits on a shelf. It is long, heavy, made to order or piled on the ground, and much of it needs paperwork before an inspector will let it go in.
Stockpiles are measured, not counted
Stone, sand, recycled base and topsoil sit in piles that shrink with every loader bucket. The specialist logs scale tickets in and loads out, then checks the pile itself at month end, from a survey shot or a GPS rover. Tons on paper and tons in the pile rarely match. A big gap usually means loads sent to jobs without a ticket, or material spread in the yard.
Precast comes from approved plants
Some public owners take precast only from plants they've approved. Alabama's DOT, for one, keeps List I-8 of approved makers of concrete pipe, manholes and culverts. On its jobs, the prime contractor must buy and use only listed products, and the project engineer checks that every piece came from a listed source. So the specialist checks a new plant against the list before the first order. For steel such as rebar or ductile iron pipe, they keep each mill test report matched to the heat number on the tag. Source: Alabama DOT (example): List I-8, approved precast concrete pipe and products (revised June 4, 2026).
Buy America letters must name the job
When a water or sewer job runs on EPA-backed funding, the owner, often a city or utility, must collect proof that the pipe, castings and other products meet Buy America. It may have the contractor gather it. EPA says each maker's letter should name the project and the products sent to it, and EPA keeps no list of approved products. So stock bought for no job usually has no letter. The specialist asks for the letter with the order and files it under the job. Source: EPA: Build America, Buy America FAQs for manufacturers (June 2025).
Castings and rings walk off
Manhole frames and covers, inlet grates and adjusting rings are heavy, costly and fit many jobs, which is why they go missing. The specialist tracks each one to a structure number on the plans. They keep a running list of what's been ordered, delivered and set, so a crew doesn't borrow the grate meant for another job and leave a hole in the schedule.
Made-to-order precast rarely goes back
Stock pipe, fittings and valves from a supply house can often be sent back for credit when a job ends. A manhole or inlet cast to one job's depths and pipe openings usually can't. The specialist logs what each crew brings back, tags short pipe pieces by size and material for stubs and repairs, and tells the project manager about any leftover structure before it sits in the yard for a season.
How much civil construction inventory specialists make
The closest BLS group for civil construction inventory specialists is shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $25.02 an hour ($52,030 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $45,260 median for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in all industries. About 1,080 of the 816,870 shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in that survey work for heavy and civil construction.
Hourly, plus a bonus keyed to the inventory KPIs. BLS's median for inventory clerks in heavy and civil construction clears the template's hourly range. Local pipe and precast suppliers hire for yard and counter jobs from the same pool, so check what they offer.
Heavy and civil construction
$52,030$52,030 median Middle half $45,080–$63,300 10th–90th $39,890–$73,670
All industries
$45,260$45,260 median Middle half $38,200–$51,570 10th–90th $34,650–$62,190
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Heavy and civil construction
$39,890
$45,080
$52,030
$63,300
$73,670
All industries
$34,650
$38,200
$45,260
$51,570
$62,190
BLS doesn’t publish pay for civil contractors on their own. These figures cover heavy and civil engineering construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Spots a wrong pipe class, size or gasket type on a delivery ticket
Keeps paper records and the inventory system matching, every day
Reads a structure list or plan sheet to see what each job needs
Chases suppliers on short and late loads the same day
Files certifications by job and bid item, the same day they arrive
Teach these on the job
Your yard layout, racks and stockpile areas
Your inventory or ERP system and job cost codes
Each owner's material approval and paperwork rules
How to measure a stockpile with your survey tools
Your suppliers' return rules and credit steps
The yard runs on inventory software or an ERP linked to purchasing and job cost, scale tickets from quarries and your own yard, a GPS rover or survey data for stockpile volumes, and a shared folder of certifications by job. If the specialist also runs a loader or forklift in the yard, put that in the ad.
Civil construction inventory specialist interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Traffic control devices
Crews keep returning damaged barricades and signs, and you're short for a lane closure next week. What do you do?
A strong answer: Counts what's usable and in acceptable condition, rents or orders the rest, and tracks damage by crew to fix the cause.
Behavioral · Fixing count errors
Tell me about a time yard counts of pipe, fittings or traffic control devices didn't match the system. What caused it?
A strong answer: Recounted, traced transfers between jobs, returns and damaged-device write-offs, found the cause and changed the process.
Stockpiles and made-to-order precast don't count like shelf stock. Run a season of counts first and let those results shape the goals.
Inventory accuracy rate
Counted pipe, fittings, castings and rings against the records, line by line, plus each stockpile's measured tons against its ticket balance at month end.
Timely reorder completion rate
Reorders placed by the date the job schedule needs them, allowing for each precast plant's and pipe supplier's lead time.
Stock-out incidents
Times a crew stopped or changed plans because pipe, a fitting, a casting or stone wasn't there, with the cause written beside each one.
Cost savings through efficient stock management
Supplier credits on returns, leftovers used on the next job instead of bought new, and less stone lost to untracked loads, tallied each quarter.
On-time delivery confirmation rate
Deliveries confirmed with the supplier a day ahead and landed on the date the foreman asked for, tracked by supplier.
Career path
Scale house or supply counter clerkLearns tickets, pipe and how quarries and suppliers take orders.
Civil construction inventory specialistTracks yard stock, stockpiles, castings and material papers.
DispatcherA side move to booking trucks, loads and machine moves.
The inspector may refuse to let the material go in, or the owner may hold payment on it. The specialist asks the supplier for the missing paper the day the gap shows up, and tells the foreman before that pipe or precast heads to the job. Keep a short list of open cert requests by job, and check it each week with the project manager.
How much does a civil construction inventory specialist make?
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $25.02 an hour ($52,030 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $45,080 and $63,300 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Who tracks trench boxes, road plates and traffic signs?
Often the specialist, since they move from job to job like stock. Give each box, plate and sign set an ID, log which job has it, and check it for damage when it comes back. File each trench box's maker data sheet under that box's ID, so the foreman who takes it out gets the right papers with it.
How should a civil yard ad handle the vision and hearing line?
The line ships as written. What the ad should spell out is the work behind it: reading pipe markings, stamps and heat numbers, hearing a backup alarm or a loader operator in a noisy yard, and checking counts on paper and on screen. Many people do those tasks in different ways, so offer to talk through a reasonable accommodation with anyone who asks.
Does the inventory specialist work on job sites too?
Some days. Material dropped at a job, such as a pipe string along a road or structures staged near a trench, still belongs on the count. The specialist visits big jobs to check what's there against what was sent, and picks up leftovers when a crew moves on. Say how often the role goes out to jobs, and whether a company truck is part of it.
