A civil construction superintendent runs the field side of road, utility and drainage jobs, from the first stake to the owner's final walk. They check the work against the plans each day, settle technical problems with the design engineer, and keep crews, subcontractors and inspectors on schedule.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, heavy and civil construction · BLS, May 2025
Civil & Infrastructure Contractors - Lead Engineer / Superintendent
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Operations Manager]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Responsible for leading and supervising engineering projects while ensuring technical excellence and adherence to industry standards. Acts as a mentor to engineering teams and provides innovative technical solutions on civil and infrastructure projects. Plays a key role in delivering high-quality, on-time project completion and in fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Directs technical solutions and oversees the formulation and implementation of engineering strategies.
Mentors teams by providing guidance, training, and performance feedback.
Ensures compliance with engineering standards and best practices across all projects.
Collaborates with project stakeholders to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues promptly.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and approve engineering plans, designs, and technical documentation.
Conduct daily site inspections to monitor construction progress and quality control.
Coordinate effectively with subcontractors, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.
Track project timelines and budgets to ensure projects remain on schedule and within scope.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Engineering quality score: >95% compliance with established standards.
On-time project delivery: Achieve 90% or more projects completed on schedule.
Team mentorship satisfaction: Maintain a rating of >4.7 out of 5.
Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in engineering within the construction industry.
Proficiency in industry-related design and project management software.
Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience working with civil and infrastructure contractors.
Direct involvement in large-scale public infrastructure project management.
Familiarity with regulatory compliance and quality assurance standards.
Proven background in supervisory roles or team leadership in complex projects.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs as required.
Frequent exposure to outdoor construction environments with varying weather conditions.
Extended periods of walking and standing on active job sites.
Capability to work in hot, cold, or confined spaces when necessary.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours from Monday to Friday with occasional overtime as project needs dictate.
Routine on-site visits and meetings at multiple construction locations.
Minimal travel required for project oversight and vendor coordination.
Expected on-call availability during critical project phases or emergencies.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $85,000 to $110,000 USD per year.
Performance-based bonus opportunities.
Comprehensive benefits including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match along with other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative environment that emphasizes innovation, excellence, and growth.
Our team is dedicated to delivering exceptional service and building lasting relationships with our clients.
We value diversity, professional development, and the continuous improvement of our people and processes.
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
A building superintendent works inside one footprint. A civil superintendent works across open ground, live roads and buried pipe, often for a city or county that sends its own inspector.
Deep cuts need an engineer's design
Sewer and storm drain work can go deep. OSHA says a cut more than 20 feet deep needs a protective system designed by a registered professional engineer. OSHA's charts for picking a system stop at 20 feet. The superintendent has to spot a deep cut on the profile, order the design early, and make sure the crew builds what the engineer drew. Source: OSHA: Excavations, selection of protective systems (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P, Appendix F).
Don't undermine the road next to the trench
Utility trenches often run beside curbs, sidewalks and live pavement. OSHA bars undermining them unless a support system or other protection keeps them from falling on workers. Digging below the footing of a nearby wall, when that could put workers at risk, needs underpinning or other support, stable rock, or a registered engineer's approval. The superintendent picks one before the cut is open. Source: OSHA: Specific excavation requirements (29 CFR 1926.651).
Stormwater rules start at one acre
EPA says a Clean Water Act permit is needed for stormwater from construction that disturbs 1 acre or more. Smaller sites that are part of a larger plan need one too. Federal minimums include erosion and sediment controls. Bare ground must be stabilized right away when work there stops for more than 14 days. EPA or your state issues the permit. The superintendent keeps the controls working as the grades change. Source: EPA: Stormwater discharges from construction activities.
Traffic runs past the work
Road and utility jobs often sit next to open lanes. OSHA ties flagging, and the warning garments flaggers wear, to Part 6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the part on temporary traffic control. The superintendent sets up the job's traffic control plan, checks signs and cones each morning, and makes sure every flagger knows the job's signals before stepping into a lane. Source: OSHA: Signaling and flaggers (29 CFR 1926.201).
The owner's inspector is watching
On public jobs, expect an inspector for the owner or its engineer to watch pipe bedding, compaction tests and pours. When a contract pays by unit price, the superintendent's daily counts of pipe laid, stone placed and asphalt tons feed the pay request. Clean daily reports head off most quantity disputes.
How much civil construction superintendents make
The closest BLS group for civil construction superintendents is construction managers. Construction managers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $124,430 a year ($59.82 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $114,990 median for construction managers in all industries. About 49,180 of the 380,360 construction managers in that survey work for heavy and civil construction.
Civil contractors usually put superintendents on salary, with a bonus for job margin, schedule and safety results. BLS counts superintendents with construction managers, a group that also takes in project managers and leaders of much bigger jobs, so the template's range sits in the lower half of this chart.
Heavy and civil construction
$124,430$124,430 median Middle half $97,980–$156,200 10th–90th $76,030–$189,980
All industries
$114,990$114,990 median Middle half $88,550–$151,640 10th–90th $69,690–$189,440
$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
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
$76,030
$97,980
$124,430
$156,200
$189,980
All industries
$69,690
$88,550
$114,990
$151,640
$189,440
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
Has run road, utility or site jobs from mobilization to closeout
Reads civil plans, profiles and cross sections without help
Knows trench protection, traffic control and erosion control in practice
Writes daily reports a public inspector will sign off on
Coaches foremen and newer field engineers without taking over
Teach these on the job
Your cost codes and job cost reports
Each public owner's forms and pay request steps
Your scheduling software
How your crews share survey files and machine control models
Your safety program paperwork
The job runs on plan sets, a scheduling tool, daily report software and a tablet for marking up drawings. If your crews dig with GPS machine control, list it, since the superintendent decides which model files go out to the machines.
Civil construction superintendent 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 · Differing site conditions
Excavation hits unsuitable soil the plans didn't show across a long stretch of roadway. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops or adjusts work there, documents with photos and measurements, notifies the owner in writing under the contract's notice terms, proposes options and tracks extra cost separately.
Behavioral · Developing engineers
Tell me about a newer engineer or foreman you mentored. What can they do now that they couldn't before?
A strong answer: Names the skills taught, such as plan review or running pours, what they handed over and what that person runs now.
Each target below comes from the Drive template. Track a full building season of your own jobs first, then set the bar.
Engineering quality score
Share of owner inspections, density tests and punch items passed without a redo on the superintendent's jobs, scored job by job from inspector reports and your own checklists.
On-time project delivery
Compare each job's substantial completion with the contract date after approved time extensions, and list weather days on their own line.
Team mentorship satisfaction
A short anonymous survey of the foremen and field engineers they lead, twice a year, plus how many of them stepped up to bigger work.
Safety incident rate
Recordable injuries, near misses and utility strikes on the superintendent's jobs, counted against hours worked and reviewed every month.
What's the difference between a project manager and a superintendent on civil jobs?
The project manager runs the contract side: budget, change orders, submittals and billing. The superintendent runs the field: the daily plan, crews, equipment, safety and quality. On a small job one person may cover both. On bigger or busier work, split them so the field never waits on paperwork.
How much does a civil construction superintendent make?
Construction managers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $124,430 a year ($59.82 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $97,980 and $156,200 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What does lead engineer mean in this job title?
On a typical design-bid-build job, the contractor doesn't design the road or the pipe; the owner's engineer of record does. The contractor's lead engineer checks the plans for conflicts, writes RFIs, reviews submittals and plans temporary work like trench protection and traffic shifts. Putting that and the superintendent role in one person works when they can handle both the paperwork and the field.
Does a civil superintendent need an engineering degree?
The template asks for a civil engineering degree. According to BLS, construction managers usually hold a bachelor's in construction, business or engineering, and field experience counts most for those without one. Many good civil superintendents came up as foremen or operators. If you keep the degree, say whether long field experience can take its place, or you cut out much of the pool.
How many jobs can one civil superintendent run?
It depends on job size and drive time. One large road or sewer job can need a superintendent full time. Smaller site jobs close together can share one, as long as each has a strong foreman. Missed inspections and late daily reports are the signs a superintendent has too many jobs.
What should a superintendent check before a public job starts?
Read the special provisions, the traffic control plan, the stormwater permit and any utility relocation agreements. Confirm locate tickets are in, learn the owner's inspection hold points, and book the testing lab. Walk the site with the foremen so everyone sees the same conflicts before the first machine shows up.
Lead Engineer / Superintendent in other industries
