What does a director of construction do?
A Director Of Construction is responsible for supervision of all construction-related projects. They review project progress, address issues, and adjust schedules and budgets.
Director of construction responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of construction resumes:
- Manage overall operations for development, design, construction, leasing, facility management and marketing of properties.
- Associate tasks include managing and producing marketing materials including RFP, RFQ, LOI and writing proposals for potential projects.
- Coordinate with leasing and review leasing exhibits; lead architectural, MEP, structural, code, and environmental consultants.
- Prepare IFB's, RFP's, and small purchase documentations.
- Negotiate new HVAC maintenance contracts.
- Major effort on rebuilding power plant and chill water distribution and HVAC.
- Maintain and enforce all OSHA safety practices and perform random job site safety inspections.
- Coordinate and overseen the planning, design and construction of multiple projects with the company.
- Provide oversight to multiple construction projects and large capital proposals.
- Provide auditing oversight of contractor and associate subcontractors performing new construction work scope.
- Supervise project architect/engineers, contract administrators and site personnel while developing/maintaining OSHA reporting and establishing minimum requirements for vendor liability/worker compensation.
- Inspect and ensure passing of all city and county building code requirements.
Director of construction skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Directors Of Construction are proficient in Project Management, Construction Management, and Oversight. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Business skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Construction that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 14%
Directed all daily operations, including marketing, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, vendor management and construction project management.
- Construction Management, 11%
Used Design/Build and Construction Management delivery methods for both new and renovated commercial, medical, industrial and institutional clients.
- Oversight, 8%
Provide auditing oversight of contractor and associated subcontractors performing new construction work scope.
- Real Estate, 7%
Negotiated utility contracts resulting in cost reductions and improved sustainability programs; complex real estate documents, transactions and consultant contracts.
- OSHA, 5%
Scheduled and provided required OSHA 10 and 30 hour construction and general industry training to senior management staff and site superintendents.
- General Contractors, 4%
Design and construction teams incorporated nine individual architectural firms, and thirteen general contractors.
Common skills that a director of construction uses to do their job include "project management," "construction management," and "oversight." You can find details on the most important director of construction responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a director of construction to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "construction managers must be able to plan strategies, investigate project cost variances, and solve problems over the course of a project." Additionally, a director of construction resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "review and analyze job costs during construction operations. "
Business skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling director of construction duties is business skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "construction managers need to prepare and follow project budgets, hire and manage staff, and coordinate with other workers and managers." According to a director of construction resume, here's how directors of construction can utilize business skills in their job responsibilities: "represented company in areas of business contracts, dispute resolution, arbitration, mediation and litigation. "
Leadership skills. Another crucial skill for a director of construction to carry out their responsibilities is "leadership skills." A big part of what directors of construction relies on this skill, since "construction managers must effectively delegate tasks to construction workers, subcontractors, and other lower level managers to ensure that projects are completed accurately and on time." How this skill relates to director of construction duties can be seen in an example from a director of construction resume snippet: "provide leadership and direction to the department of facilities and construction management. "
The three companies that hire the most director of constructions are:
- Oracle48 directors of construction jobs
- Burns & McDonnell18 directors of construction jobs
- Windstream6 directors of construction jobs
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Compare different directors of construction
Director of construction vs. Field manager
A field manager is an individual who manages a staff of field representatives that travel to customers' sites to promote their products or services. Field managers must hire new employees and arrange in-house and vendor training programs to ensure they have a full understanding of their responsibilities. They must evaluate all their field employees and generate reports highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team. Field managers may work in different industries that have outside sales representatives such as pharmaceutical companies, computer repair companies, or HVAC companies.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of construction responsibilities require skills like "construction management," "real estate," "general contractors," and "value engineering." Meanwhile a typical field manager has skills in areas such as "minor maintenance," "patients," "customer service," and "medicare." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Field managers tend to make the most money working in the telecommunication industry, where they earn an average salary of $91,615. In contrast, directors of construction make the biggest average salary, $127,615, in the government industry.The education levels that field managers earn slightly differ from directors of construction. In particular, field managers are 5.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a director of construction. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of construction vs. Site manager
The tasks of a Site Manager may vary, but the responsibility will always revolve around supervising the construction project and its employees, making sure that the project is completed within the allotted time, budget, and quality. Site Managers are required to have great communication and leadership skills as they are often the ones to engage with the clients and coordinate with the employees. Moreover, It is also the Site Manager's responsibility to ensure the safety of employees, prepare site reports, conduct quality control procedures, assess and solve problems, negotiate contracts, and secure permits needed for the project.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of construction responsibilities requires skills like "construction management," "real estate," "general contractors," and "value engineering." But a site manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "safety procedures," "logistics," and "continuous improvement."
Site managers earn a lower average salary than directors of construction. But site managers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $88,272. Additionally, directors of construction earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $127,615 annually.In general, site managers achieve similar levels of education than directors of construction. They're 4.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of construction vs. General superintendent
A general superintendent is primarily in charge of overseeing projects and programs, ensuring operations adhere to standards and requirements. In the construction industry, a general superintendent supervises the daily procedures in a construction site to ensure the project's completion within budget, schedule, and quality standards. They also have other administrative duties, such as coordinating with contractors and suppliers, monitoring the inventory of materials, purchasing supplies according to project requirements, developing reports, conducting inspections, and implementing safety policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of construction resumes include skills like "real estate," "value engineering," "development projects," and "capital projects," whereas a general superintendent is more likely to list skills in "excellent organizational," "customer service," "work ethic," and "safety program. "
General superintendents earn the highest salary when working in the energy industry, where they receive an average salary of $87,760. Comparatively, directors of construction have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $127,615.Most general superintendents achieve a lower degree level compared to directors of construction. For example, they're 7.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of construction vs. Superintendent
Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects. They also supervise school administrators or principals and are responsible for hiring and guiding them. Superintendents should be familiar with their constituents and must always be ready to listen to their needs. It is important that superintendents are good decision-makers and communicators. They are expected to lead their respective districts in achieving their vision. Superintendents drive the team towards their goals and create strategic steps to ensure success.
Types of director of construction
Updated January 8, 2025
