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What does a General Superintendent do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a General Superintendent do

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.

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General superintendent responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real general superintendent resumes:

  • Manage and coordinate all aspects of HVAC relate jobs for a mechanical contractor.
  • Manage the field installation of pipe, instrumentation and HVAC systems throughout the plant.
  • Implement and direct shipping and receiving functions and manage salaried and hourly UAW staff in both functions.
  • Develop and manage instrumental and equipment proper handling regulations in compliance CLIA.
  • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
  • Lead and develop direct reports ensuring they are competently skil to perform their QA roles.
  • Calculate formwork and materials need.
  • Implement SPC as appropriate to reduce process variation.
  • Create SPC charts and for quality control of grain thickness.
  • Improve production on two cut size units from 367 to 377TPD via Kaizen process.
  • Supervise and coordinate field crews providing the installation of utilities, earthwork, concrete and formwork.
  • Develop and monitor budgets regarding process control, payroll, projects, chemical usage and payroll.
  • Organize and conduct Kaizen events to streamline productivity.
  • Reconcile payroll, operations and manufacturing accrual accounts.
  • Prioritize chemistry activities, monitoring of chemical control treads and analysis.

General superintendent skills and personality traits

We calculated that 11% of General Superintendents are proficient in OSHA, Construction Management, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Decision-making skills, Interpersonal skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of General Superintendents that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • OSHA, 11%

    Implemented company safety policy and procedures and conducted on-site OSHA safety meetings.

  • Construction Management, 7%

    Functioned as a Project Manager on a direct-hire construction-only project or as the field manager on an engineering/procurement/construction management project.

  • Project Management, 5%

    Document all violations, notify project management, and recommend/implement corrective actions as required.

  • Quality Standards, 5%

    Insured that the quality of each project met and exceeded the corporate quality standards of Brown Family Communities.

  • Excellent Organizational, 5%

    Use excellent organizational, multitasking, customer relations, and written/spoken communication skills to drive business and positively influence results.

  • General Contractors, 5%

    Collaborated with general contractors on ensuring projects were accomplished according to design specifications and budgetary guidelines.

Common skills that a general superintendent uses to do their job include "osha," "construction management," and "project management." You can find details on the most important general superintendent responsibilities below.

Decision-making skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a general superintendent to have is decision-making skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "when setting policies and managing an organization, top executives must be able to assess different options and choose the best course of action." General superintendents often use decision-making skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "general superintendent, decided on formwork systems, developing crews, safety training, assisting in bid process. "

Communication skills. This is an important skill for general superintendents to perform their duties. For an example of how general superintendent responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a general superintendent: "project schedules, management of personnel for multiple jobs, quality control, safety compliance and communication with project owners. ".

Problem-solving skills. A big part of what general superintendents do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to general superintendent responsibilities because "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical general superintendent tasks: "developed a customer service program that consistently resolved customer difficulties in an expeditious and tactful manner. "

Leadership skills. Lastly, "leadership skills" is an important element of what a general superintendent does. General superintendent responsibilities require this skill because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." This resume example highlights how general superintendent duties rely on this skill: "provided direction, leadership to the project team and oversight to the overall project. "

Most common general superintendent skills

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Compare different general superintendents

General superintendent vs. Construction manager

A construction manager oversees a construction site and its workers, ensuring efficiency in the workforce and overall operations. They work in an office within the construction site to meet and coordinate with architects, contractors, and clients. They must also hire the required workforce, identify and resolve issues, maintain daily reports and communication with clients, and prioritize a safe work environment. Above all, they must see that all of the required protocols are met, including the target completion time and budget.

We looked at the average general superintendent salary and compared it with the wages of a construction manager. Generally speaking, construction managers are paid $6,211 higher than general superintendents per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both general superintendent and construction manager positions are skilled in osha, construction management, and project management.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a general superintendent are more likely to require skills like "safety program," "safety compliance," "site safety," and "site supervision." On the other hand, a job as a construction manager requires skills like "real estate," "project scope," "building codes," and "strong computer." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Construction managers really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $90,768. Comparatively, general superintendents tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $87,760.construction managers tend to reach similar levels of education than general superintendents. In fact, construction managers are 3.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

General superintendent vs. Installation manager

An installation manager is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's installation projects, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. It is their duty to set goals and objectives, manage budgets and schedules, liaise with clients to identify their needs and preferences, and develop strategies to optimize installation processes, prioritizing customer satisfaction. Furthermore, as an installation manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the safety standards and regulations for a safe work environment.

A career as a installation manager brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a general superintendent. In fact, installation managers salary is $4,317 lower than the salary of general superintendents per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. General superintendents and installation managers both require similar skills like "osha," "project management," and "quality standards" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real general superintendent resumes. While general superintendent responsibilities can utilize skills like "construction management," "excellent organizational," "oversight," and "construction projects," installation managers use skills like "windows," "payroll," "strong customer service," and "sub contractors."

Installation managers earn a lower average salary than general superintendents. But installation managers earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $82,073. Additionally, general superintendents earn the highest salaries in the energy with average pay of $87,760 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Installation managers tend to reach similar levels of education than general superintendents. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General superintendent vs. Assistant project manager

An assistant project manager is an individual who works directly under a project manager to support the planning and execution of projects. Associate project managers keep track of a project's progress and communicate with stakeholders about project needs and goals. They help procure materials and other essential items to meet project goals and avoid delays in completing a project. They are also responsible for resolving complex issues that arise in a project.

On average scale, assistant project managers bring in higher salaries than general superintendents. In fact, they earn a $918 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on general superintendents and assistant project managers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "osha," "construction management," and "project management.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a general superintendent is likely to be skilled in "quality standards," "excellent organizational," "oversight," and "customer service," while a typical assistant project manager is skilled in "purchase orders," "sub contractors," "meeting minutes," and "assist project."

Assistant project managers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $80,365. Comparatively, general superintendents have the highest earning potential in the energy industry, with an average salary of $87,760.When it comes to education, assistant project managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to general superintendents. In fact, they're 4.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

General superintendent vs. Controls project manager

A Controls Project Manager supervises the project control of engineering and construction projects. They are responsible for estimating costs, monitoring work progress, and quality assurance.

Controls project managers typically earn higher pay than general superintendents. On average, controls project managers earn a $39,580 higher salary per year.While their salaries may vary, general superintendents and controls project managers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "construction management," "project management," and "oversight. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "osha," "quality standards," "excellent organizational," and "general contractors" are skills that commonly show up on general superintendent resumes. On the other hand, controls project managers use skills like project controls, risk management, project execution, and project cost on their resumes.The construction industry tends to pay the highest salaries for controls project managers, with average annual pay of $115,882. Comparatively, the highest general superintendent annual salary comes from the energy industry.In general, controls project managers hold higher degree levels compared to general superintendents. Controls project managers are 11.7% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of general superintendent

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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