What does a lead foreman do?
Lead foreman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead foreman resumes:
- Manage and perform all excavations.
- Terminate the MCC and the PLC for the new installation.
- Coordinate with EHS department for all regulatory, safety and environmental issues.
- Enforce company policies and OSHA regulations, investigate construction accidents utilizing knowledge gain through cooperation with safety department and law enforcement.
- Addressed, resolve, produce FCR, DCN, and RFI's.
- Plan review, tracking of monthly costs, processing of RFI, s and submittals, monthly reports.
- Demonstrate exceptional time management skills; organize and prioritize high volume of work orders to ensure maximum quality and service to customers
Lead foreman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Lead Foremen are proficient in ISO, CDL, and Safety Guidelines. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Lead Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- ISO, 12%
Trained under ISO 9002 standards and help develop and revise operating procedures in various areas of the plant.
- CDL, 9%
Mobilize and transport CDL vehicles on a daily basis.
- Safety Guidelines, 7%
Maintained strict safety guidelines with no lost work accidents or major equipment damage.
- PIM, 6%
Sweep Testing, RETS, and PIM testing.
- Safety Procedures, 5%
Train employees on safety procedures and new products.
- HVAC, 5%
Job Duties: HVAC, Painting, Electrical, Plumbing and dry walling.
"iso," "cdl," and "safety guidelines" are among the most common skills that lead foremen use at work. You can find even more lead foreman responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a lead foreman to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "forest and conservation workers must convey information to foresters and conservation scientists and other workers." Lead foremen often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "managed the progression of commercial and residential construction projects facilitated communication between subcontractors"
Detail oriented. Many lead foreman duties rely on detail oriented. "forest and conservation workers must observe gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that equipment works properly," so a lead foreman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways lead foreman responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "communicated with higher leadership through email about deadlines and updated them with detailed progress reports. "
Listening skills. This is an important skill for lead foremen to perform their duties. For an example of how lead foreman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "forest and conservation workers must understand the instructions they receive before performing tasks." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a lead foreman: "provided leadership, direction and communicated job requirements. ".
Physical stamina. For certain lead foreman responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical stamina." The day-to-day duties of a lead foreman rely on this skill, as "forest and conservation workers perform a variety of strenuous tasks." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what lead foremen do: "performed physical labor for heavy equipment operation including excavation, trenching, shoveling, and dump truck driving. "
The three companies that hire the most lead foremans are:
- UMC Moving
52 lead foremen jobs
- Beitzel4 lead foremen jobs
- Pike3 lead foremen jobs
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Lead foreman vs. Assistant superintendent
In a construction setting, an assistant superintendent is primarily in charge of supervising workers to ensure that the construction project's completion will be within the expected time and allotted budget. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assisting the superintendent with their tasks, creating schedules, and meeting with clients. Furthermore, an assistant superintendent must also coordinate with all construction workers and build rapport with them, all while implementing the safety policies and standards for a safe and productive work environment.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, lead foreman responsibilities require skills like "iso," "cdl," "safety guidelines," and "pim." Meanwhile a typical assistant superintendent has skills in areas such as "customer service," "osha," "construction management," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Assistant superintendents tend to make the most money working in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $76,938. In contrast, lead foremen make the biggest average salary, $63,279, in the hospitality industry.assistant superintendents tend to reach higher levels of education than lead foremen. In fact, assistant superintendents are 5.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Lead foreman vs. Construction supervisor
Construction supervisors ensure construction team members work jointly to deliver excellent work on time. They provide team-building sessions and training and monitor the construction processes. These professionals ensure the construction processes take place every time as per the safety regulations and health regulations. Besides creating budgets, project plans, reports and delivering them to the appropriate stakeholders, construction supervisors also perform routine site, material, and equipment inspections. They always remain updated about the construction advancements and construction safety codes.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that lead foreman responsibilities requires skills like "iso," "cdl," "safety guidelines," and "pim." But a construction supervisor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "osha," "project management," and "work ethic."
Construction supervisors earn a higher average salary than lead foremen. But construction supervisors earn the highest pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $77,290. Additionally, lead foremen earn the highest salaries in the hospitality with average pay of $63,279 annually.construction supervisors earn similar levels of education than lead foremen in general. They're 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead foreman vs. Project supervisor
A project supervisor is someone employed in industries like engineering, construction, manufacturing, as well as design and marketing industries to coordinate all aspects of a project. Common duties include participating in project planning, acting as a communication liaison, coordinating labor needs, and training employees. They meet with the account manager to assess and understand the client's needs and budget for the project. Together with the supply chain manager, they facilitate the purchasing and delivery of supplies needed to complete the project. Additionally, they make sure the project is completed on time and within budget.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a lead foreman is likely to be skilled in "cdl," "safety guidelines," "pim," and "electrical equipment," while a typical project supervisor is skilled in "project management," "customer service," "fire protection," and "customer satisfaction."
Project supervisors earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $57,698. Comparatively, lead foremen have the highest earning potential in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $63,279.Most project supervisors achieve a higher degree level compared to lead foremen. For example, they're 7.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead foreman vs. House supervisor
A house supervisor is responsible for supporting the medical facilities' operations on behalf of the unit management. House supervisors ensure that the medical staff provides the highest quality care services for the patients by responding to their inquiries and concerns and assisting their medical needs. They also handle staffing management, recruiting and training new employees, and monitoring the adequacy of staff during every shift. A house supervisor performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, including budgeting and creating financial reports, and monitoring medical inventories.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between lead foremen and house supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a lead foreman might have more use for skills like "iso," "cdl," "safety guidelines," and "pim." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of house supervisors require skills like "patients," "acls," "acute care," and "customer service. "
House supervisors enjoy the best pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $68,110. For comparison, lead foremen earn the highest salary in the hospitality industry.house supervisors reach higher levels of education compared to lead foremen, in general. The difference is that they're 7.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of lead foreman
Updated January 8, 2025











