Foreman

The role of a commercial construction Site Foreman or Foreperson is exactly the same as a Site Supervisor: it all depends on the role terminology used within the construction company.

From a Site Foreman or Foreperson, one career pathway is to step up as a Senior Site Supervisor or one step further into a Site Manager role. Typically it takes 5 years as a minimum as a Site Supervisor to step into a Site Manager role, dependant on project value experience and builder Tier level.

Another option is to specialise in a particular area of delivery such as finishes, structure or services. This again is usually only offered at larger construction companies.

There’s generally 2 ways to become a Site Foreman or Foreperson.

Over the last 5 years, more graduate professionals are choosing a Site Manager career pathway. That pathway entails a Site Foreman or Foreperson role to gain site operational experience across all trades before stepping into a site manager role. This is generally exclusive to Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders. A graduate program generally lasts 2 years where spend short periods of time learning aspects across all project delivery and each department of the construction company.

The alternative way to be a Site Foreman or Foreperson is through a trade background, most commonly carpentry, where you enter a builder as a Site Foreman or Foreperson after years of trade work on commercial and non-commercial building projects. This may include experience within sub-contractors also. 10 years+ site experience is the average of time spent in role before stepping in to a  Site Foreman or Foreperson.

The Site Foreman or Foreperson is heavily involved in directly overseeing and guiding site staff to deliver construction projects to a high standard. The Site Foreman or Foreperson liaises with clients and subcontractors to maintain smooth site operations, while overseeing the site at large to ensure adherence to safety and timing across the project.

The Site Foreman or Foreperson must have a strong awareness of the site and all works, materials and crew within it at any given time. The Site Foreman or Foreperson should be able to identify cost and/or time saving measures where they exist as they will assist and report to the Project Manager on project progression. The Site Foreman or Foreperson is aware of any defects and manages their rectification.

Additionally, the Site Foreman or Foreperson should possess strong leadership skills as they are responsible for providing guidance and maintaining a positive site culture amongst their team. They are able to drive productivity within their team to ensure that actual works adhere to the programming schedule.
Candidates should also be creative in their approach to problem solving, issue resolution and innovation to develop the business from within.

Site Foreman or Foreperson must also liaise with external parties such as suppliers to procure materials and services, and to obtain quotes for cost of goods and services as needed.
For further insight into daily task, see Site Supervisor.