Site Supervisor

From a Site Supervisor, 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 Supervisor.

Over the last 5 years, more graduate professionals are choosing a Site Manager career pathway. That pathway entails a Site Supervisor 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 Supervisor is through a trade background, most commonly carpentry, where you enter a builder as a Site Supervisor 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 Supervisor role.

The Site Supervisor is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a project under construction. Often from a trade background, the Site Supervisor has strong management skills and is able to oversee all tradesmen on site.

In addition, a Site Supervisor assists the Site Manager in managing site safety, successful completion of all site activities, and meeting specified levels of quality and budget for the client.
They liaise with other key personnel to deliver milestones and other key performance indicators throughout a project.

A Site Supervisor may work on a  range of diverse commercial projects across various industries and depending on the employer, on projects ranging from anywhere from $100,000 fitouts through to $100M+ commercial builds.

Site Supervisors work closely with Site Managers, Project Managers and other key personnel to ensure projects are delivered within budget and time constraints. They must be aware of and deliver key project milestones and constantly compare progress against the programming of works to maintain the schedule.
The knowledge that Site Supervisors should possess extends to Occupational Health and Safety legislation as well as an understanding of building codes and quality assurance methods.

Site Supervisors are responsible for providing leadership and direction to teams working on-site, and must be able to oversee their work to ensure productivity standards are met. They must also ensure that the project site is safe at all times, including the adherence to safety expectations by all personnel on-site.
Additional skills necessary for the role of Site Supervisor include communication, problem-solving, time management and initiative. Candidates should possess a strong work ethic and demonstrate the company’s values at all times.

Site Supervisors must always have the ability to communicate effectively with trades and fellow staff and have effective leadership skills.

An example of role duties include:
• Effectively and efficiently complete all of the building and fit out works in accordance with the construction documentation, the construction programme and the specific requirements for quality, ensuring that the work is completed with no defects and at all times to the client’s satisfaction.
• Assist the Site Manager by ensuring all subcontractors and suppliers coming onto the site understand the conditions of the Site Safety Plan, that they submit a signed SWMS for their specific trade, and that they undertake their work in accordance with the Safety Plan.
• Assist the Site Manager by coordinating and supervising all of the subcontract works in a manner which provides a high level of confidence that the project will be completed by the scheduled handover date.
• Maintain a high level of quality in workmanship and finishes throughout the construction of the building and fit-out.
• Ensure that there is a safe working environment at all times by working closely with EHS Representative and subcontractors onsite.