The roles and responsibilities of construction workers will differ

from project to project. This is why each construction project requires many
different people with different skill sets to execute it. Here is a list and
explanations of site personnel roles and responsibilities you will come
across on a construction project:

What is the Hierarchy of Construction Job Titles?

The roles in the hierarchy of the construction industry fall into three general
categories: Upper Management, Middle Management and a wide range of
construction workers and laborers.

Upper Management: Those in this highest supervisory role are typically

involved in the initial planning and design of a project, overseeing those in
middle management roles.
Middle Management: The day to day supervision of a job and the job site
falls to these construction supervisors who are likely to be with the project
from start to finish.
Construction Workers: Whether they are specialty workers in the trades
such as plumbers, electricians, or the general laborers, who do digging,
building, and site prep work, these employees perform the physical labor
on a construction site.

Project Manager:

The project manager oversees the entire affairs of the construction site as
well as manages the human, material and financial resources of the
project, to keep up with the project timeline. These managers oversee the
project from design through completion and work to keep it on schedule
and within budget. They supervise others such as the construction
manager and set project benchmarks and timelines
Project Engineer:

The project engineer ensures that the project is quality-controlled, time-

controlled, and cost-controlled. They are conversant with the office (design,
planning) and field (execution) procedures.

Construction Expeditor:
Manages the flow of materials from supplier to project.

Quantity Surveyor:

The quantity surveyor calculates, manages, and audits all the construction
resources needed for the project. Responsible for estimating the costs,
materials, and labor needed to complete a project.

Structural Engineer:

The structural engineer designs all the structural elements in a project and
supervises the construction to ensure that proper building practices are
being adhered to on the construction site.

Architects:

Architects design the physical aesthetics of buildings. They carry out

periodic site visits to ensure adherence and compliance with the
architectural plan while liaising directly with the structural engineers and
site supervisors.

Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Officer:

The HSE officer pilots and implements the company’s health, safety, and
security policy on the construction site. Monitor the risks on-site and work
out how to avoid them. With the goal of keeping the job site safe for
workers and reducing the risk of injuries, the safety specialist educates
employees on how to improve the health and safety of the job site. They
manage and mitigate risks and ensure the site complies with all health and
safety regulations. With experience and education in construction and
health sciences, a safety engineer designs systems to create safe working
conditions for construction teams and the environment. They assess
potential risks and ensure that the projects comply with laws, regulations,
permits and inspections

Maintenance Engineer:

Ensures all site machinery is in perfect working condition in order to reduce

downtime. They constantly carry out maintenance checks on all site
machinery and document their processes.

Electrical Engineer:

Electrical engineers create electrical designs of structures, consisting of the

layout of both the electrical piping (internal) and fittings (external).

Procurement Officer:

They are in charge of the purchase of all materials needed on-site. Their
priority is to effectively control the cost of purchase of needed materials,
and the timely delivery to the site so as not to slow down the project
thereby increasing project duration.

Mechanical Engineer:

They create mechanical designs of structures, consisting of the layout of

the plumbing piping, and fittings.

Machine Operator:

The machine operator as the name implies operates various machinery

used in construction such as cement mixers, cranes, trucks, excavators,
etc.
Accountant:

They work with the management arm of the operation to oversee and
monitor the remuneration of all personnel.

Construction Foreperson Supervises the field construction of a project,

including its organization, planning, and scheduling, in order to complete
the work on time, within budget, and to code and the quality specified. They
lead the work crew, manage the workers and oversee productivity. They
may manage the budget, train workers and be the communication liaison
between workers and the project managers.

Equipment Operator/Manager Equipment operators drive construction

vehicles including cranes, excavators, and dump trucks. They may also be
responsible for maintaining the equipment and assuring it is safe and that
the operation follows all safety guidelines.

Inspector Responsible for verifying that the work site and structures built
meet building and zoning laws, inspectors visit the site regularly. They have
the power to issue citations, and warnings for violations and can even order
work halted if there are significant violations or safety hazards.

General Laborer This is a physically demanding job. Work may include

assembling scaffolding, clearing debris from the job site, directing traffic,
unloading materials and operating tools such as jack hammers
Scheduler A scheduler manages the timing of projects by maintaining
timelines, handling team schedules and creating status reports.

Field Engineer
This construction worker job title typically requires a college degree and
several years of experience. The field engineer ensures that all project
specifications are met, and verifies that every stage meets relevant
ordinances and regulations. They report on the project progress and status
and may direct work crews

Estimator
Estimators use sketches, blueprints, proposals and other documents to
prepare estimates of the schedule of the project and the labor and material
that will be required. They ensure that the budget allocated for the project is
sufficient to complete it and often set up procedures to monitor costs.

Surveyor
Responsible for taking exact measurements of property boundaries,
surveyors are relied upon in the industry to determine the best locations for
roads and pathways and other key elements of a project. They measure
the distance and angle between points, use known points of reference to
determine the precise location of significant land features and may also
research land records to determine where boundaries are.
Construction Manager
These managers report to the project manager and are responsible for
supervising the construction team, and communicating with suppliers and
other service providers. Also known as site managers, they typically take
on tasks such as tracking material orders, coordinating schedules and
hiring subcontractors.

Civil Engineer
Licensed as a professional engineer, a civil engineer plans, designs and
maintains infrastructure projects such as roads, dams, airports and bridges.
They estimate any environmental impacts a project may have and
determine the types of materials needed to carry out the project.

Architect
As the designers of buildings, architects have a big impact on the project
and work closely with the construction team while the project is being built.
They create design plans and illustrate them with models, renderings and
sketches. They must be licensed and typically have the minimum of a four-
year degree in architecture.
Structural Engineer
With a bachelor’s or master’s degree in structural or civil engineering, these
engineers address the structural integrity of buildings, bridges, roads and
other construction projects. They also make plans to maintain and reinforce
structures over the long run.
Construction Engineer
This construction worker job title is similar to that of a civil engineer, but
construction engineers are typically on site overseeing the construction of
projects such as roads and utilities. They design, plan and manage
infrastructure projects.

Subcontractors
People hired by the contractor to do specific tasks or services in their
area of expertise.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installers In increasing demand, these are the

workers who install solar panels on residential and commercial buildings.
They learn the skills on the job, through apprenticeships or courses.
Electricians install, maintain and repair the electrical systems in buildings
and many states require them to be licensed in the trade

Plumbers install and maintain pipes, drainage systems, fitting and fixtures.

Painters paint the interior and exterior of the structures..

Carpenters build wooden structures such as cabinets and door and
window frames.
Joiners craft wood structures such as staircases and doors, working
closely with carpenters.
Pipefitters attach pipes to walls and other structures.
Welders assemble, fuse, attach and fabricate metal structures.
Drywall Installers fasten and install drywall sheets during building
construction.
Roofers prepare, install and maintain roofs.

Tile setters

Landscapers