Construction Manager, Terrestrial Transmission

WSP•Austin, NY

31d•Onsite

About The Position

WSP is seeking a Construction Manager, Terrestrial Transmission for projects in New York City and surrounding New York State, with an estimated assignment duration of two years. This role is part of the Power Constructors Inc Team and contributes to WSP's expertise in power delivery, generation, and program management. The position offers high-level technical project leadership, managing administrative, commercial, and technical aspects of assigned projects in alignment with WSP's core values and client contracts. Responsibilities include overseeing the overall performance of moderate to large, complex, and regional projects, with a focus on financial, technical, client satisfaction, quality, safety, and schedule. The role ensures adherence to all project lifecycle phases, from proposal to closeout, maintaining high standards for safety, execution, profitability, and operational purpose. The Construction Manager will act as the Owner's Representative, providing full-time field construction management oversight for a major 345 kV underground transmission program. This includes managing subterranean duct banks, concrete-encased conduits, cable vaults, manholes, excavation, restoration, utility crossings, and interfaces with cable installation, HDD, substations, and other project packages. Key duties involve overseeing safety, quality, environmental and permit compliance, traffic management, schedule and quantity verification, cost and change management, pay application review, stakeholder coordination, documentation, and closeout. The role requires confirming contractor compliance with contract documents, approved plans, permits, and project procedures, while acting in an Owner's oversight capacity. The Construction Manager will lead oversight personnel, coordinate with various stakeholders, and provide timely reporting and recommendations. The position is public-facing and demands professional interaction with residents, businesses, community representatives, and government officials, strictly following Owner-approved communication protocols. Travel and overtime may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in construction management or closely related discipline, or demonstrated proven equivalent experience.
Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible field experience in underground electric transmission, utility infrastructure, heavy civil construction, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant field experience; substantial urban construction experience preferred.
Demonstrated knowledge of duct bank and vault construction, excavation and trench support, utility identification and protection, dewatering, backfill and compaction, concrete placement, restoration, and interfaces with high-voltage cable installation.
Experience leading construction inspectors and coordinating quality, environmental, and safety oversight personnel while maintaining clear Owner/contractor lines of responsibility.
Working knowledge of New York Article VII Certificate Conditions, approved EM&CP requirements, permit conditions, agency approvals, and field compliance documentation; ability to identify hold points, notification requirements and work restrictions applicable to each work front.
Ability to review and verify implementation of approved Maintenance and Protection of Traffic (MPT)/traffic management plans, pedestrian access, work-zone controls, lane and street closure restrictions, deliveries, emergency access and restoration requirements, in coordination with the contractor and authorities having jurisdiction.
Experience coordinating with public agencies, road owners, utilities, community stakeholders and affected property owners under established project protocols; strong judgment in handling complaints, incidents and sensitive public-facing issues.
Ability to review IFC drawings, specifications, contract requirements, utility records, construction sequencing, six-week look-aheads, baseline schedules and progress updates; working knowledge of MS Project and Primavera P6.
Experience validating quantities, field change items, pre-approved field change cost adders, change orders, contractor pay applications, schedule impacts, redlines, as-builts and closeout documentation.
Ability to identify and escalate field constraints, utility conflicts, access restrictions, permit noncompliance, quality deficiencies, safety exposures and potential cost or schedule impacts promptly and factually.
Strong written and verbal communication; ability to prepare and review accurate daily and weekly reports with photographic records and concise recommendations.
Working knowledge of Word, Excel and construction management platforms such as Procore.
Current valid driver’s license and ability to travel among active work fronts.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Experience on 138 kV/345 kV or comparable underground XLPE transmission programs, including cable pulling and splicing interfaces.
New York City and New York State utility street work experience, including DOT permit coordination, traffic control, pedestrian protection and complex subsurface utility environments.
Familiarity with Article VII construction compliance, EM&CP implementation, environmental inspections, restoration requirements and regulatory reporting.
Experience with HDD landfall or crossing interfaces, vault outfitting, cable logistics and coordination of multiple linear work fronts.
Procore experience and strong leadership, field documentation, conflict resolution and public-facing communication skills.

Responsibilities

Implement the applicable Project Management Plan, Construction Execution Plan, communication/escalation procedures and package-specific oversight requirements.
Serve as the Owner’s field representative for assigned terrestrial work fronts.
Lead and coordinate assigned Assistant Construction Managers, construction inspectors, quality inspectors and other oversight personnel; confirm timely daily logs, inspections, photographic records, issue tracking and weekly reporting.
Review contractor work plans, drawings, specifications, submittals, Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs), sequencing and six-week look-aheads; verify field execution against approved requirements and report deviations.
Confirm that the contractor has obtained and maintains the required permits, street-opening authorizations, access approvals, agency notifications and work restrictions before work starts and throughout execution; track applicable Article VII Certificate Conditions and approved EM&CP requirements.
Oversee and document compliance with approved traffic management/MPT plans, pedestrian protection, business and residential access, emergency vehicle access, work-hour constraints, detours, signage and street restoration commitments.
Coordinate environmental oversight of erosion and sediment controls, spoil and waste handling, dewatering/discharge, spill prevention and response, noise/dust controls, protected resources, restoration and other applicable EM&CP and permit requirements; ensure required inspections and notifications are documented.
Oversee inspection and quality verification for excavation, support of excavation, existing utility protection, reinforcing steel, conduit configuration and spacing, concrete placement, vault/manhole installation, backfill, compaction, survey and restoration.
Track deficiencies, NCRs, testing results and corrective-action closure.
Assess contractor baseline and update schedules, daily production, crew deployment, constraints and work-front readiness; compare planned versus actual progress, installed quantities and forecast completion; report recovery needs and recommendations to the Owner.
Verify installed quantities and supporting records for payment; review pay applications, change requests, pre-approved field change cost adders and change orders, including scope entitlement, labor/equipment/material support, pricing and schedule impacts; provide documented Owner recommendations within delegated authority.
Coordinate identification, documentation, review and disposition of RFIs, design conflicts, differing site conditions, utility interferences, field changes and interfaces with cable installation, HDD, marine and substation packages.
Maintain reliable redlines and as-built registers.
Confirm contractor compliance with project safety plans, OSHA requirements, excavation and trenching controls, confined-space requirements, traffic/pedestrian protection and other site-specific hazards.
Escalate imminent hazards and exercise any delegated stop-work authority in accordance with project procedures.
Participate in plan-of-day, preconstruction, progress, permitting, utility, interface, stakeholder and incident-review meetings.
Coordinate with contractor management to resolve conflicts without assuming direction of contractor means, methods or labor.
Follow prescribed Owner communication protocols for public and government interactions.
Respond courteously, document inquiries and complaints, avoid unauthorized commitments or representations, and promptly route media, elected-official, agency and sensitive stakeholder matters through designated Owner representatives.
Identify and escalate events, damage, service interruptions, public impacts, safety or environmental incidents and schedule-critical issues under the project notification matrix; preserve contemporaneous records and support investigations led by responsible parties.
Provide weekly reporting covering work-front progress, major asset milestones, cost/change status, safety, environmental compliance, quality, traffic/public impacts, risks, decisions required and the following week’s plan.
Confirm required submittals, testing and inspection records, permit closeout, restoration acceptance, punch-list completion, material records and as-built documentation are tracked and delivered for project turnover and closeout.