Senior Construction Inspector

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority•San Jose, CA

23h•Onsite

About The Position

VTA’s Procurement, Contract and Business Development Department is seeking a Senior Construction Inspector – Prevailing Wage Specialist to oversee and support the administration, monitoring, and enforcement of prevailing wage and labor compliance requirements for public works and construction contracts. This position plays a key role in ensuring contractors and subcontractors meet all applicable state and federal prevailing wage laws, certified payroll requirements, worker classifications, apprenticeship standards, contractual obligations, and Project Labor Agreement (PLA) provisions. The Senior Construction Inspector – Prevailing Wage Specialist will collaborate with contractors, subcontractors, project management teams, and internal departments to conduct compliance reviews, identify and resolve discrepancies, perform certified payroll and field inspections, and ensure the effective implementation and ongoing compliance with state and federal prevailing wage, apprenticeship, and labor standards requirements.

Requirements

Sufficient training, education, and public or private sector experience which demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks and the possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Development of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is typically obtained through a combination of training and experience equivalent to completion of high school and six years of construction or field engineering experience, including at least two years of construction inspection of buildings, transit or public works projects, or equivalent.
Sixty semester units in engineering, construction technology and methodology or building inspection may be substituted for two years of the required construction experience.
Demonstrated training (with proof ) in six areas of construction testing/inspection is also required (i.e., concrete, asphalt, electrical, mechanical, etc.).
Possession of a valid California driver’s license is required.
Mathematics, including algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, and its application to construction inspection work.
Construction and inspection practices, procedures, and techniques, including utility installation and relocation.
Construction contract administration procedures, including claims avoidance techniques and construction scheduling techniques.
Principles of lead supervision and training.
VTA bidding and project formation procedures and VTA minor construction standards.
Defects and faults in construction.
Basic soil mechanics and geology.
Principles, practices, and terminology of engineering, including drafting and surveying.
Construction methods, materials and equipment.
Safety practices and traffic control procedures in the construction industry.
Laws, codes, ordinances, and standards applicable to the construction industry.
Read and interpret engineering and architectural plan and specifications.
Inspect materials, workmanship, and the construction and installation of various systems on large or complex projects; detect and locate faulty materials and poor work quality, including testing of soils, concrete and related samples; and enforce compliance with plans, specifications, codes, and special requirements.
Perform contract administration duties including supervision and/or preparation of daily construction reports, weekly statement of working days, change orders, work orders, progress payments, general correspondence, checking payroll records, material submittals, certificates of compliance, and enforcement of contract provisions.
Meet and consult with engineers, contractors and their representatives on difficult construction matters, and maintain effective relationships with those contacted through the course of work.
Plan, organize, and direct the work of others.
Review and evaluate unusual field conditions not specified in plans and specifications.
Effectively resolve and coordinate problems with construction and engineering personnel.
Use appropriate level and hand tools to establish and verify elevations.
Understand and follow oral and written communications.
Make field engineering estimates, calculations, and computations.
Measure and calculate quantities accurately for preparation of progress payments.
Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with contractors, contractor’s personnel, the general public, property owners, engineers, and agency representatives.
Interpret, coordinate, and enforce a variety of laws, codes, ordinances, special requirements, and other standards applicable to the construction industry.
Perform drafting functions.
Ensure permit applications are processed in a timely manner.
Collect and analyze data, prepare clear and concise technical reports, and keep comprehensive records.

Nice To Haves

Strong background in public works compliance, prevailing wage administration, and labor requirements, along with proven experience coordinating with contractors, unions, government agencies, and community partners.
Strong investigative, communication, documentation, and project management skills.
Strong knowledge of public works compliance, including prevailing wage requirements, certified payroll, and state and federal labor regulations.
Experience reviewing project specifications, daily inspection reports, certified payroll records, compliance reports, and pay applications/invoices.
Skilled in administering Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), including pre-job meetings, required documentation, workforce goals, fringe benefit contributions, and union coordination.
Experience representing an agency at pre-bid, pre-construction, weekly construction, and contractor meetings, and communicating compliance requirements and obligations.
Ability to conduct on-site prevailing wage and Commercially Useful Function (CUF) interviews, identify instances of non-compliance, and recommend appropriate corrective actions.
Experience working collaboratively with contractors, unions, Building Trades Councils, government agencies, labor and training programs, and community organizations.
Knowledge of local and disadvantaged business enterprise (L/DBE) programs, workforce development initiatives, and contractor assistance.
Strong ability to investigate complaints, resolve disputes, support grievance and arbitration processes, and issue non-compliance notices when necessary.
Ability to monitor changes in state and federal regulations and recommend updates to policies, procedures, and prevailing wage practices.
Strong documentation, reporting, coordination, communication, and project management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal departments and external stakeholders.
Ability to professionally represent the organization at conferences, seminars, public meetings, and community outreach events.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling sensitive, proprietary, personnel, payroll, and contract-related information in the performance of assigned duties.
Possession of International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) or National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

Administers construction contracts and supervises or inspects the quality and workmanship of the materials and contractor’s methods on complex and difficult VTA construction projects to ensure compliance with plans, specifications, and applicable safety regulations.
Monitors and coordinates the collection of samples of sand, aggregates, soils, concrete and other materials for testing to ensure the quality of the materials as well as mechanical and electrical equipment used in VTA construction projects.
Estimates quantities of work completed and prepares the progress payment forms.
Supervises or performs the preparation of records, reports, red-lined drawings, and other field office engineering work.
Checks quality of materials and construction methods by personal inspection or use of supporting staff and ensures maintenance of records regarding quality and acceptance of materials used and delivered.
Coordinates materials testing, construction surveying and electrical inspections.
Maintains a complete set of project records, reports, and correspondence for each assigned project.
Notes errors and deviations and consults with higher-level inspectors or project engineers.
Inspects VTA right-of-way activity and land grading operations performed under VTA permit.
Assists in developing specifications, plans, and schedules for the bid process and performs constructability reviews.
Evaluates and prepares documentation for change orders and contract claims.
Investigates complaints and resolves disputes which develop between the Authority, contractor, outside agencies, or the public.
Schedules final inspections and recommends acceptance of projects.
Arranges and conducts pre-construction meetings, and makes suggestions in establishing or modifying the procedural guidelines for the project.
Reviews and interprets plans, specifications, and sites to become familiarized with various aspects of VTA construction projects.
Participates in meetings to discuss construction details and resolves issues; acts as a liaison and coordinates with the general contractor, architects, engineers, project consultants, contractors, utility companies, and government agencies.
Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with all parties concerned in a project.
Receives and processes underground service alert notices from regional utility notification centers.
Performs related site visits and utility locating services as necessary.
May serve as a backup to the Permit Technician in the processing and issuance of Construction Access Permits and Restricted Access Permits.
May provide information to interested parties regarding VTA’s permit process, permit fee structure, and related procedures as required.
Performs other related duties as required.
May lead and train subordinates; assign and review work, and counsel personnel.