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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Document Controller

💰 $45,000 - $80,000

OperationsAdministrationQuality AssuranceEngineering

🎯 Role Definition

The Document Controller is responsible for implementing and maintaining a disciplined document control framework across projects and business units. This role ensures the accurate creation, storage, distribution, revision control and archival of technical documents, drawings, correspondence and contractual records using enterprise document management systems (EDMS). The Document Controller supports quality, engineering, procurement and construction teams by managing document workflows, enforcing naming and numbering conventions, preparing transmittals, tracking review/approval cycles, and providing audit-ready records for compliance and regulatory inspections.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Document Control Assistant / Administrator
  • Records Clerk / Filing Clerk
  • Administrative Assistant with project exposure

Advancement To:

  • Senior Document Controller
  • Document Control Lead / Manager
  • Project Controls Manager or QA/QC Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Project Coordinator
  • Contracts or Procurement Coordinator
  • Records Management Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Establish and maintain a consistent document control system for projects and corporate functions, including configuring and administering electronic document management systems (EDMS) such as SharePoint, Aconex, Documentum or similar platforms to ensure centralized, searchable and secure storage of documents.
  • Implement and enforce naming, numbering and revision control conventions (drawing registers, document registers, transmittal logs) across all disciplines to ensure traceability and avoid duplicate or obsolete versions.
  • Receive, log, categorize and index incoming and outgoing documents, drawings, submittals and correspondence; create and maintain up-to-date document registers and ensure metadata is accurate for fast retrieval and reporting.
  • Manage version control and revision history for all controlled documents, ensuring only the latest approved revision is in circulation and obsolete documents are clearly marked or archived according to retention policy.
  • Prepare, review and issue transmittals and distribution lists for internal teams, contractors, clients and regulatory bodies; maintain transmittal logs and confirm receipt and acknowledgment where required.
  • Coordinate multi-discipline review and approval workflows, assign documents to reviewers, chase overdue actions, log reviewer comments, and manage approval certificates to meet project milestones and contractual SLA requirements.
  • Control engineering drawing distribution, maintain and update master drawing registers, ensure issued-for-construction (IFC), issued-for-review (IFR) and issued-for-concept statuses are clearly defined and communicated.
  • Provide day-to-day EDMS administration including access permissions, folder structure maintenance, metadata standardization, backup verification and periodic integrity checks to maintain system performance and security.
  • Perform document quality checks for completeness, correct file formats, naming conventions, required stamps/signatures and OCR quality on scanned documents prior to upload and distribution.
  • Maintain controlled copies of contractual documents, drawings, technical specifications and data sheets; ensure controlled copies are stamped, signed and distributed in accordance with contract requirements.
  • Support project close-out and handover activities by compiling complete document packs, as-built drawing sets, operation & maintenance manuals, warranties and regulatory compliance evidence in final handover format.
  • Administer retention, archival and disposal schedules to ensure legal, contractual and regulatory compliance; prepare document sets for long-term archival and secure destruction when retention periods expire.
  • Provide on-boarding and training for project staff, subcontractors and stakeholders on EDMS usage, document control procedures, naming conventions and transmittal processes to promote consistent compliance.
  • Produce and distribute regular status reports and KPIs for document control metrics (e.g., outstanding approvals, transmittal turnaround time, overdue reviewers, document counts) to project managers and stakeholders.
  • Act as the single point of contact for all document-control related queries, coordinate with QA/QC, legal, procurement and engineering teams to resolve document discrepancies and disputes.
  • Support internal and external audits by preparing document evidence packages, presenting revision histories, and demonstrating compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or project-specific standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Manage confidential and sensitive documentation with appropriate security controls, restricted access and encryption where required; enforce non-disclosure and information-sharing policies.
  • Facilitate electronic signature workflows and digital approvals in accordance with legal and client requirements; validate signatory authorities and maintain signature logs.
  • Coordinate the receipt and control of vendor and subcontractor documentation, including certificates, shop drawings, test reports and material submittals; ensure third-party documents are integrated into project registers and workflows.
  • Maintain an effective physical filing system where required (hardcopy master sets, as-built binders) and ensure proper indexing, secure storage, retrieval and distribution for site teams.
  • Drive continuous improvement of document control processes by identifying bottlenecks, proposing automation (workflows, auto-notifications) and documenting standard operating procedures (SOPs).
  • Support change control processes by tracking document revisions tied to engineering change requests (ECRs), change orders and RFIs, ensuring traceability between revisions and the reason for change.
  • Liaise with IT to maintain EDMS integrations (email archiving, CAD repositories, FTP sites) and troubleshoot connectivity, upload/download or permission issues affecting document availability.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide ad-hoc document and reporting support to project teams, preparing customized document extracts, filtered reports and audit trails on request.
  • Assist in creating templates, checklists and SOPs for documentation, transmittals and contract close-out to standardize practices across projects.
  • Participate in project meetings to capture minutes, action items and distribute controlled copies of meeting packs and revised documentation.
  • Support the procurement team by tracking delivery of vendor documentation and ensuring contractual deliverables are documented and accessible.
  • Contribute to the risk register by logging document-related non-conformances, potential compliance issues and mitigation actions.
  • Assist with site document distribution logistics including courier management for hardcopy transmittals and verification of receipt on site.
  • Help coordinate training sessions and refresher workshops on document control best practices and new EDMS features or updates.
  • Maintain backups and support periodic disaster recovery tests for electronic document repositories to ensure business continuity.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient with Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS) such as SharePoint Online (modern sites), Aconex, Documentum, OpenText or ProjectWise, including administration, permissions and metadata configuration.
  • Strong experience with version and revision control processes, drawing registers, transmittal management and document numbering schemes used in engineering, construction or oil & gas projects.
  • Familiarity with ISO 9001 quality management systems, records management principles and document retention policies.
  • Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and ability to build and maintain document logs, pivot-based reports and transmittal trackers.
  • Knowledge of CAD/DWG file handling and basic understanding of drawing discipline conventions (Revit, AutoCAD) to manage and distribute electronic drawings correctly.
  • Experience preparing and maintaining submittal registers, RFI logs and response documentation for integration into project EDMS.
  • Strong scanning, OCR quality control and PDF optimization skills to convert physical documents into searchable, compliant digital records.
  • Experience with digital signature platforms and electronic approval workflows (DocuSign, Adobe Sign) and maintaining signatory records.
  • Ability to configure and manage metadata, taxonomies and folder structures to support efficient search and retrieval across large document repositories.
  • Audit and compliance support skills—preparing evidence packs, presenting revision histories and demonstrating document lifecycle compliance during internal and external audits.
  • Basic knowledge of information security best practices (permissions, encryption, access logs) and confidential document handling.
  • Familiarity with project handover / close-out deliverables, producing O&M manuals and compiling as-built documentation for clients and operations teams.
  • Experience using reporting and visualization tools (Excel advanced features, Power BI basics) to produce KPI dashboards for document control performance.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail with a strong focus on accuracy and completeness in document handling.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for coordinating reviewers, stakeholders and external parties.
  • Strong organizational and time-management skills: ability to prioritize high volumes of documents and meet tight deadlines.
  • Proactive problem-solving and escalation skills to remove bottlenecks and drive approvals to closure.
  • High levels of discretion, integrity and reliability when handling confidential and contractual documentation.
  • Customer-service orientation: able to work collaboratively with engineering, procurement, construction, and client teams.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced projects and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple stakeholders.
  • Training and coaching capability to upskill staff and contractors on document-control processes and EDMS usage.
  • Team player with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to liaise with cross-functional teams and external vendors.
  • Process improvement mindset—continually seeking efficiencies and automation opportunities for document workflows.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent with formal training or certification in records/document control, administration or office systems.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Records & Information Management, Engineering, Construction Management or a related field.
  • Professional certification such as Certified Records Manager (CRM), ARMA, or document control/EDMS vendor certificates is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Records & Information Management
  • Business Administration
  • Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical)
  • Construction Management
  • Information Systems / IT Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2 to 5 years of progressive experience in document control, records management or EDMS administration; 3+ years preferred for project roles.

Preferred:

  • Prior experience supporting engineering, construction, oil & gas, utilities or infrastructure projects with exposure to contract requirements, ISO standards and multi-stakeholder workflows.
  • Demonstrated track record of administering enterprise EDMS (SharePoint/Aconex/Documentum) on medium to large-scale projects and supporting audits and project close-out activities.
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