Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Project Supervisor

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Project Supervisor is responsible for day-to-day leadership and technical oversight of urban development, streetscape, and infrastructure projects, ensuring safe, compliant, cost-effective and community-sensitive delivery. This role supervises site teams and contractors, manages project schedules and budgets, coordinates permitting and utility relocations, leads stakeholder and community engagement, and enforces quality control and health & safety standards from pre-construction through closeout.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Project Engineer (Civil / Construction)
Site Supervisor or Construction Foreman
Urban Planner or Municipal Infrastructure Coordinator

Advancement To:

Project Manager (Urban / Infrastructure)
Senior Project Manager / Program Manager
Director of Urban Development or Head of Capital Projects

Lateral Moves:

Construction Manager
Community Development Manager
Infrastructure Delivery Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and coordinate all onsite construction and installation activities for urban projects—streetscape improvements, sidewalks, drainage, utilities, public realm works—ensuring contractor performance aligns with contract documents, design intent and municipal standards.
Develop, maintain and drive project schedules (critical path and short-term lookahead) and adjust resources to mitigate delays while communicating impacts and recovery plans to stakeholders and leadership.
Prepare, monitor and control project budgets and forecasts, proactively manage change orders, track cost-to-complete, and implement cost-saving measures while maintaining scope and quality.
Oversee preparation, review and approval of technical submittals, shop drawings and material selections, ensuring compliance with specifications, drawings and applicable codes.
Manage the permitting and regulatory approval process with local, regional and state authorities—submit applications, coordinate inspections, respond to agency comments and ensure final sign-offs.
Supervise and mentor site staff, subcontractors and inspectors; assign tasks, set performance expectations, conduct toolbox talks, and enforce accountability for workmanship and safety.
Implement and maintain site health, safety and environmental programs (including traffic management plans), conduct daily safety briefings and ensure compliance with OSHA/local safety regulations and project-specific safety plans.
Coordinate utility relocations, connections and shutdowns with utility providers and stakeholders to minimize service disruption and ensure proper scheduling and protection of existing infrastructure.
Conduct regular project inspections and quality assurance/quality control reviews, prepare punch lists, enforce corrective actions and ensure final acceptance criteria are met before turnover.
Act as primary on-site point of contact for client representatives, design consultants and municipal authorities; manage expectations, resolve technical issues and negotiate resolutions to avoid costly delays.
Review contract terms, monitor contractor compliance with labor, bonding and insurance requirements, and support contract administration including issuing notices, change directives and progress certifications.
Facilitate and lead community engagement and public consultation activities—attend neighborhood meetings, present progress updates, respond to public inquiries and incorporate reasonable community requests into project planning.
Prepare, review and submit accurate project documentation and reports including daily logs, progress reports, earned-value updates, as-built records and photographic documentation for audit and closeout.
Coordinate intersection works, temporary traffic control and pedestrian detours in coordination with traffic engineers and local authorities to maintain safety and accessibility during construction.
Manage risk by identifying potential technical, commercial and schedule risks early, developing mitigation plans, and escalating issues to senior management with recommended actions.
Ensure sustainability and resilience measures are integrated into project delivery—green stormwater infrastructure, permeable pavements, native plantings, and low-impact design—while supporting applicable certification programs (e.g., LEED, Envision).
Oversee subcontractor procurement inputs, evaluate bids for technical compliance, support procurement teams with scopes of work and recommendations for award based on performance, safety and value.
Coordinate with design teams to administer field changes, evaluate constructability concerns, and authorize minor design adjustments while documenting impacts to cost and schedule.
Validate testing and commissioning activities for civil, landscape and MEP interfaces, ensure third-party inspections and laboratory tests are completed and documented for compliance.
Maintain and update GIS, asset registers and asset handover packages for municipal acceptance, ensuring accurate as-built drawings, warranties and maintenance schedules are delivered at closeout.
Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned, implementing best practices for urban project delivery, and contributing to standard operating procedures and templates for future projects.

Secondary Functions

Support district-level planning efforts by providing technical input into feasibility studies, concept design reviews and capital program prioritization.
Assist development and grant teams by preparing technical cost estimates, schedules and scope narratives for funding applications and municipal capital requests.
Contribute to performance metrics and KPI tracking for the delivery group, including safety, schedule adherence, cost variance and community satisfaction indicators.
Support training and competency development for field teams, delivering workshops on site safety, quality standards and new construction techniques or digital tools.
Participate in stakeholder coordination meetings with transit agencies, private developers and property owners to align phasing, access and interface requirements.
Maintain accurate records of procurement, contracts and change management logs to support audit readiness and regulatory compliance.
Champion the adoption of digital delivery tools (BIM, mobile inspection apps, field data capture, GIS) to improve information flow and decision-making on site.
Provide technical support for claims avoidance and resolution, preparing factual records, site photographs and timelines to substantiate project positions.
Represent the organization in technical hearings, council presentations or project advisory committees when required.
Assist with post-construction warranty management and defect resolution processes, coordinating remedial works with contractors and asset owners.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Project management and construction supervision for urban infrastructure, streetscape and public realm projects.
Detailed knowledge of local building codes, municipal standards, zoning regulations and permitting processes.
Contract administration experience, including change order management, claims mitigation and progress certification.
Budgeting, cost control and earned-value reporting for capital projects.
Scheduling proficiency with MS Project, Primavera P6 or equivalent CPM tools and the ability to produce baseline and updated schedules.
Proficient in reading and interpreting civil, structural and landscape construction drawings and specifications.
Experience with AutoCAD, Revit/BIM coordination or similar design/CAD tools and working with as-built documentation.
GIS familiarity for mapping assets, coordinating utilities and preparing handover packages.
Knowledge of construction quality assurance/testing procedures and materials inspection (laboratory testing coordination).
Health, safety and environmental compliance knowledge (OSHA or local equivalents) and experience implementing site safety programs.
Experience integrating sustainability practices (green stormwater, permeable paving, native planting) and understanding of LEED/Envision where applicable.
Strong competency with Microsoft Office (Excel for cost tracking, Word for reports, PowerPoint for stakeholder updates) and mobile field inspection apps.

Soft Skills

Strong interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills with experience managing community relations and public meetings.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for concise reporting and coordination across technical and non-technical audiences.
Leadership and team management skills, including coaching, performance management and conflict resolution on multi-contractor sites.
Problem-solving and decision-making under pressure with a pragmatic, risk-aware approach to delivery.
Negotiation skills for contractor management, utility coordination and municipal approvals.
Time management and prioritization to handle multiple concurrent worksites and deadlines.
Attention to detail coupled with the ability to see the big-picture project outcomes and strategic objectives.
Adaptability and resilience to manage changing site conditions, scope changes and stakeholder expectations.
Client-focused orientation with emphasis on delivering high-quality public assets and positive community outcomes.
Collaborative mindset to work effectively with design consultants, permitting bodies, cross-functional teams and external partners.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Urban Planning, Architecture or a related technical field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Civil/Infrastructure Engineering, Urban Planning, Construction Management or PMP/PMI certification; certifications in safety (e.g., NEBOSH, OSHA), LEED or equivalent sustainability credentials are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil Engineering
Urban Planning / Urban Design
Construction Management
Architecture
Environmental Engineering / Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10+ years of progressive experience in urban infrastructure, municipal works or large-scale civil construction, with at least 2–4 years in a supervisory or site leadership role.

Preferred: 7+ years of direct experience supervising urban projects with demonstrated success in delivering multi-stakeholder municipal projects, experience with public procurement and a track record of meeting budget, schedule and quality targets.