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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Utility Planner

💰 $ - $

UtilitiesPlanningEngineering

🎯 Role Definition

The Utility Planner is responsible for developing, coordinating, and executing utility relocation and accommodation plans to support construction, capital projects, and infrastructure upgrades. This role combines technical planning, cross-agency coordination, permitting, and schedule control to ensure utilities (electric, gas, water, sewer, telecommunications) are designed, permitted, and relocated in time to meet project milestones. A strong Utility Planner drives stakeholder alignment, mitigates schedule risk, manages costs associated with relocation, and ensures regulatory and right-of-way compliance across multi-discipline projects.

  • Primary focus: utility coordination and relocation planning for linear and site infrastructure projects.
  • Key outcomes: on-time utility clearance, minimized construction delays, clear accountability for utility owners, accurate cost forecasts, and compliant permitting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Utility Coordinator / Utility Liaison
  • Engineering Technician / CAD Technician
  • Construction Scheduler or Assistant Project Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Senior Utility Planner
  • Utility Coordination Manager / Utilities Program Manager
  • Project Manager (Civil / Transmission / Distribution)

Lateral Moves:

  • GIS/CAD Analyst (Utility-focused)
  • Permitting & Right-of-Way Specialist
  • Asset Management Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and maintain detailed utility coordination plans and relocation schedules that integrate with overall project construction schedules, ensuring all utility work is sequenced to support critical path activities.
  • Lead day-to-day coordination with utility owners (electric, gas, water, sewer, telecom, cable) to secure agreements, relocation scopes, cost estimates, and firm schedules required for design and construction readiness.
  • Prepare, review, and negotiate utility relocation agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and cost allocation worksheets, ensuring clear responsibilities and cost recovery strategies.
  • Manage permit application preparation and submittal for utility work, including municipal, county, state, and federal permitting packages, and track permit approvals to prevent schedule impacts.
  • Conduct field verification, utility inventories, and as-built record reviews to identify conflicts, constraints, and opportunities for utility adjustments prior to construction.
  • Coordinate pole loading analyses, pole exchanges, and make-ready work with electric and communications providers, ensuring safety and structural compliance.
  • Develop and maintain utility risk registers, identifying potential impacts to project schedule and budget and proposing mitigation strategies to stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with design teams to incorporate utility accommodation (e.g., duct banks, conduits, vaults, sleeves) into civil and structural designs to minimize future relocations.
  • Provide cost forecasting and budgeting input for utility relocation activities, track actuals versus estimates, and support payment processing and change order negotiations.
  • Create and maintain utility tracking logs, status matrices, and dashboards to communicate progress to project leadership, client stakeholders, and contractors.
  • Facilitate multi-stakeholder utility coordination meetings, design reviews, and pre-construction conferences to resolve conflicts and confirm commitments.
  • Review contractor utility scope of work, monitor contractor performance related to utility relocation tasks, and coordinate resolution of scope gaps or delays.
  • Manage right-of-way (ROW) and easement acquisition activities related to utility relocation, collaborating with property agents and legal teams to secure access and permits.
  • Prepare technical memos, relocation justification reports, and funding package documents for internal approvals and regulatory submittals.
  • Integrate GIS data and CAD drawings into utility planning workflows, ensuring accurate mapping and spatial analysis for route selection and conflict resolution.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable codes, utility standards, safety requirements, and environmental constraints during utility design and relocation.
  • Support design QA/QC reviews focused on utility interfaces and constructability, reducing rework and field change orders.
  • Coordinate temporary services planning (temporary power, water, communications) and shutdown/transfer strategies with owners to minimize customer impacts during relocation.
  • Track and administer utility-related contract changes, claims, and dispute resolution related to delays or scope modifications.
  • Perform schedule recovery planning when utility activities threaten critical path milestones, including acceleration options, resequencing, and resource reallocation.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of utility ownership/contacts, tariff rules, and incentive programs to expedite relocations and cost-sharing opportunities.
  • Prepare and present status briefings and executive summaries for project leadership and funding agencies focused on utility impacts and path-to-clearance.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist permitting and right-of-way teams with technical details and utility-specific documentation as required.
  • Mentor junior planners and coordinators on utility processes, stakeholder engagement, and best practices for avoiding schedule risk.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Utility coordination and relocation planning for electric, gas, water, sewer, and telecom systems.
  • Construction scheduling and critical path analysis (MS Project, Primavera P6).
  • GIS mapping and spatial analysis for utilities (Esri ArcGIS, QGIS).
  • CAD proficiency (AutoCAD, Civil 3D) for utility plan interpretation and markups.
  • Permit preparation and regulatory compliance (municipal, state, federal).
  • Right-of-way and easement acquisition processes and documentation.
  • Pole loading analysis basics and communication utility make-ready coordination.
  • Cost estimation and budget forecasting for utility relocation work.
  • Contract administration and change order management related to utilities.
  • Risk identification and mitigation planning for utility impacts.
  • Asset management concepts and as-built record reconciliation.
  • Stakeholder database and contact management tools.
  • Familiarity with utility construction methods (underground conduits, duct banks, trenching, directional drilling).
  • Experience creating dashboards and status reports (Excel, Power BI, Tableau).

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Strong negotiation and stakeholder management to secure timely commitments.
  • Proven ability to manage competing priorities and maintain focus on critical path deliverables.
  • Collaborative team player with experience leading cross-functional meetings.
  • High attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and tracking.
  • Problem-solving mindset with practical, schedule-driven solutions.
  • Influence without authority — ability to drive action from utility owners and third parties.
  • Time management and ability to meet aggressive deadlines in construction environments.
  • Service-oriented approach to internal clients and project teams.
  • Continuous improvement mindset; proactive about process and tool enhancements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Urban Planning, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Utility Engineering, Urban Planning, or Construction Management.
  • Professional certifications such as PMP, CCM, or utility-specific training are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Civil Engineering
  • Construction Management
  • Urban/Regional Planning
  • Electrical or Mechanical Engineering
  • Environmental Science / Public Works

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive utility coordination, planning, or construction support experience.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of direct utility planning/coordination experience on capital, linear, or public works projects.
  • Demonstrated experience working with investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and telecom providers.
  • Proven track record of delivering utility clearance for projects on schedule and within budget.
  • Experience with GIS, CAD, and scheduling software in a planning or construction support role.
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