Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Construction Administrator

🎯 Role Definition

A Construction Administrator is responsible for managing project documentation, contract administration, submittal and RFI workflows, change orders, pay applications, and closeout deliverables to ensure construction projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with contract requirements. This role acts as the central coordinator between owners, general contractors, architects, engineers, and subcontractors to maintain a clear project record, support scheduling and cost control activities, and facilitate quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Project Coordinator or Construction Assistant
Administrative Assistant in Construction or Engineering
Field Engineer or Assistant Project Manager

Advancement To:

Senior Construction Administrator / Document Control Lead
Assistant Project Manager / Project Engineer
Construction Project Manager or Contracts Manager

Lateral Moves:

Document Control / BIM Coordinator
Procurement Coordinator
Quality Assurance / Compliance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the complete submittal process from receipt through review, distribution, resubmittal tracking, and final acceptance — maintaining the submittal log, ensuring compliance with contractual submittal schedules, and coordinating comments between architects, engineers, and trade contractors.
Administer Requests for Information (RFIs): log, assign, follow up, and ensure timely responses; track impacts to scope, cost, and schedule; prepare RFI logs and summary reports for project stakeholders.
Prepare, review, and process change orders and change directives — collect supporting documentation, evaluate cost/time impacts, coordinate with estimating and project management, and secure approvals and signatures per contract requirements.
Manage project correspondence and official transmittals, ensuring a complete, auditable document trail; prepare and maintain transmittal logs and ensure proper distribution to stakeholders and subcontractors.
Oversee contract administration tasks including issuance and maintenance of contract documents, addenda, amendments, and execution of subcontract agreements and purchase orders; ensure contract compliance and maintain organized contract files.
Review, track, and process pay applications and invoices, verify compliance with schedule of values, retention policies, supporting backup, and contract terms; coordinate with accounting to resolve discrepancies and maintain payment logs.
Maintain and update the master project schedule and milestone logs in coordination with the project manager and superintendents; monitor critical path activities and prepare schedule updates, look-ahead schedules, and recovery plans.
Act as the document control lead: implement and enforce document control procedures, organize electronic and physical filing systems, maintain as-built, permit, and inspection records, and ensure backup and version control.
Coordinate project closeout activities including collection of warranties, O&M manuals, record drawings, certificates of occupancy, final lien waivers, and closeout punch lists; prepare closeout checklists and final turnover packages for clients.
Facilitate and attend project meetings (kickoffs, weekly progress, coordination, design reviews); prepare agendas, take detailed minutes, assign action items, and monitor progress to resolution.
Support QA/QC processes by tracking inspections, test reports, non-conformance reports (NCRs), corrective action plans, and third-party testing; coordinate scheduling and documentation for regulatory and owner inspections.
Maintain and manage permit application submission, tracking, and compliance documentation; liaison with jurisdictional authorities to resolve permitting issues and ensure timely inspections.
Generate routine and ad-hoc project reports (weekly progress reports, financial status, submittal and RFI summaries, schedule variance reports) for owners, design teams, and executive leadership.
Coordinate procurement and delivery tracking: issue requisitions, track long-lead items, maintain equipment and material logs, and follow up with vendors and subcontractors to mitigate delivery risks.
Manage and monitor project contingency and allowances — track expenditures against contingency, prepare transfer requests, and update forecasts with project leadership.
Support claims avoidance and claims management: collect contemporaneous documentation, prepare claim submittals for owner/contractor review, and provide organization of supporting evidence for potential disputes.
Implement and maintain project-specific safety documentation and coordination: distribute safety directives, verify subcontractor safety documentation (licenses, insurance, certifications), and participate in safety meetings as required.
Administer BIM and coordination deliverables: collect and distribute clash detection reports, coordinate model submittal requirements, and ensure linkages between drawings, specifications, and model information.
Review shop drawings and supplier submittals for conformance to contract documents; track review status and coordinate corrective actions where submittals deviate from design intent.
Coordinate third-party inspections, commissioning agents, and specialty consultants — schedule, document results, and track corrective actions to closure.
Maintain and enforce confidentiality, records retention, and compliance with contractually required document management standards, including owner portals and construction management software platforms.
Track and manage insurance certificates, bonds, and contractor compliance documentation; notify stakeholders of expirations and deficiencies and facilitate renewals.
Support environmental and regulatory compliance documentation (erosion control, stormwater, hazardous materials handling) and coordinate remediation or mitigation documentation as necessary.
Prepare and assist in the preparation of procurement documentation such as scopes of work, bid packages, and prequalification materials for subcontractor and supplier solicitation.
Monitor and report schedule and cost impacts from field directives, weather events, and other project risks; prepare recommendation memos for mitigation strategies and recovery plans.

Secondary Functions

Maintain and configure project management software (Procore, Aconex, SharePoint) templates and workflows and provide user support to project teams.
Perform routine administrative support including meeting coordination, travel arrangements for consultants, and office supply management for the project team.
Assist the estimating team by gathering subcontractor pricing packages, subcontract scopes, and historical cost data to support procurement decisions.
Support onboarding and training of junior administrative staff and subcontractor representatives on document control procedures and software tools.
Coordinate archival and handover of long-term project documentation to owner or operations teams post-closeout, ensuring retention schedules and access rights are implemented.
Assist the safety and compliance teams by maintaining training logs, subcontractor qualifications, and incident documentation.
Conduct periodic audits of the project file to ensure completeness, correct metadata tagging, and adherence to company QA procedures.
Liaise with finance and accounts payable to reconcile project line items, clarify invoice back-up, and support month-end close procedures.
Support corporate process improvement initiatives by documenting recurring project pain points and suggesting workflow optimizations for document and contract management.
Participate in pre-construction meetings and support permit clearing, site logistics planning, and early procurement coordination.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Procore, Aconex, or equivalent construction management/document control software — set up projects, manage workflows, submittals, RFIs, and transmittals.
Submittal and RFI management processes: logging, routing, tracking, and closeout best practices.
Construction contract administration (AIA, EJCDC, or agency-specific contract forms) — change order workflows, notice requirements, and documentation standards.
Change order pricing and impact analysis — ability to assemble cost backup, evaluate time impacts, and present recommended changes.
Pay application and invoice review — schedule of values reconciliation, retention calculation, Lien waiver processing.
Construction scheduling fundamentals — MS Project, Primavera P6, or equivalent for schedule updates, baseline management, and look-ahead planning.
Document control and records management — version control, transmittal logs, as-built/record drawing management.
Proficiency with Bluebeam, AutoCAD, Revit (BIM coordination), and PDF markups for reviewing shop drawings and record sets.
Microsoft Office Suite: advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, tables), Word, PowerPoint for reporting and documentation.
Permit and regulatory compliance understanding — coordination with AHJ (authority having jurisdiction), inspections, and code-based documentation.
Quality Assurance / Quality Control documentation and non-conformance reporting processes.
Basic cost control and forecasting: tracking committed costs, change orders, contingencies, and preparing financial summaries.
Familiarity with commissioning documentation and testing procedures for MEP systems.
Knowledge of insurance, bonding requirements, and subcontractor qualification checks.
Experience using document naming conventions, metadata tagging, and archive procedures for searchable project records.

Soft Skills

Clear, professional written and verbal communication for interacting with owners, design teams, contractors, and regulators.
Highly organized with strong attention to detail; proven ability to manage high volumes of documents and follow strict version control.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle competing deadlines across multiple projects.
Collaboration and stakeholder management: ability to coordinate cross-discipline teams and drive action items to closure.
Problem-solving mindset with ability to synthesize incomplete information and escalate appropriately.
Client-focused orientation and discretion when handling confidential contractual and commercial information.
Assertiveness and negotiation skills when chasing approvals, signatures, or corrective actions.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced construction environments with shifting priorities.
Analytical skills for summarizing contract impacts, schedule variances, and financial exposures.
Initiative and continuous improvement focus; ability to identify process gaps and propose workflow enhancements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; associate degree or technical certificate in construction technology, construction management, or related field preferred.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Construction Management
Civil Engineering
Architecture
Building Science
Construction Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–7+ years of progressive construction administration, project coordination, or contract administration experience on commercial, institutional, or infrastructure projects.

Preferred:

4–8 years experience directly managing submittals, RFIs, change orders, pay applications, and closeout on mid-to-large scale projects; experience with Procore/Aconex, Bluebeam, and MS Project/Primavera strongly preferred.
Certifications a plus: CDT (Construction Document Technologist), LEED GA, OSHA 30-hour, CAPM or other project management credentials.