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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Underground Utility Coordinator

💰 $ - $

ConstructionUtilitiesProject Management

🎯 Role Definition

As an Underground Utility Coordinator you will be the primary point of contact for utility owners, contractors, municipalities and project teams to identify, document and resolve utility conflicts for roadway, infrastructure and site development projects. You will manage locate requests, schedule potholing and vacuum excavation, negotiate relocations, obtain permits and rights-of-way, maintain accurate GIS/CAD records and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory requirements. This role supports on-site construction activities and pre-construction planning to minimize downtime, reduce risk of utility damage and keep projects on budget and on schedule.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Field Utility Locator / Locator Technician
  • Construction Inspector / Field Engineer
  • Survey Technician or Junior CAD/GIS Technician

Advancement To:

  • Senior Utility Coordinator / Lead Utility Coordinator
  • Utility Relocation Manager / Utilities Program Manager
  • Project Manager / Construction Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Permit & Right-of-Way Coordinator
  • Traffic Control Coordinator / TMP Specialist
  • GIS Analyst for Utilities

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Serve as the single point of contact for all utility coordination activities on assigned projects, proactively engaging utility owners (electric, gas, water, sewer, telecom, cable) to identify assets, relocation needs and schedule conflicts prior to construction.
  • Initiate, track and close 811/One-Call locate tickets and arrange private utility locates, ensuring all locates are completed and marked in the field before excavation activities commence.
  • Prepare and maintain a comprehensive utility coordination log (conflict register) and utility relocation matrix that documents owner responses, relocation timelines, cost responsibilities and open actions.
  • Coordinate and schedule potholing, vacuum excavation and test holes to positively locate underground facilities where plans show conflicts or where utility locations are unknown, ensuring excavation is performed safely and documented.
  • Review project design drawings, plans and as-built information to identify potential utility conflicts and coordinate plan revisions or design mitigations with engineers and designers.
  • Negotiate relocation agreements, cost allocation, and encroachment permits with utility owners and property owners, tracking agreements and change orders through to execution.
  • Prepare, submit and manage utility-related permit applications (municipal, county, DOT, railroad, environmental) and ensure permit conditions (traffic control, working hours, restoration) are implemented in the field.
  • Coordinate utility relocations and shutdowns with contractors, client project managers and utility companies to minimize service impact and maintain construction schedule.
  • Attend and facilitate pre-construction, weekly coordination and utility owner meetings, providing clear action items, schedules and risk updates to stakeholders.
  • Ensure all utility work adheres to local, state and federal regulations (DOT standards, municipal codes) and company safety policies, including required traffic control plans, OSHA compliance and damage prevention best practices.
  • Maintain accurate GIS, AutoCAD and project documentation of utility locations and relocations; prepare plan markups, record drawings and as-built submissions for integration into client systems.
  • Monitor contractor performance related to utility protection, avoidance techniques and restoration quality; identify non-conformances and coordinate corrective actions.
  • Respond to emergency utility incidents and damage investigations, documenting events, coordinating repairs and participating in root-cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
  • Develop and maintain a contact database of utility owner representatives, contractors, locators and municipal permitting contacts to accelerate coordination and issue resolution.
  • Review and validate utility owner cost estimates for relocations and coordinate invoice approvals, ensuring costs are applied to correct project cost codes and tracked for reimbursement or change orders.
  • Create and maintain a schedule of utility relocations integrated into the overall project CPM schedule; communicate critical path utility dates and impacts to the project team.
  • Provide timely status reporting for utility risks, open permits, outstanding relocation costs and schedule impacts to project management and clients.
  • Implement damage prevention programs on projects including spot checks, excavator briefings, toolbox talks and documentation of positive locates prior to excavation.
  • Coordinate access, easements and temporary rights-of-way with property owners for utility work, ensuring agreements are documented and filed in project documentation.
  • Conduct field verification and QA/QC of utility installations and restorations, documenting measurements, clearances and conformance with plan specifications.
  • Facilitate coordination between subcontractors and third-party installers (fiber, cable, gas services) to ensure sequencing of work and avoid rework or conflicts.
  • Lead utility risk assessments during project planning and pre-bid phases, providing input on constructability, cost impacts and schedule mitigation strategies.
  • Track closeout deliverables related to utilities (final as-builts, warranty periods, permit sign-offs) and support final acceptance processes with clients and municipalities.
  • Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior coordinators and field staff on best practices for locating, coordinating and documenting underground utilities.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist project estimating teams by providing utility risk assessments, probable relocation costs and schedule impact analyses during proposal development.
  • Support the preparation of contract scopes, specifications and schedule milestones related to utility work and protection in bid documents.
  • Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and checklists for utility coordination activities to ensure consistent, repeatable processes across projects.
  • Participate in lessons-learned sessions and continuous improvement initiatives to improve utility coordination efficiency and reduce damage incidents on future projects.
  • Provide training to internal teams and subcontractors on 811/One-Call procedures, vacuum excavation best practices and the company’s utility coordination protocols.
  • Coordinate with GIS and design teams to ensure utility attribute data is captured in client deliverables and corporate asset management systems.
  • Support community outreach efforts by communicating planned service interruptions, relocation schedules and restoration timelines to affected stakeholders.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Knowledge of 811 / One-Call processes and proven experience submitting and tracking ticket requests to local and state agencies.
  • Proficiency with utility mapping and spatial tools such as ArcGIS, AutoCAD, MicroStation or similar CAD/GIS software to update and produce utility plans and as-built drawings.
  • Experience coordinating vacuum excavation, potholing and daylighting operations and familiarity with subcontractor oversight for safe excavations.
  • Understanding of utility relocation processes across disciplines (water, sewer, storm, gas, electric, telecom, fiber) and ability to negotiate relocation schedules and cost allocations.
  • Strong familiarity with municipal and DOT permitting processes, encroachment permits, traffic control permits and environmental permit conditions.
  • Ability to read, interpret and mark up engineering drawings, plan sets, profiles and utility as-built records.
  • Competency in project scheduling tools (Microsoft Project, Primavera P6) to integrate utility milestones into the overall project critical path.
  • Experience preparing and maintaining utility coordination logs, conflict registers, and producing clear status reports for stakeholders.
  • Knowledge of damage prevention standards, OSHA excavation regulations, and safe digging practices including NULCA best practices.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Excel for tracking, Word for correspondence, Outlook for stakeholder coordination) and cloud-based collaboration tools (SharePoint, Procore, PlanGrid).
  • Familiarity with contract administration related to utility change orders, invoice review and client billing processes.
  • Ability to compile and submit final as-built utility drawings and deliverable packages to clients and municipal authorities.
  • Experience with stakeholder management software or CRM for tracking contact interactions and commitments.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, able to clearly convey technical issues to non-technical stakeholders including utility owners and the public.
  • Strong negotiation and conflict resolution abilities to facilitate agreeable relocation schedules and cost-sharing arrangements.
  • Highly organized with demonstrated attention to detail in tracking permits, tickets, schedules and documentation.
  • Effective time management and prioritization skills while managing multiple concurrent utility issues across projects.
  • Proactive problem-solving mindset with the ability to foresee utility impacts and propose constructive mitigation strategies.
  • Relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills to maintain productive long-term partnerships with utility companies and municipalities.
  • Calm under pressure and responsive in emergency or urgent service disruption situations.
  • Leadership and team coordination skills to guide contractors, locators and field crews to safe, compliant work execution.
  • Adaptability to changing project conditions and the flexibility to adjust coordination plans on short notice.
  • Customer-service orientation with a focus on minimizing service interruptions and preserving positive client relations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED with relevant field experience in utility coordination, construction, or civil works.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering, GIS, or related technical discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Construction Management
  • Civil Engineering / Civil Engineering Technology
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Surveying Technology
  • Public Works or Utility Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–7 years of direct experience coordinating underground utilities on construction or infrastructure projects.

Preferred: 3–5+ years coordinating complex linear infrastructure projects (roadways, transit, pipelines) with demonstrated success managing 811 tickets, utility owner negotiations, permitting and scheduling. Experience working with municipal and state DOT processes and familiarity with utility damage prevention programs and emergency response protocols is highly desirable.

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