Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Utility Construction Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Utility Construction Coordinator is a central project delivery role responsible for coordinating and executing utility relocation, installation and protection activities across public and private infrastructure projects. This role manages contractors and subcontractors, secures permits and inspections, tracks schedule and budget impacts from utility work, communicates with stakeholders (municipalities, utility owners, contractors and the public), and ensures compliance with safety, environmental and regulatory requirements. The Utility Construction Coordinator acts as the subject-matter liaison between design teams and field crews to resolve conflicts, produce accurate as-built records, and drive timely project close-out.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Technician / Construction Laborer with utility experience
Construction Inspector or Assistant Project Coordinator
Utility Locating Technician or Traffic Control Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Utility Construction Coordinator
Construction Project Manager (utilities or civil)
Utility Program Manager or Construction Manager

Lateral Moves:

Permit & Right-of-Way Coordinator
Traffic Control Coordinator / Traffic Management Specialist
Utility Asset Management or GIS Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate day-to-day utility construction and relocation activities for electrical, gas, water, sewer, telecom and fiber utilities, ensuring all work aligns with project plans, specifications, and scheduling constraints.
Serve as the primary point of contact between municipal agencies, utility owners, contractors, engineers and inspectors to schedule shut-downs, outages, and phased connections with minimal public impact.
Review construction drawings, utility conflict matrices, and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) deliverables to identify, prioritize, and mitigate utility conflicts prior to and during construction.
Manage permitting and inspection workflows including preparation, submission and tracking of encroachment permits, ROW permits, traffic control permits, environmental permits, and utility-specific permits with local, state and federal agencies.
Prepare, monitor and update detailed utility construction schedules and produce weekly progress reports highlighting critical path items, delays, mitigation plans and value-impact decisions.
Coordinate procurement and scheduling of specialty crews and subcontractors (directional drill crews, vacuum excavation, pipe jacking, pole setting, and transformer installations) to meet project milestones and safety requirements.
Oversee contractor performance on utility scopes, perform routine site inspections for quality assurance and compliance, document non-conformances, and drive corrective action to closure.
Facilitate and lead pre-construction meetings, utility coordination meetings, and coordination walkthroughs with engineers, designers, utilities and contractors to set expectations, clarify responsibilities and communicate schedule constraints.
Develop, issue and manage utility scopes of work, change orders, field instructions and RFIs; review and validate contractor cost and time claims associated with utility work and provide recommendations to project management.
Maintain and update as-built records, field modifications, and redline markups for all utility relocations and installations; deliver accurate record drawings and GIS attribute updates at project close-out.
Implement and enforce traffic control plans and staging strategies related to utility construction, coordinating with traffic engineers and permitting agencies to minimize public disruption.
Manage utility-related safety programs by ensuring crews follow trenching and shoring procedures, lockout/tagout, confined space entry, and compliance with OSHA and corporate safety standards.
Coordinate environmental compliance for utility work including erosion control, stormwater management, wetlands protection and coordination with environmental monitors and remediation teams.
Track budget and cost-to-complete for utility activities, process contractor invoices and progress payments related to utility scopes, and provide regular cost forecasts and variance explanations to project leadership.
Lead outage planning and execution for critical utilities, developing contingency plans, customer notification strategies, and post-outage restoration verification to minimize downtime.
Conduct field-level utility conflict resolution by procuring design clarifications, proposing temporary support or protection measures, and escalating unresolved issues to engineering or client leadership as required.
Manage materials logistics for utility construction including ordering, tracking deliveries, inspecting received materials for compliance, and ensuring secure on-site storage and documentation.
Coordinate testing and commissioning activities for installed utility systems (pressure tests, electrical high-pot tests, insulation resistance, telecom acceptance testing) and manage submittal/closeout documentation.
Maintain comprehensive project records: daily logs, photographic documentation, inspection reports, testing certifications and correspondence to support claims, progress reporting and regulatory reviews.
Support claims avoidance and dispute resolution by documenting schedule impacts, communications, approvals, and authorized changes related to utility scopes and contractor performance.
Liaise with community relations or public outreach teams to provide timely public notices, handle resident/business inquiries related to utility work, and coordinate access or service interruptions with affected parties.
Work with designers and survey teams to verify existing utility locations and elevations in the field and incorporate real-world conditions back into design and GIS systems to reduce constructability risks.
Provide technical mentorship and on-the-job training for junior coordinators, inspectors and administrative staff on utility construction protocols, documentation standards and site safety expectations.
Monitor manufacturer and supplier lead times for long-lead utility items (transformers, switchgear, specialty conduit) and incorporate procurement risks into the utility schedule mitigation plan.

Secondary Functions

Support project controls by updating utility-specific earned value metrics, schedule baselines and risk registers for senior management review.
Assist in the development and continuous improvement of standard operating procedures, templates and checklists for utility coordination, permitting and as-built documentation.
Participate in lessons-learned sessions and post-project reviews to capture insights from utility coordination activities and improve future project delivery.
Assist estimators and schedulers during preconstruction by providing constructability input, sequencing constraints and historical productivity data for utility work packages.
Coordinate with GIS and asset management teams to ensure utility installations are integrated into long-term asset databases and maintenance systems.
Support procurement by preparing technical specifications for utility materials and validating supplier qualifications and certifications.
Provide on-call support for emergency utility incidents that occur during construction and assist in rapid mobilization and stakeholder coordination.
Maintain an inventory of required inspection and safety equipment, ensuring calibration and certification records are current for audit readiness.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven experience coordinating utility relocations and installations for electric, gas, water, sewer, telecom and fiber scopes on public works, roadway or development projects.
Strong knowledge of utility permitting processes, encroachment permit acquisition, municipal inspection protocols and agency coordination.
Proficiency with Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) deliverables and the ability to interpret utility conflict reports and maps.
Experience producing and reviewing as-built drawings, field record markups, redlines and GIS attribute updates.
Familiarity with civil and utility construction plans, profiles and specifications; ability to read and interpret plan sheets and utility riser diagrams.
Practical knowledge of traffic control planning related to utility work, MOT (Maintenance of Traffic) standards and temporary staging requirements.
Competence with construction scheduling tools (MS Project, Primavera P6, or similar) to update schedules and identify critical path impacts.
Hands-on experience with construction contract administration: change orders, RFIs, submittal review, and payment request validation.
Understanding of safety regulations including trenching and shoring, confined space, and OSHA construction standards.
Experience coordinating testing and commissioning procedures for utility systems, including documenting acceptance criteria and reports.
Working knowledge of GIS and mapping tools, and experience updating spatial utility records and geodatabases.
Familiarity with construction cost controls and basic budgeting, invoice review, and forecast reporting for utility scopes.
Proficiency with common office and collaboration software (Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Procore, Bluebeam or equivalent document control platforms).
Experience with vacuum excavation, directional drilling, HDD, and other non-destructive excavation methods used for utility protection and installation.

Soft Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for clear stakeholder correspondence, meeting facilitation and public notifications.
Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills to coordinate effectively with utility owners, municipalities, contractors and residents.
High attention to detail and documentation discipline to maintain accurate as-built records and audit-ready files.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to think critically on-site, propose practical mitigations, and escalate appropriately.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance multiple active utility scopes across overlapping project schedules.
Leadership and team collaboration skills to direct subcontractors, mentor junior staff, and influence cross-functional teams.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to reach timely agreements on scope, schedule and cost impacts.
Adaptability and resilience to work in dynamic field conditions, respond to emergencies and adjust sequencing to meet project objectives.
Analytical mindset to assess schedule impacts, cost implications and risk exposure from utility-related changes.
Customer service orientation to handle resident and business concerns during utility construction with professionalism and empathy.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED with relevant trade or field experience; or an Associate degree in Construction Technology, Civil Engineering Technology, or related discipline.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Construction Management
Civil Engineering / Civil Engineering Technology
Urban Planning / Public Works
Utility/Power Systems or Electrical/Energy Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in utility construction coordination, municipal infrastructure projects, or heavy civil construction with utility scopes.

Preferred: 5+ years of utility coordination on roadway, transit, municipal or large development projects; experience working with multiple utility types (electric, gas, water, sewer, telecom) and familiarity with local permitting authorities.