Construction Lead

Construction Lead

Owner-Side Construction & Site Management Oversight
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Project Type: Large-Scale Pharmaceutical / cGMP Manufacturing Construction
Reports To: Project/Construction Management Leadership
Position Summary
The Construction Lead serves as the Owner-side field leadership representative responsible for providing independent oversight of construction activities across the project site. The role requires a highly visible, active field presence and works as an extension of the Owner’s project organization to provide independent assurance regarding construction progress, quality, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), contractor performance, site coordination, and execution.
The Construction Lead will work closely with construction contractors while maintaining the independence necessary to verify reported progress, identify construction risks and deficiencies, challenge contractor-reported information when appropriate, and provide project leadership with an accurate assessment of field conditions.
This role aligns directly with the OR/PMC scope, which calls for an active field presence, day-to-day monitoring of construction activities, independent progress verification, independent quality-control inspections, and HSE oversight.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide day-to-day Owner-side leadership in the field, maintaining an active and visible presence across construction areas.
• Monitor construction activities across multiple contractors and work packages to assess overall execution, coordination, productivity, safety, quality, and schedule performance.
• Independently verify physical construction progress rather than relying solely on contractor-reported percentages or status reports.
• Validate installed quantities, equipment and material counts, physical measurements, rules of credit, manpower levels, equipment utilization, and other indicators of actual field progress.
• Support the use of reality-capture technologies where appropriate, including LiDAR/3D scanning, drone mapping, photographic documentation, and time-based progress capture.
• Verify and quantify contractor-reported progress associated with applications for payment and identify discrepancies requiring additional review.
• Provide independent assessments of field progress and escalate material differences between actual conditions and contractor-reported performance.
• Coordinate closely with project controls personnel to ensure field observations are accurately reflected in schedule, progress, forecasting, and project reporting. The broader OR/PMC scope requires an independent assessment of progress and integration of contractor schedules into the overall project schedule.

Quality Control & Construction Assurance
The Construction Lead will provide independent Owner-side quality surveillance and help ensure that construction work complies with approved project drawings, specifications, applicable codes, standards, and established quality requirements.
Responsibilities include conducting and coordinating field inspections; monitoring contractor inspection and test activities; supporting Owner Hold Points and Witness Points; identifying defective or out-of-specification work; issuing or facilitating non-conformance documentation; monitoring corrective actions through closure; and identifying recurring quality trends.
The Construction Lead will also review contractor inspection and test records and assess whether contractors are effectively following their own approved quality-control processes. The scope specifically requires independent quality inspections and the capability to perform inspections without relying solely on contractor-provided inspection equipment.
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
Provide strong Owner-side HSE leadership and assurance while recognizing that each construction contractor remains responsible for its own means, methods, procedures, and safety programs.
The Construction Lead will:
• Promote a proactive, prevention-focused safety culture across contractors.
• Conduct routine field safety walks and participate in formal HSE inspections and audits.
• Monitor contractor compliance with approved HSE plans, permits, qualification requirements, and project safety expectations.
• Pay particular attention to high-risk construction activities, including heavy lifts and other critical operations.
• Identify, document, communicate, and escalate unsafe conditions and HSE non-conformances.
• Support or exercise stop-work authority consistent with the Owner/PMC governance structure when significant HSE non-conformances are identified.
• Review safety trends, incidents, near misses, recurring concerns, and contractor performance.
• Participate in After Action Reviews and lessons-learned activities designed to prevent recurrence.

The project scope expressly requires independent HSE audits, routine safety walks, contractor safety-plan compliance monitoring, independent HSE reporting, and authority to stop work when HSE non-conformances are identified.
Contractor & Site Coordination
Develop effective professional relationships with construction contractors without compromising the independence of the Owner-side oversight function. Facilitate resolution of field issues, bottlenecks, contractor interfaces, access conflicts, sequencing concerns, and site logistics constraints.
Participate in daily and weekly construction coordination meetings, contractor progress reviews, look-ahead planning, site logistics discussions, constructability reviews, and schedule coordination activities. Identify emerging field risks early and drive issues toward clearly assigned actions and timely resolution.
Support oversight of temporary facilities, laydown areas, material storage, temporary utilities, construction access, vehicle circulation, workforce facilities, and other site infrastructure affecting safe and efficient project execution. The OR/PMC scope specifically requires oversight of temporary facilities, site utilization, sequencing, constructability, and construction execution planning.
Reporting & Documentation
Prepare clear, factual, and timely Owner-side reporting regarding construction progress, quality, HSE performance, contractor performance, constraints, emerging risks, and corrective actions.
Maintain appropriate field records, inspection documentation, photographs, progress verification records, issue logs, action trackers, non-conformance information, and other supporting documentation. Provide leadership with concise assessments that distinguish contractor-reported information from independently verified field conditions.
The overall OR/PMC model requires accurate and timely project-performance information, including assessments and recommendations to the Owner and recurring coordination and leadership reporting.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related technical discipline preferred; equivalent significant construction leadership experience may be considered.
• Typically 10+ years of progressive construction experience, with substantial experience in field construction leadership, construction management, Owner’s Representative, EPC/EPCM, or PMC environments.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple contractors and major construction work packages on complex capital projects.
• Experience with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, semiconductor, chemical/process manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, or other highly regulated capital projects strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of construction means and methods, sequencing, site logistics, quality-control practices, contractor management, and HSE requirements.
• Experience independently assessing construction progress and validating installed quantities and contractor payment progress.
• Working knowledge of construction drawings, specifications, RFIs, submittals, inspection/test plans, non-conformance processes, schedules, look-ahead plans, and change-management processes.
• Familiarity with cGMP construction environments is highly desirable.
• OSHA 30 or equivalent construction safety training preferred.
• Experience with digital construction and reality-capture tools, including drones, LiDAR/3D scanning, or comparable field-verification technology, is desirable.

Leadership Competencies
The successful Construction Lead will demonstrate strong field leadership, professional judgment, independence, accountability, and the ability to constructively challenge contractors when field conditions do not support reported performance. The individual must communicate effectively with craft supervision, contractor leadership, engineering, quality, HSE, project controls, commissioning teams, and senior Owner representatives.
The role requires a collaborative but appropriately independent approach. The broader RFP emphasizes leadership, accountability, stakeholder integration, interface management, problem resolution, risk management, and maintaining a professional, fair, high-performing project environment.
Key Measures of Success
Success in this role will be demonstrated through reliable and independently verified construction progress; early identification and resolution of field constraints; strong contractor accountability; effective quality surveillance and closure of non-conformances; high HSE performance; accurate field reporting; effective coordination among contractors; and successful progression of construction toward commissioning, qualification, and handover.
Important Role Boundary: This is an Owner-side oversight and assurance position. The Construction Lead provides independent monitoring, verification, coordination, and assurance but does not assume the construction contractors' responsibility for their means, methods, techniques, sequences, procedures, or contractor safety programs. This distinction is expressly established in the Workstream 5 scope.

EOE