Construction project manager job description: responsibilities, skills, CDM duties and a template

A construction project has an architect, an engineer, a quantity surveyor and dozens of trades, and one person whose name is on the programme. When the steel is late, the ground is wetter than the survey said and the client wants the opening date kept, the project manager is the one who decides what happens next. A construction project manager job description has to capture that accountability without listing every trade's work.

This article sets out the job responsibilities of a project manager in construction: what the role is called, seven responsibilities, the safety duties that Great Britain's construction regulations place on the role, the skills employers look for, the qualifications and the route to chartership, a template and wording for a CV.

A construction programme is a set of dated commitments, and everyone on site should be able to see them. See how New Dynamics Goals & OKRs keep targets and progress in one place.

What is a construction project manager?

Titles overlap. Prospects, the UK graduate careers service, uses construction manager in its construction manager profile, noting that construction managers “are also commonly known as site managers”, and defines the job in one line: construction managers “ensure that a building project is completed to specification, safely and within an agreed timeframe and budget”. As a construction manager, it says, “you'll be responsible for managing the practical side of every stage of the build”, working closely with architects, surveyors and other professionals, and you “may oversee a whole site, or a big part of a large-scale complex project”.

The UK National Careers Service's construction manager profile says the same: construction managers “organise building projects to make sure they're completed safely, within budget and on time”. Typical hours are 41 to 43 a week, with evenings, weekends and time away from home, and a full driving licence is required.

In practice, project manager tends to be used for the person accountable to the client for the whole project, and site manager for the person running the site day to day; on a small project they are the same person. Prospects lists five project groups: residential, commercial, industrial, infrastructure and environmental.

Job responsibilities of a project manager in construction: seven areas

1. Plan and programme. Plan and coordinate the project from start to finish, including the schedule of work, and check design documents with architects, surveyors and engineers. The NCS puts it as reviewing plans with architects, surveyors and engineers and organising work schedules.
2. Manage cost and procurement. Agree budgets and costings, plan the work and oversee the buying of materials and equipment, and monitor costs against the budget.
3. Run the site and the people. Recruit, supervise and manage staff and subcontractors, and manage the site day to day: supervising the labour force, monitoring subcontractors and checking materials.
4. Control quality. Inspect work and oversee quality control so that the build meets the specification and building regulations.
5. Keep the site safe and legal. Promote and maintain health and safety, including site inspections, and consider sustainability, environmental impact and compliance with building regulations at every stage.
6. Manage the client and stakeholders. Maintain regular communication and attend meetings with clients and their representatives, and communicate with consultants, subcontractors, planners, quantity surveyors and others. The NCS adds reporting progress to local communities.
7. Solve problems and report. Deal with unexpected problems, write reports, and use project management software and digital tools such as building information modelling to plan, coordinate and report.

The safety duties behind the job: CDM 2015

In Great Britain, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 place legal duties on the organisations that run projects, and the project manager usually carries them out for the principal contractor. The Health and Safety Executive's guidance on principal contractors' roles and responsibilities explains that a principal contractor is appointed by the client “to control the construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor”, and must “plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the entire construction phase”.

The duties HSE lists read like the safety half of a project manager's job description: take account of the health and safety risks to everyone affected by the work, including the public; liaise with the client and principal designer throughout; “prepare a written construction phase plan before the construction phase begins”, then implement, review and revise it; consult and engage with workers about their health, safety and welfare; ensure suitable welfare facilities from the start; check that anyone appointed has the skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability to work safely; ensure all workers have site-specific inductions; and take steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site.

A job description for a project manager on a British site should name these duties, say whether the employer is principal contractor, and say who holds the construction phase plan. This is general information about regulations as HSE describes them, not legal advice, and rules differ elsewhere.

Skills employers look for

Prospects lists strong communication for liaising with clients, professionals and workers and “calmly and effectively managing any conflicts and disputes that may arise”, leadership that gets contractors coordinating, “excellent planning and organisational skills for writing and monitoring project plans and schedules”, resilience and problem solving, “an ability to make decisions under pressure, so that the project can progress”, attention to detail for inspections and complex contracts, awareness of health and safety procedures and legislation, strong commercial awareness and good numerical and IT skills including project management software. The NCS adds knowledge of building and construction, maths, time management, initiative and business management.

For an advert, six things: programme discipline, commercial control, site leadership, safety leadership, client management and calm problem solving.

Qualifications and the route to chartership

Degree or HNC. Prospects says most new entrants hold an HNC or degree in construction management, building management, building studies, project management, engineering including civil engineering, or surveying, with entry also possible from an HND, foundation degree or BTEC, and that courses accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building are preferred. The NCS lists building studies, surveying, civil engineering, construction engineering, construction site management and estimating.

Apprenticeships. The NCS lists the construction site management and design and construction management level 6 degree apprenticeships, typically three to four years.

Chartership. Prospects says a graduate or trainee construction manager is likely to work towards chartership with the CIOB or another professional institution in the first few years, and the NCS notes that chartered status could improve career prospects. Prospects adds that a conversion route exists for graduates of unrelated degrees.

Progression. The NCS says a construction manager could move into contract management or consultancy, or with further training into health and safety or building inspection.

The engineers the manager works alongside have their own route; our civil engineer job description describes it. The site workforce the manager directs is described in our construction worker job description. The trades have their own routes; our electrician job description and welder job description describe two. Requirements differ in other countries. Check the rules where you work.

Construction project manager job description template

Adapt the template to your project. Keep every line true.

Job title: Construction project manager [or: Site manager]

Reports to: Contracts manager or operations director

Direct reports: Site manager(s), assistant site manager, site engineer, subcontractor supervisors; a construction project coordinator on larger projects

Location and hours: [Project site], [45] hours a week with longer hours at critical stages; [nights away as required]; full driving licence

Purpose of the role: To deliver [project], a [£x] [sector] build, to specification, safely, on programme and within budget, as the employer's lead on site and the client's day-to-day point of contact.

Main responsibilities:

• Own the programme; plan and sequence the works with the design team and subcontractors
• Control cost and procurement against the budget with the quantity surveyor
• Lead the site team and subcontractors day to day; manage labour, plant and materials
• Inspect and control quality to the specification and building regulations
• Discharge the principal contractor's CDM duties: construction phase plan, inductions, welfare, site security and worker consultation
• Report progress, cost and risk to the client and the contracts manager; chair site meetings
• Resolve problems, record variations and maintain project documentation in [software]

Skills and experience:

• [Five] years in construction management with at least one project of [£x] delivered as lead
• HNC or degree in a construction-related subject; working towards or holding CIOB chartership
• Site management safety training and first aid, current
• Commercial and programme literacy; experience of [planning software / BIM]
• Calm, clear and decisive with clients, consultants and trades

We provide: [Vehicle or travel allowance], professional membership and chartership support, a route to contracts manager, and [site bonus].

State the project value, the sector and whether the role is principal contractor. Our job description template explains the overall structure, and our operations manager job description covers the equivalent role off site.

How to describe construction management on a CV

Write what you delivered and how. The lines below are our own examples.

• “Project manager for a [£12m] [residential] scheme of [n] units, delivered [two] weeks ahead of programme and within budget.”
• “Principal contractor's lead on site: wrote and maintained the construction phase plan; [zero] reportable incidents over [18] months.”
• “Managed [n] subcontract packages and a direct team of [n]; chaired weekly client progress meetings.”
• “Recovered a [six]-week delay after ground conditions changed by re-sequencing the frame and groundworks.”
• “Chartered with the CIOB in [year].”

Common mistakes in construction project manager adverts

Project value and sector missing. A [£2m] refurbishment and a [£50m] new build need different people.

CDM role unstated. Whether the employer is principal contractor changes the legal duties the manager carries.

Programme and cost authority vague. Say what the manager can decide alone and what needs the contracts manager.

Hours understated. Critical stages mean long weeks. Say so.

No chartership support. Candidates working towards the CIOB go where it is funded.

Frequently asked questions

What are the job responsibilities of a project manager in construction?

Seven areas: plan and programme the project, manage cost and procurement, run the site and the people on it, control quality, keep the site safe and legal, manage the client and stakeholders, and solve problems and report. Prospects summarises the job as ensuring the project is completed to specification, safely and within the agreed time and budget.

What is the difference between a construction project manager and a site manager?

Prospects notes that construction managers are also commonly known as site managers. In practice the project manager is accountable to the client for the whole project, and the site manager runs the site day to day; on smaller projects one person does both.

What does CDM 2015 require of a construction project manager?

The regulations place duties on the principal contractor, which the project manager usually discharges: plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the construction phase, prepare and maintain a written construction phase plan, provide welfare facilities, give site-specific inductions, consult workers, check contractors' competence and prevent unauthorised access, as HSE describes.

What skills does a construction project manager need?

Planning and programme discipline, commercial awareness and budget control, leadership of site teams and subcontractors, safety leadership, communication and conflict management with clients and professionals, resilience, decision-making under pressure and IT skills including project management software.

What qualifications does a construction project manager need?

Most hold an HNC or degree in a construction-related subject such as construction management, building studies, civil engineering or surveying, preferably CIOB-accredited, or a level 6 construction site management degree apprenticeship. Most then work towards chartership with the CIOB. A full driving licence is usually required.

How do you become a construction project manager?

Through a construction-related degree, HNC or degree apprenticeship followed by site experience as an assistant or site manager, or by progressing from a trade or engineering role with further study. Chartership with the CIOB improves prospects, and experienced managers move into contracts management or consultancy.

Your next step

1. Write the purpose statement with the project value, sector and CDM role in it.
2. List the seven responsibilities as accountabilities, and name the CDM duties.
3. State programme and cost authority, hours and travel honestly.
4. Agree the first project's measures: programme, cost, quality, safety.

For writing those measures, read and download our SMART goals guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.

Want programme milestones, site team reviews and development plans in one place? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current job description. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.