NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Descriptive Analysis Whidbey Retirement Center + Clinic A descriptive analysis of the construction company organization structure including job descriptions with project engineer requirements for the CM555 Assignment 2 construction project. The retirement center and clinic is to be located on Whidbey Island with a guaranteed maximum price of $20 million. The project is to be completed within the two years of the issuance of the Notice To Proceed with concrete and carpentry work self-performed.
Andrea Perea CM 555 Assignment 2
NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
PART I JOB DESCRIPTIONS
PART II ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
PART III CANDIDATE BACKGROUND
PART I CANDIDATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
HOME OFFICE The home office positions are generally based at the company office with limited presence on the project job sites. President The president provides the highest level of leadership as an individual for the company. They are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company's procedures, goals and expectations. Their knowledge is to be multi-faceted from being able to maintain interpersonal relationships with the company employees to in depth business development and strategy including financial planning. This position will generally work closest with board members and senior management employees. Chief Financial Officer The chief financial officer is part of the upper managerial tier of positions within the company. They are responsible for aspects related to financial operations. Their knowledge and skillset extends beyond general accounting in being able to provide projections for future goals and expectations. This position works closely with the president to ensure the company maintains
financial stability. Senior Accountant + Special Projects Accountant The senior accountant is responsible for managing cash flow and works closely with the chief financial officer and various senior level accountants to balance the company budget. The company's accountants are to be knowledgeable in maintaining balanced budget plans and managing the cash flow from each project. The special projects accountant and other similar project type departments oversee their divisions finances. Marketing Director The marketing director is responsible for business development and is knowledgeable in understanding how to have a competitive edge over other companies. This position works closely with the highest levels of leadership on the company's image and profitability.
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
HOME OFFICE
Senior Estimator + Project Estimator The senior estimator is a position which is knowledgeable enough in cost take-offs they can oversee complex project estimation as well as provide training and oversight to project estimators
and entry level estimators. The estimator possesses strong mathematical skills with a great understanding of labor and material costs. The project estimator and support team are capable of take-offs but generally do not oversee the complex projects the senior estimator does. The senior and project estimator work closely with one another to ensure each estimation package is accurate and cross checked. The estimating team works in conjunction with the greater accounting team to assist in projecting costs for self-performed work, bonding, insurance and cash flow. Purchasing Manager The purchasing manager is a position which has strong relationships with subcontractors and suppliers to procure labor, equipment and materials for self-performed work. The purchasing manager works closely with senior project managers and estimators to ensure projects are adequately staffed and supplied. Administrative Director + Support Staff The administrative director and support staff are positions which offer organization and communication between the various departments of the company. The director oversees the work flow of all employees including the organization of the paper work throughout the company. Special Projects Director
The special projects director oversees projects which require complex planning and coordination. The special projects director works closely with the senior project managers and high levels of leadership. The coordination with leadership includes managing cash flow, financial projections and marketing efforts. The knowledge this employee possesses is a strong business background with an understanding of various niche occupancy types such as hospitals, care homes and transportation projects. 3
NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
PROJECT JOB SITE The project jobsite positions are generally located on the project site in a temporary structure or within the project structure. Senior Project Manager + Project Manager The senior project manager is the highest level of leadership for a project. They are responsible for the oversight of a successful project including financial tracking. This employee is to have a
strong financial and accounting background with knowledge in construction means and methods. This position generally does not involve being at the jobsite and works closely with the highest levels of management. The project manager is on the job site and provides coordination between the senior project manager and the job site personnel, including the greater project team such as designers and consultants. The project manager is responsible for maintaining team relationships and managing the administrative aspect of the project including pay applications. Project Engineer
The project engineer works closely with the project manager, superintendent and third parties to manage the administrative aspect of the project. The project engineer is responsible for being organized and able to prioritize tasks to keep the project administration orderly. The project engineer should have working knowledge in constructions means and methods including the administrative tasks associated with daily functions. The administration includes but not limited to change orders, requests for information, meeting minutes, inspections reports and submittals. The project engineer is to have mathematical skills applicable to basic cost estimation as necessary on the job site. Senior Project Superintendent The senior superintendent works closely with the project job site team including various municipal departments and third party inspectors. The responsibilities include maintaining job site safety, quality control, project schedule and resolving field issues. Generally, as part of responsibilities this position updates the construction master schedule each period as part of the contract documentation. The person in this position typically has been in the construction industry for a long tenure with in depth knowledge of trade crafts and constructability. 4
NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
PROJECT JOB SITE
Self-Performed Work Foreman + Trade workers The foreman overseeing self-performed work are often directly employed by the general contractor and can include union and non-union workers depending upon location and project type
or needs. They are responsible for managing their trade work team to ensure the scope of work is performed to project specifications, ensure quality is met and maintain safety standards. This position reports to the senior superintendent. Subcontractors The subcontractors are contracted to the project to perform various scopes of work in accordance with the project schedule, construction documents and expectations set forth by the general contractor. They are each skilled in their trade craft and work closely with the senior project superintendent and home office to coordinate job site work and administration including payments.
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
THIRD PARTY The third party positions are generally not based at the home office or jobsite. They are contracted through the owner, design team, consultant or as required by the city. Special Inspectors Special inspectors on site include but are not limited to municipalities inspections, concrete, steel reinforcement, soils, accessibility, specific product systems etc. The inspectors work closely with the
project manager, senior superintendent and project engineer to inspect the work of the various subcontractors. The inspectors often possess engineering degrees and are knowledgeable in building systems installations and applications. MEPF Coordination The mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire life safety coordination works closely with the home office and project job site team from conception to construction. They are skilled in their industries and provide engineering designs which may or may not include subcontracted work to perform the installation of the various systems. Suppliers The suppliers are equipment and material distributors which may be local, national or global. The purchasing managers, senior superintendent and project engineer work with various suppliers throughout the project to ensure the projects are supplied adequately.
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
PART I JOB DESCRIPTIONS
PART II ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
PART III CANDIDATE BACKGROUND
PART IV CANDIDATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
SPECIAL PROJECTS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART The organizational chart below represents the general contractor and project job site positions on a typical construction project.
There are limited positions related to pre-construction, owner and
developer relationships shown for clarity.
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
PART I JOB DESCRIPTIONS
PART II ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
PART III CANDIDATE BACKGROUND
PART IV CANDIDATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
SPECIAL PROJECTS ENGINEER BACKGROUND Resume + Cover Letter The initial communication with each applicant would likely be through their cover letter and resume. The documents should be reviewed for clarity and professionalism. Construction Skillsets/Knowledge The cover letter and resume should exemplify the applicant's understanding of the construction industry including basic processes of construction administration with supporting software knowledge. The skill sets and knowledge of construction means, methods and processes would be weighed between each candidate. Prior Experience It would be beneficial to the company if an applicant has some prior experience in the construction industry. However, as this is generally an entry level position, the weight of the cover letter may show interest, initiative and enough knowledge to overlook the lack of prior experience. Professional References
Regardless of the position and industry, the professional references will be asked questions about the integrity of the candidate. The questions for references will ask about the candidates time at the company, the team dynamic they worked within, and their ability to organize and prioritize tasks. Software Knowledge The software applications utilized in the construction industry evolve quickly but there are some baseline pieces of software which should be included such as word processing, spreadsheets and virtual/email communication platforms. It is beneficial if the applicant possess a basic level of understanding of computer aided drafting, building information modeling and forensic scheduling. Academic Background The applicant should have, at minimum, an undergraduate or associate degree under the umbrella of the architectural, engineering or construction industry. It would be ideal if a candidate has shown they participate in continuing education via certificates or trainings to exemplify their ongoing commitment to learning how the industry is evolving. 10
NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
PART I JOB DESCRIPTIONS
PART II ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
PART III CANDIDATE BACKGROUND
PART IV CANDIDATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
SPECIAL PROJECTS ENGINEER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS When not at work, what are your hobbies or favorite places to be and things to do? This is a great ice breaker to get to know a little bit more about the candidate. What project types have you worked on in the past? The construction industry has a variety of project types and understanding what they have
experience in or have studied is important to know where their knowledge is based in. What types of projects would you like to learn more about? The candidate may have experience in other project types other than what fascinates them. Perhaps there is untapped potential in their career path. Do you have knowledge in the administrative processes involved in the construction industry or similar experience? If a candidate does not have direct construction administration knowledge, an interviewer should be looking for the candidate to reference past experiences to the job posting requirements. How quickly are you able to learn new pieces of software? Software is always evolving, the ability for a candidate to easily learn new software as well as show initiative is highly beneficial for career growth in the company. What is the most interesting aspect of being in the construction industry? Having a candidate who has a passion for the industry is ideal and perhaps the most interesting aspect is not being shaped in their career path at present. It also is a great mid-interview quirky question to keep the conversation going.
What continuing education do you participate in? Having a candidate who is passionate in the ever changing industry and is willing to continually add skillsets and knowledge shows initiative to learn and grow.
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NORTH SEATTLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
What trajectory do you envision your career to take? An understanding of where the candidate envisions themselves in their career path can help the interviewer understand if they can be a part of the candidate's long term goals.
What are the three most important aspects your employer must possess? This question builds upon the career trajectory answer in gaining understanding of what the candidate is looking for in a company. It is a moment to let the company show their potential to meet the candidates expectations as well as keep a competitive edge on other companies the candidate may be interviewing with or considering. When you are close to retirement, what do you hope you have contributed to the industry? The candidates contribution to the industry can provide insight to their driven interests which may be technology, innovation, training, legacy etc. It works as a closing discussion between the interviewer and interviewee.
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