Civil Owner's Representative - Construction Management
Location
North America
Role Overview
The Civil Owner's Representative (Civil OR) provides field oversight for civil construction activities on utility-scale energy projects, including solar, wind, battery energy storage systems (BESS), thermal, and transmission/substation projects. The Civil OR observes, verifies, documents, and escalates issues as needed, supporting the Owner's interests in safety, quality, and production without assuming the Contractor's responsibilities for quality control, survey, engineering, or means and methods.
Key Responsibilities
- Observe, monitor, document, verify, and report on civil construction activities to ensure compliance with contract documents, drawings, specifications, permits, and industry practices.
- Maintain an Owner-focused field presence and act in the Owner's best interests.
- Verify field crews are working from current approved documents and identify unapproved changes.
- Identify and escalate quality, schedule, constructability, interface, environmental, safety, and commercial risks.
- Document facts objectively and maintain professional working relationships while preserving independent oversight.
- Participate in safety orientations, meetings, and report unsafe conditions or behaviors.
- Review inspection and test plans, observe work before concealment, and document deficiencies with supporting evidence.
- Support initiation, review, and tracking of nonconformance reports (NCRs) and participate in punch walks and verification of corrective work.
- Complete daily field reports, including observations, activities, manpower, equipment, installed quantities, weather impacts, and significant discussions, with supporting photographs.
- Maintain and organize project records, photographic documentation, and escalate missing or inconsistent documentation.
- Monitor site preparation, grading, earthwork, roads, crane paths, laydown areas, drainage, stormwater features, foundations, concrete, underground utilities, and structural civil interfaces.
- Coordinate with other discipline representatives for interface management and ensure readiness for Owner-furnished equipment.
- Monitor geotechnical, material, and concrete testing, reviewing results and escalating exceptions as needed.
- Maintain awareness of survey, layout, as-built records, and identify discrepancies before work is covered.
- Track progress, schedule, and quantities, and provide field information to support Owner review of payment applications and schedule updates.
- Participate in meetings, provide concise field updates, and escalate issues early to influence outcomes.
- Support completion, turnover, and job book documentation, including walkdowns, punch-list development, and verification of final grading, drainage, and restoration.
Requirements
- Experience in civil construction oversight for utility-scale energy projects (solar, wind, BESS, thermal, transmission/substation).
- Strong understanding of contract documents, drawings, specifications, permits, and industry practices relevant to civil construction.
- Ability to objectively document field activities, deficiencies, and progress with supporting evidence.
- Familiarity with safety, quality, and environmental requirements and protocols.
- Experience with project management systems for documentation and reporting.
- Excellent communication, coordination, and escalation skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with construction managers, engineers, quality, environmental, safety, commissioning, and operations teams.
- Proactive approach to identifying and escalating risks and issues.
- Professionalism and diligence in maintaining Owner-side oversight without assuming Contractor responsibilities.
Deliverables
- Daily field reports and organized photographic documentation.
- Inspection and witness records as assigned.
- Progress and quantity tracking information.
- Testing observations and identification of missing or failed testing.
- Documentation of deficiencies, NCRs, punch-list items, and corrective work.
- Change-event and time-and-material documentation when applicable.
- Schedule and constraint observations and field readiness updates.
- Job-book and turnover documentation review support.
- Final civil walkdown and turnover support.
Authority Limitations
- May not direct Contractor means, methods, sequencing, or supervision.
- May not modify design, approve deviations, or provide engineering direction.
- May not authorize extra work, cost, change orders, or schedule extensions.
- May not accept nonconforming work or waive contract requirements.
- May not assume responsibility for Contractor safety or approve Contractor quality-control records.
Standard of Performance
The Civil OR is expected to perform all services with professionalism, skill, care, diligence, and field awareness consistent with experienced Owner's Representatives in utility-scale energy construction, ensuring proactive observation, early escalation, accurate documentation, and disciplined communication.