Foreman (Carpenter)

Kokosing (www.kokosing.biz) is one of America’s 50 largest General Contractors, providing heavy civil/industrial construction services such as highways, bridges, underground utilities, water/wastewater facilities, and marine construction. With over $2.8 billion in annual sales and more than 75 years of experience, Kokosing offers visible challenges, superior quality, and attractive rewards to its workforce.

About the role

The Carpenter Foreman will supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in construction, installation, and repair of roads, bridge structures, and related fixtures on heavy highway projects in the Richmond, VA area.

Responsibilities

• Review documents and plans, ensuring all questions are answered before work begins.
• Examine blueprints, plans, and profiles to determine dimensions, grades, and profiles of structures, roads, or pipelines.
• Work from surveyor’s layout and cutsheets; determine line and grade where necessary.
• Direct and train crew in performing work as shown on contract drawings and specifications within the production budget.
• Act as the OSHA‑defined “competent person” on the job.
• Select materials and structural units (e.g., lumber, forms) to ensure conformance with project provisions.
• Plan ahead to ensure appropriate materials are on hand when needed.
• Collaborate with the Superintendent and Project Engineer to plan a two‑week activity sequence.
• Assign workers to tasks such as operating machinery, cutting material, building concrete forms, erecting wooden framework, or laying pipe.
• Inspect subcontractor work for conformance with specifications.
• Supervise workers building structures such as cofferdams, excavation supports, and concrete forms.
• Study production schedules and estimate worker‑hour requirements for job completion.
• Conduct daily “huddle” meetings to explain work details and train inexperienced crew members.
• Interpret and enforce company policies and disciplinary procedures.
• Evaluate ongoing safety issues and implement necessary changes.
• Enforce safety regulations and use of personal protective equipment.
• Adjust work procedures to meet production schedules.
• Recommend improvements to production methods, equipment performance, and product quality.
• Suggest changes in working conditions and equipment use to increase crew efficiency.
• Analyze and resolve work problems or assist workers in doing so.
• Initiate or suggest plans to motivate workers to achieve goals.
• Maintain accurate time and production records, including detailed timesheets with verified quantities and locations.
• Keep the job team informed of progress and problems.
• Estimate, requisition, and inspect materials.
• Set up machines and equipment and supervise their use.
• Maintain a detailed daily job diary.
• Hold meaningful weekly safety meetings, filing attendance and content reports.
• Minimize punch‑list items and finish work activities.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of the crew.
• May manage one Lead Person who supervises 2–3 employees, and directly supervise 3–5 non‑supervisory employees.
• Train employees, plan, assign, and direct work, appraise performance, reward and discipline staff, address complaints, and resolve problems in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.

Qualifications

• Five years of related experience and/or training.
• Experience with bridge and roadway structures.
• Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Effective oral communication skills for groups of customers or employees.
• Mathematical proficiency: add, subtract, multiply, divide, compute rates, ratios, and percentages.
• Reasoning ability: apply common sense to written, oral, or diagram instructions; solve problems with multiple concrete variables.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to stand, walk, use hands, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, talk, and hear.
• Frequent work or walking on uneven ground.
• Frequent lifting and/or moving of up to 50 lb.
• Vision requirements: close, distance, peripheral, depth perception, and focus adjustment.

Pay

Expected base hourly range: $35 – $48 per hour. This range reflects factors such as education, experience, licensure, certifications, geographic location, and internal equity. Incentive pay and benefits are provided separately.

Work Environment

• Exposure to outside weather conditions and uneven ground.
• Potential work at high, precarious places or in shafts and tunnels.
• Occasional exposure to fumes, airborne particles, and vibration.
• Noise level usually moderate, occasionally loud.

Benefits

• Medical, life, and disability insurance.
• Paid time off.
• 401(k) retirement plan.