Construction Manager - Civil Engineering for Electrical Substation Projects

Role Overview

The Construction Manager - Civil is tasked with overseeing all civil engineering construction activities within electrical substation projects ranging from 33kV to 220kV or higher voltage levels. This senior position ensures that civil works including foundations, structural elements, roads, and drainage systems are executed safely, comply with design standards, and are delivered on schedule and within allocated budgets.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze and review civil engineering drawings, technical specifications, and construction scopes specifically for substations.
• Create and monitor comprehensive construction schedules covering all civil engineering activities.
• Coordinate civil works alongside electrical and mechanical teams to maintain seamless project integration.
• Plan the sequential execution of earthworks, foundations, equipment support structures, buildings, and infrastructure.
• Supervise site preparation including clearing, excavation, grading, leveling, and ensure correct cut and fill to achieve design platform levels.
• Ensure ground improvement and soil compaction meet geotechnical requirements derived from soil investigation reports.
• Oversee the construction of foundations for key substation equipment such as power transformers, circuit breakers, gantries, bus supports, and current transformer (CT), voltage transformer (VT), and isolator foundations, assuring correct load bearing capacities and accurate anchor bolt placement.
• Manage the erection of substation buildings including control buildings, relay rooms, Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) buildings where relevant, security posts, cable cellars, and trenches, ensuring adherence to structural and architectural standards.
• Supervise the building of cable trenches, ducts, and vaults with correct routing and spacing, coordinating with electrical installation teams.
• Ensure installation and construction of drainage systems such as oil containment pits for transformers, stormwater drains, water collection systems, maintaining appropriate slopes for water diversion away from equipment.
• Manage the development of internal roads, pavements, equipment access routes tailored for heavy transport, along with boundary walls, security fencing, gates, and site entrances.
• Support civil works required for the installation of substation grounding grids by coordinating trenching and backfilling for earthing conductors.
• Handle material procurement and logistics for critical construction supplies including concrete, reinforcement steel, structural steel, and precast components.
• Manage labor, machinery, and subcontractors effectively on-site.
• Supervise and validate quality control tests such as concrete slump and cube strength tests, soil compaction verifications, and reinforcement inspections prior to concrete pouring.
• Monitor daily progress of civil works, prepare detailed weekly and monthly status reports, identify any delays promptly, and implement corrective measures.
• Liaise regularly with project management, consultants, and clients to ensure alignment and resolve issues.