College Aide (CM)

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; CAD 35,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

City of New York—Department of Design and Construction seeks a College Aide to support the Brooklyn portfolio in construction management tasks, field inspections, and project recordkeeping.

You will work under an Engineer-in-Charge, gaining exposure to high-profile projects such as Vision Zero safety improvements and resilient infrastructure. You must be enrolled in an accredited college or graduate school and meet the residency and student-status requirements.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student pursuing Civil Engineering or Construction Management.
• Basic ability to read and interpret civil engineering contract drawings, specifications, and construction plans; familiarity with AutoCAD/Civil 3D is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365, especially Excel and Word; exposure to construction management or project tracking software is a plus.
• Strong organizational habits with diligence in auditing complex multi-page submittals, construction records, and contractual documentation.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication in English; ability to summarize project status concisely and coordinate with engineers, contractors, and managers.
• Eagerness to learn NYC municipal construction administration and the capital lifecycle of heavy civil infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Active Project Tracking & Governance: Track construction milestones, schedules, and logs for progress reporting.
• Capital Project Closeout Acceleration: Lead document collection for substantial completion, punch lists, warranties, and as-builts.
• Engineering & Construction Records Auditing: Review payment packages, change orders, testing reports, and submittals for accuracy.
• Plan & Field Verification: Assist engineers in verifying field conditions against drawings using desktop tools and GIS mapping.
• Project Team Collaboration: Coordinate with Resident Engineers, inspectors, and agency liaisons to resolve bottlenecks.

Skills

Academic Pathways

Plan Literacy

Software & Data Skills

Attention to Detail

Communication Skills

Curiosity & Drive

Education

College student

Tools

AutoCAD

Civil 3D

Excel

Word

Job description

Hours: Part-Time - 35 Hours Work Location: 30-30 Thomson Avenue, LIC, NY 11101 College Aides are permitted to work up to 17 hours per week during the school year, and full time (35 hours) during the summer. Please note you must be a student enrolled in an accredited college or graduate school to be eligible for the position. The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), Division of Infrastructure, is seeking an ambitious, detail-driven College Aide to join our Construction Management 5 – Brooklyn team. Working under the direct mentorship of an Engineer-in-Charge, the selected candidate will be assigned to a dedicated portfolio of four active capital projects. You will step directly into the field of municipal construction administration, playing an active role in project controls, construction record audits, and formal project closeouts for high-profile street reconstruction, Vision Zero safety improvements, and resilient utility installations across Brooklyn.

Portfolios & High-Profile Projects You Will Support:

• Transportation & Vision Zero Safety:
  • HWD10105A: Atlantic Avenue Safety Improvements Phase 2
  • HWCSCHKPR: School Safety Improvements (Brooklyn & Staten Island)
  • HWS2021K, HWS2023K HWS2024K1, & HWS2025K: Pedestrian Infrastructure & Prior Notice Sidewalk Programs
• Resilient Infrastructure & Stormwater Utilities:
  • SAND1048: Sunset Park North Waterfront Greenway
  • GKOH15-01 & GKOH15-03: Porous Pavement Concrete Panels (Phases 1 & 3)
  • SELCDDC11 and SELCDDC 12: Citywide Trenchless Sewer Rehabilitation & Lining
  • SEK200387: Installation of tide gate on 9’6” x 5’ sewer at Ave K. - Canarsie

What You Will Do:

• Active Project Tracking & Governance: Track construction milestones, contractor deliverable schedules, and daily field inspection logs to maintain accurate progress reporting across assigned project portfolios.
• Capital Project Closeout Acceleration: Lead document collection and administrative closeout tasks gathering substantial completion certificates, punch lists, warranties, and as-built drawings required to transfer completed assets to partner agencies (DOT and DEP).
• Engineering & Construction Records Auditing: Review and cross-reference payment packages, contractor change orders, material testing reports, and technical submittals for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with DDC standards.
• Plan & Field Verification: Assist project engineers with verifying field site conditions against approved contract drawings, utilizing desktop tools such as Cyclomedia StreetSmart and NYC open GIS mapping.
• Project Team Collaboration: Work closely with Resident Engineers, field inspectors, and agency liaisons to help identify operational bottlenecks and maintain seamless communication on project deliverables.

Educational credentials must be from a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accredited institution. Credentials from foreign institutions require independent equivalency verification from an approved evaluation service. A list of providers (fees apply) is available at: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/employment/nyc-dcas-foreigneducation-evaluation-guide.pdf.

Minimum Qualifications

For Assignment Level I: Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school.

For Assignment Level II (Information Technology): Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or closely related field, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study.

For Assignment Level III (Information Technology Fellow): Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or other area relevant to the information technology project(s) assigned, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study. Appointments to this Assignment Level will be made by the Technology Steering Committee through the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

SPECIAL NOTE Maximum tenure for all Assignment Levels in the title of College Aide is 6 years. No student shall be employed more than half-time in any week in which classes in which the student is enrolled are in session. Students may be employed full-time during their vacation periods.

Preferred Skills

• 1. Academic Pathways: Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Management.
• 2. Technical Document & Plan Literacy: Basic ability to read and interpret civil engineering contract drawings, specifications, utility schematics, and construction staging plans familiarity with viewing/navigating AutoCAD or Civil 3D files is an advantage.
• 3. Software & Data Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft 365, particularly Excel (creating clean spreadsheets, organizing trackers, basic formulas) and Word exposure to construction management or project tracking software is a plus.
• 4. Attention to Detail: Strong organizational habits with an aptitude for auditing complex multi-page submittals, construction records, and contractual documentation.
• 5. Communication & Professional Poise: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to summarize project status concisely and coordinate professionally with engineers, contractors, and project managers.
• 6. Curiosity & Drive: Eagerness to learn NYC municipal construction administration, field inspection standards, and the capital lifecycle of heavy civil infrastructure.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

COLLEGE AIDE (ALL CITY DEPTS) - 10209