Construction Administrator - GBA Architecture

AIASC; Charleston (SC); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Half-day Fridays

Licensure support and exam day benefit

Paid exam day for licensure

Job summary

GBA Architecture seeks a Construction Administrator to represent the firm on construction sites, reporting project conditions to the Client and A/E Team. You will manage day-to-day scope across multiple projects from bid through closeout, with in‑person site visits and strong coordination across disciplines.

Key duties include constructability reviews, submittal/RFI handling, monthly site observations, and maintaining record sets.

Qualifications

• Architecture school graduate with 5+ years of experience in architectural practice, including substantial Construction Phase experience.
• Bachelor of Science in Architecture, B.Arch., or M.Arch. from a NAAB‑accredited program; or Bachelor of Construction Science or Construction Management with experience within an architectural or engineering firm.
• Architectural registration, or a path toward registration, is a plus but not required.
• Experience with K‑12, higher education, hospitality, municipal, commercial retail, restaurant, automotive, mixed‑use, or historic preservation projects.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Review contractor bid qualifications and the general conditions of the contract.
• Perform field verification of existing conditions — essential on adaptive reuse.
• Assist with specification and drawing quality control and constructability review leading up to the “for construction” issue.
• Participate in project hand‑off from design to CA, reviewing schedule, design intent, special features, construction budget, and client expectations.
• Review contractor submittals and shop drawings promptly to avoid critical path delays; track delegated‑design submittals.
• Review and respond to RFIs; report on construction issues with the A/E team.
• Conduct monthly site observations; attend OAC meetings and site/coordination meetings; record minutes.
• Produce field reports with photographs and distribute instructions.
• Maintain GBA record set documents with revision control; assist with revisions and bulletins.
• Coordinate with authorities on approvals, flood requirements, and SHPO conformance for historic tax credit projects.
• Review payment applications, retainage, and lien waivers; prepare Certificates for Payment.

Skills

CA process end to end

AIA contract documents

Bluebeam Revu

AutoCAD

Revit

Procore

Newforma Project Center

Autodesk Build (BIM 360)

Microsoft 365

Adobe Creative Suite

Code knowledge (IBC, IFC, NEC, IECC)

Verbal & written communication

Time management

Spreadsheet & word processing

Independent & collaborative work

Client relations

Education

B.Arch./M.Arch/BS in Architecture

NAAB-accredited program or Construction Science/Construction Management with architectural/engineering experience

Tools

Newforma Project Center

Procore

Autodesk Build (BIM 360)

AutoCAD

Revit

Bluebeam Revu

Microsoft 365

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Construction Administrator to represent GBA on the construction job site and report project conditions to the Client and A/E Team, carrying the day-to-day scope of multiple projects from bid through final closeout.

GBA Architecture is an eleven-person, full-service architecture and interior design firm in downtown Charleston, in practice since 1981. Our work spans K-12 and higher education, hospitality, municipal, commercial retail and restaurants, automotive, mixed‑use, and historic preservation.

WHAT SETS THIS ROLE APART

• Our sites are local. Two hours is typically the furthest you will drive to a site visit, and we do not expect overnight travel. If you have spent the last few years living out of a truck between Charleston, Columbia, and Charlotte, this is the line worth reading twice
• You are in before the set goes out to bid. You sit in on constructability review while the drawings can still change, rather than inheriting someone else’s details at award
• Licensure support, and a paid day for every exam. GBA covers your biennial SC registration renewal in full, half of your AIA, CSI dues and NCARB record renewal
• Half-day Fridays, every week of the year. Standard hours are 8:00 to 5:30 Monday through Thursday and 8:00 to noon on Friday. Not a summer perk — it is how we work
• Flexible hours, and a week that moves. Set your start anywhere between 7:00 and 8:30 with a matching shift to your end time. The CA role runs across three settings — the field for observation visits and OAC meetings, the office for coordination with the project team, and submittal, RFI, and closeout work you can do remotely up to one day a week. Site obligations come first; the rest of the week flexes around them
• Small firm feel, with a principal on your projects. Eleven people means the principal who set the design intent is the one you walk the job with — you get an answer on a hard call the day you need it, not after it routes through a studio

GENERAL CREDENTIALS

• Architecture school graduate with 5+ years of experience in architectural practice, including substantial Construction Phase experience
• Bachelor of Science in Architecture, B.Arch., or M.Arch. from a NAAB‑accredited program; or Bachelor of Construction Science or Construction Management with experience within an architectural or engineering firm
• Architectural registration, or a path toward registration, is a plus but not required
• Experience with K‑12, higher education, hospitality, municipal, commercial retail, restaurant, automotive, mixed‑use, or historic preservation projects
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiar with the CA process end to end — paperwork, submittal review, jobsite visits, review of change orders submitted, punch list, and closeout
• Fluent in AIA contract documents — B101 Article 3.6, A101, A201 General Conditions, and G701, G702/G703, G704, G710, and G714 — and in Owner‑Contractor Agreement requirements
• Bluebeam Revu required; AutoCAD and Revit strongly preferred; Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Suite
• Working knowledge of current codes and standards — the 2021 IBC, IFC, IPC, IMC, and IFGC with South Carolina modifications, the 2020 NEC, the 2009 IECC, ICC A117.1 accessibility, and BOMA area measurement standards
• Competent verbal skills and excellent written communication — in construction administration, the written record is the deliverable
• Competence with time management, and with spreadsheet and word processing programs
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• An attitude and performance that retains clients and creates positive referrals

Preferred:

Preferred: Newforma Project Center, Procore, or Autodesk Build (BIM 360) Charleston BAR and local permitting familiarity public work under SC Office of State Engineer procedures CDT or CCCA (CSI) OSHA 10/30 comfort with specification review

PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES

Bidding and Pre‑Construction

• Review contractor bid qualifications and the general conditions of the contract
• Perform field verification of existing conditions — essential on adaptive reuse, where record drawings are frequently absent or wrong
• Assist with specification and drawing quality control and constructability review leading up to the “for construction” issue, identifying coordination conflicts, unclear or absent information, and code compliance concerns
• Participate in project hand‑off from design to CA, reviewing schedule, design intent, special features, construction budget, and client expectations

Construction Phase

• Review contractor submittals and shop drawings promptly so review never becomes the critical path; track deferred and delegated‑design submittals through acceptance
• Review and respond to contractor RFIs; consult with and report on construction related issues with the A/E project team
• Construction site observation at least monthly, and more often as project conditions require
• Attend OAC meetings and any additional authorized site and coordination meetings; record accurate minutes and drive open action items to closure
• Produce field reports with photographs that document observations, conversations, and instructions for distribution
• Maintain GBA record set documents — revision control and incorporation of RFI and ASI responses; assist with issuance of revisions, bulletins, ASIs, and Proposal Requests
• Verify envelope, air barrier, and flashing installation against the details — our highest‑value field QA/QC in a coastal climate — and coordinate with commissioning agents
• Coordinate Charleston BAR conditions of approval, City flood ordinance and freeboard requirements, SC OSE procedures on state work, and SHPO conformance on historic tax credit projects
• Receive, review, and distribute third‑party and IBC Chapter 17 special inspection reports; log deficiencies and track them to correction
• Maintain favorable working relationships with clients and contractors
• Review monthly payment applications against observed progress, stored materials, retainage, and lien waiver status, and prepare the Certificate for Payment for the Architect of Record’s signature
• Review change order requests for scope validity, pricing, and schedule impact; recommend in writing and route engineering scope requests to consultants
• Manage the CA phase budget — track hours against fee and flag overruns before they are spent

Closeout

• Perform project punch list and final project closeout — as‑builts, O&M manuals, warranties, attic stock transmittals, training documentation, and lien releases
• Confirm all completion obligations are satisfied before facilitating the GC’s financial closeout
• Participate in the post‑construction debrief and lessons‑learnt discussion; feed findings back into our details and specifications

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Tiered paid time off — 10 days in years 1-2, 15 days in years 3-5, and 20 days at 6+ years; five paid sick days separate from PTO; eight paid holidays
• Half‑day Fridays year‑round
• 401k
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Licensure support after six months: SC registration renewal paid in full, 50% of AIA dues and NCARB record renewal, one paid exam day per scheduled ARE, LEED, or CSI exam, and exam fees reimbursed on licensure
• Eight paid work hours annually for continuing education, plus in‑house AIA CES‑registered lunch‑and‑learn sessions scheduled to carry HSW designation toward SC renewal
• Direct mentorship from firm principals and a defined technical career track
• Free Parking with access to King street
• Salary commensurate with experience