Superintendent

ARCO Companies; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle allowance

Per diem and living expenses on travel

ESOP

Traditional and Roth 401k

Tuition reimbursement

Maternity leave

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

ARCO Design/Build is seeking a seasoned Superintendent to lead field operations for food processing and manufacturing projects. You will oversee scheduling, manpower planning, and equipment coordination to deliver complex facilities on time and within budget.

The role requires 5+ years as a lead superintendent, deep food safety knowledge, and proven leadership in coordinating owners, design teams, subcontractors, and equipment suppliers through commissioning and turnover.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience as a lead superintendent on food and beverage projects
• Experience coordinating multiple vendors, process equipment suppliers, subcontractors, and owner representatives throughout construction
• Demonstrated experience managing food safety requirements throughout construction and enforcing compliance with food safety design criteria
• Preferred experience with greenfield food manufacturing projects and work within operational facilities
• Ability to organize people, tools, and equipment and plan and manage multiple activities to accomplish desired results
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to direct others and address conflict
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, Outlook, and scheduling programs

Responsibilities

• Attend the post award review meeting to receive project information and details for preplanning
• Participate with the project manager in preparing a schedule of construction activities and their sequence
• Assure adequate manpower is provided to meet construction schedules
• Analyze construction equipment requirements and provide necessary equipment to utilize manpower efficiently
• Perform material and quantity estimates for each phase of work
• Direct and control the total construction project to meet specifications and within the allotted time schedule
• Direct and supervise the activities of craft superintendents and/or foremen
• Coordinate the activities of subcontractors to integrate with project schedules and progress
• Inform supervisors and subcontractors promptly of any construction schedule changes
• Review change orders with the project manager to assure proper provisions and timely submission
• Prepare job progress and cost reports to reflect actual costs
• Review and approve requisitions, field purchase orders, invoices, and progress payments
• Cooperate with owner and representatives and with architects to maintain alignment with project goals
• Maintain daily diary of significant project facts and approvals
• Enforce the company safety program across all phases
• Adhere to company policies and ensure staff compliance
• Carry out additional responsibilities assigned by the project manager

Skills

Leadership

Project coordination

Scheduling

Food safety compliance

Decision making under deadlines

Team management

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Project scheduling software

Job description

ARCO Design/Build has an exciting opportunity for a Superintendent. The ideal candidate will have five plus years working as a lead Superintendent on Food Processing & Manufacturing construction projects.

The Superintendent is responsible for directly managing the construction and administrative activities associated with the field operations of food processing and food manufacturing projects. This person is tasked with bringing complex food facility projects to completion on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with project specifications, food safety requirements, quality standards, and applicable regulations. The Superintendent coordinates the construction of core and shell, process areas, equipment installation, and supporting utilities, while working closely with owners, design teams, subcontractors, equipment suppliers, and other vendors through commissioning, start‑up, and operational turnover. The Superintendent is in charge of enforcing all Safety and Quality Control policies and procedures and adhering to and implementing all company policies and regulations.

A Day in the Life

• Attend the post award review meeting to receive project information and details for preplanning prior to construction.
• Participate with the project manager in preparing a schedule of construction activities and their sequence, the organization structure, staff selection, and the manpower and construction equipment requirements of the project.
• Assure that adequate manpower is provided as required to meet construction schedules.
• Analyze construction equipment requirements and provide necessary equipment as required to utilize manpower efficiently, and release equipment when not required.
• Perform material and quantity estimates for each phase of work.
• Direct and control the total construction project to meet specifications and within the allotted time schedule in an efficient manner to produce the expected profit.
• Direct and supervise the activities of craft superintendents and/or foremen in the performance of their regular duties.
• Determine and convey to subordinates the most efficient construction techniques to be employed to assure quality and efficiency in construction.
• Assist in the activities of the project manager/engineer in their duties including prompt shipment of materials and permanent equipment, in obtaining approvals of shop drawings and material samples, in preparing and submitting all change orders.
• Direct all subordinates in promptly supplying all required accounting data, conforming to all company accounting and administrative procedures.
• Coordinate the activities of subcontractors to permit them to perform their work effectively and to integrate it with project schedules and progress.
• Inform all supervisors and subcontractors promptly of any construction schedule changes.
• Review all request for change orders with the project manager to assure adequate provisions for direct costs, overhead, profit and time extensions are accounted for and are properly documented as well as that they are submitted promptly.
• Assist in the preparation of all job progress and cost reports to accurately reflect actual costs.
• Review and approve all requisitions, field purchase orders, invoices, progress payment requests, and other significant reports and documents.
• Cooperate with the owner and his representatives, keeping them informed of construction progress.
• Cooperate with architects or owner representatives on an amicable basis, but in the long term interest of the company.
• Report regularly to the project manager to keep them constantly informed on job progress, plans, and problems that could significantly affect costs or schedules.
• Maintain a daily diary to permanently record all significant project facts, events, conditions, visitors, owner representative contacts, commitments, agreements and approvals.
• Direct adherence to the company’s safety program in all phases and areas of the project.
• Become familiar with all company policies and adhere strictly to them in all activities and dealings, and require all employees to be aware of them and conform to them in their activities.
• Carry out any additional responsibilities assigned by the project manager.

Necessary Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience as a lead superintendent on food and beverage projects, preferably projects of at least 100,000 square feet. Experience should include all phases of facility construction, including sitework, building shell construction, process equipment installation, commissioning, start‑up, and operational turnover.
• Experience coordinating multiple vendors, process equipment suppliers, subcontractors, and owner representatives throughout construction, equipment installation, commissioning, and start‑up.
• Demonstrated experience managing food safety requirements throughout construction and enforcing compliance with food safety design criteria across all project phases.
• Preferred experience with both greenfield food manufacturing projects and work within operational facilities, including process line additions and other modifications. Demonstrated understanding of the sequencing and phasing required to execute projects safely and efficiently while maintaining ongoing operations.
• Ability to make decisions under tight deadlines.
• Ability to organize people, tools, and equipment and plan and manage multiple activities to accomplish desired results.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, with the ability and willingness to face challenges, direct others, and effectively address conflict.
• Exhibit commitment to quality by evaluating project‑related processes and making necessary changes, using customer input to make improvements, and meeting/exceeding internal and external customer expectations.
• Computer proficiency, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and project scheduling programs.
• Acts with integrity and supports the company, its values, and its employees while maintaining a consistent focus on meeting or exceeding customer requirements and expectations.

What We Can Offer You

We are dedicated to the well‑being of our associates and are proud to be consistently recognized as a Best Place to Work. Our compensation and benefits package not only supports our associates and their families but benefits local communities and communities around the world.

• Vehicle allowance, per diem, and living expenses on traveling jobs
• An airplane ticket home every 2 weeks when traveling
• Business expenses and mileage reimbursement
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Traditional and Roth 401k
• Tuition reimbursement for associates
• Scholarship for associates’ children up to $28,000 per child
• 1-month paid sabbatical after every five years of employment, plus $5,000 for travel
• 1-week paid volunteer leave each year
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• 100% paid 12-week maternity leave

At ARCO, our first core value is to treat people fairly and do the right thing. We are proud to be a drug‑free workplace and an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

From recruiting, training, and hiring practices to selecting our subcontractors, we understand that diversity of all those involved in the construction process enhances our ability to deliver the best solutions to our customers. We hire the best and the brightest from across the country – constructing a team of experts in architecture, design, engineering, project management, and business services.

MAKE YOUR MOVE

We are proud to be one of the fastest‑growing, privately‑owned companies in America, celebrating over 30 years of experience as design‑build experts. We have completed over 7,500 design‑build projects nationwide. We ranked #9 on ENR’s Design‑Build Firms list and #34 on ENR's Top 400 Contractors list of 2026. Most importantly, our clients like us, trust us, and want to do business with us. We are looking for people with the same enthusiasm, passion, and respect for the hard work that brought us to where we are today. Are you a person who can make a difference at ARCO? If the answer is “Yes!” we look forward to meeting you.