Retail Traveling Superintendent

Traveling Superintendent

The traveling superintendent is responsible for leading field operations for retail construction projects across the west coast, including California, Arizona, Nevada, and surrounding regions. This role oversees projects from mobilization through completion, ensuring successful delivery of ground-up and tenant improvement retail projects on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.

This position requires extensive travel and the ability to manage multiple job sites while maintaining strong communication with project teams, clients, and subcontractors. The ideal candidate has a proven background in retail construction, including fast-paced build-outs and strict turnover deadlines.

Retail-focused general contractors in this space commonly deliver shopping centers, grocery stores, tenant improvements, and commercial retail environments, often through design-build and project management delivery methods.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage day-to-day field operations for retail construction projects across the west coast.
• Oversee projects from site mobilization through final turnover, ensuring on-time store openings.
• Coordinate subcontractors, vendors, and field teams to maintain aggressive retail schedules.
• Develop and maintain short-term look-ahead schedules and enforce project timelines.
• Ensure all work is completed in accordance with project plans, specifications, and quality standards.
• Manage tenant improvement and ground-up retail projects, including interior build-outs and finish coordination.
• Monitor jobsite safety and enforce OSHA and company safety standards.
• Coordinate inspections and maintain relationships with local jurisdictions and inspectors.
• Identify and resolve field issues, constructability challenges, and schedule risks.
• Track project progress and maintain daily reports, logs, and documentation.
• Manage material deliveries, logistics, and jobsite coordination to support efficient workflows.
• Lead jobsite meetings and maintain communication with project managers, clients, and stakeholders.
• Oversee punch list completion and ensure timely project closeout.

Qualifications

• 6–10+ years of experience working as a superintendent for a general contractor.
• Proven experience managing retail construction projects (ground-up and/or tenant improvements).
• Experience with high-volume, fast-track retail schedules and store openings.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout the west coast.
• Strong understanding of construction sequencing, scheduling, and subcontractor coordination.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, and project schedules.
• Proven leadership experience managing multiple trades and jobsite teams.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on big-box retail, grocery stores, shopping centers, or national retail rollouts.
• Familiarity with design-build and tenant improvement construction.
• Proficiency with construction management tools such as procore, bluebeam, or scheduling software.
• OSHA 30 certification or equivalent safety training.