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: 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
Financial
- 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-learned 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
TO APPLY
If you’re an innovative and creative thinker with a passion for architecture and design, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity at GBA Architecture. Send a resume and a short note to office@gba-arch.com — tell us about a field problem you caught before it got built. Join our team and help us create a better, more beautiful world through the power of design.
