Home / Careers / Construction Quality Manager I / Charleston, SC
Now hiring · Charleston, SC 29401 · $85k–$105k / year
Construction Quality Manager I — Charleston, SC
A Construction Quality Manager I owns the quality control program on a single project under a senior quality manager: keeping the inspection and test plan current, scheduling and witnessing the tests it calls for, writing the daily QC report, and opening and tracking nonconformances until they close. It is the first management seat for a field inspector or technician who already knows what a failing test looks like and wants to own the program instead of one test in it.
This is a project-site position supporting programs in and around Charleston, South Carolina, staffed through the Charlotte, NC regional hub on a project basis with travel as assigned.
Field days near Charleston mean Lowcountry soft ground, seismic detailing, and Upstate saprolite, where careful work gets noticed and paid for.
What you'll do
- Maintain the project inspection and test plan (ITP) and the testing frequency log against the specifications
- Schedule and witness field and laboratory tests; verify certifications of the technicians performing them
- Write the daily quality control report and the three-phase (preparatory, initial, follow-up) meeting records
- Open, track, and close nonconformance reports with the superintendent and the engineer of record
- Keep submittal, mix design, and material certification files audit-ready
What we're looking for
- 3+ years in construction materials testing, special inspection, or contractor QC
- At least one of: ACI Grade I, NICET Level II, ICC special inspector, or USACE CQM-C certificate (we sponsor CQM-C if you do not hold it)
- Able to read specifications and drawings and turn them into a test schedule
- Direct, organized, and comfortable telling a superintendent that a lift does not pass
What a week in this job looks like
The week starts with the look-ahead: which pours, lifts, and structural work land in the next ten days, what the specification requires for each, and whether the technicians and the laboratory are lined up to cover it. From there it is a mix of witnessing tests, checking that certifications and calibrations are current, and writing the daily report before you leave the site.
When a test fails, you own the paperwork and the conversation: the NCR gets opened the same day, the engineer of record gets the data, and the corrective action gets tracked until the retest passes. Nothing about that process is glamorous; all of it is what a quality record is made of.
Certifications, training, and where this leads
Quality Manager I is where a strong inspector becomes a manager. Sponsored training covers the USACE Construction Quality Management for Contractors course and the ICC or NICET certifications you still need; the next seat is Quality Manager II, running larger programs with technicians reporting to you.
Pay, schedule, and travel
Pay runs $85,000 to $105,000 depending on certifications held, verified experience, and the program you are assigned to. The rhythm follows the construction schedule: long days around major placements and phase starts, planning time between them, and an audit calendar that does not move.
Texas positions are dispatched from the Sugar Land headquarters; project-site positions elsewhere are staffed on a project basis with travel and per diem as assigned, and the listing for your city says which one it is.
Safety, quality, and the standards we work under
Quality management here sits inside a documented AASHTO R18 quality system and a licensed radiation safety program, and on federal work inside the USACE three-phase control process. Reports and NCRs carry your name; what leaves the site under your program is your review.
You will hold the honest conversation on every side of it: with superintendents about rework, with owners about schedule, and with your own inspectors about what a complete report looks like.
How hiring works, and our commitment
Apply with your project list, the quality programs you have run or worked under, and your certification stack. Expect a direct conversation with the people you would work for, references that get called, and a written offer consistent with this posting. The role requires a valid driver's license and the ability to be present on active jobsites, with pre-employment screening consistent with jobsite and client requirements.
We are an equal opportunity employer and consider every applicant without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.
Apply for this position — upload your resume and we fill in the form
The work behind this job in Charleston
Materials Testing in Charleston · Geotechnical in Charleston · Forensic in Charleston
Other levels of this role in Charleston
Construction Quality Manager IIConstruction Quality Manager III
Nearby openings
Construction Quality Manager I — Columbia, SCConstruction Quality Manager I — North Charleston, SCConstruction Quality Manager I — Mount Pleasant, SCConstruction Quality Manager I — Rock Hill, SC
FAQ
Working in Charleston — common questions
Is the Construction Quality Manager I position in Charleston an office job or a field job?
Site-based with office time. Construction Quality Managers work from the project site trailer and the field, with time at a desk for plans, reports, and meetings.
Which hub covers Charleston?
The Charlotte, NC regional hub, about 177 miles away. Work in Charleston is staffed on a project basis through that hub.
Do I need to relocate to Charleston?
Not necessarily. Project-site positions are staffed with travel and per diem as assigned; candidates already living near Charleston are preferred when a project starts there.
What certifications does a Construction Quality Manager I in Charleston need?
A USACE Construction Quality Management for Contractors (CQM-C) certificate is required for federal work and is sponsored by the company if you do not hold it; ACI, NICET, or ICC certifications establish your technical credibility and set your starting point in the pay band.
What tests will I run on Charleston projects?
Fresh concrete testing at the truck — slump (ASTM C143), air content (ASTM C231), temperature (ASTM C1064), unit weight (ASTM C138), cylinder casting (ASTM C31) — and nuclear density on fill lifts (ASTM D6938) against the ASTM D698 or D1557 Proctor, plus aggregate and soil sampling for the laboratory.
What should I include in my application?
Years of experience, any certifications (ACI, NICET, ICC, nuclear gauge), and either a resume file or a short work history in the form. Applications without certifications are welcome for entry-level roles.