Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To monitor and coordinate a system of quality assurance for materials used in highway construction and maintenance. Provide expert advice and guidance to ministry and consultant staff regarding material selection, design, construction, testing and acceptance in the following areas: soils and aggregates, asphalt, concrete, structures and electrical.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Monitor construction and quality assurance activities for capital construction projects and provide support for in-house projects by:
• Reviewing preliminary contract documents from a materials/quality assurance perspective and providing comments to Contracts staff;
• Reviewing contract drawings and documents with contract administration staff outlining anticipated problems and special treatments, giving direction regarding intent and interpretation of special provisions and reviewing sampling and testing requirements;
• Attending contract site meetings as appropriate;
• Visiting construction sites to: monitor, evaluate and report on construction operations related specifically to materials, to monitor compliance with contract requirements, to recommend any necessary or desired changes for approval and to ensure consistency in application of specifications between contracts;
• Providing technical expertise to Contracts Office and Contract Administration (CA) staff;
• Monitoring the quality of consultant CA services and deliverables, related to materials inspection, testing and documentation;
• Reviewing MTO, contractor and consultant laboratory results and procedures to ensure accuracy and consistency and advising Contracts staff on the acceptability of materials and workmanship;
• Providing input into material and construction issues during the warranty period including reviewing warranty repair plans and reviewing completed warranty repairs for contract compliance and quality.

2. May perform, depending on speciality, duties such as:
• Monitoring field testing {such as nuclear density, profilometer, half cell and cover meter surveys during construction};
• Monitoring/evaluating consultant lab operations including inspections and coordination of audit testing, to ensure compliance with the consultant agreement(s);
• Monitoring the administration of materials and provision of referee testing;
• Reviewing mix proportions, plant operation and equipment for conformance to contract requirements;
• Periodic inspection of production at material suppliers and fabricators to assure compliance with contract requirements;
• Assuming quality assurance responsibility in specialized areas related to structural steel coating, environmental, landscape, maintenance operations, etc.;
• Monitoring administration of electrical end result specifications and documentation, including Pre-installation Testing (PIT), Proof of Performance testing (POP) and Quality Verification Engineer (QVE) certification;
• Providing on site inspection for electrical/Freeway Traffic Management System (FTMS) installations;
• Performing visual assessments at completion of construction and during warranty period.

3. Monitor and assist in quality assurance procedures for Maintenance, Operational Services and other non-capital construction projects by:
• Providing technical expertise to Maintenance Coordinators, Maintenance Superintendents and Area Contracts Engineers as requested;
• Providing input into material requirements, repair operations and Quality Assurance testing of materials for Maintenance contracts as requested;
• Providing a quality assurance monitoring role on other construction contracts, which are awarded under Minor Capital or under agreements with Municipalities and/or Developers.

4. Perform other duties as follows:
• Participating in detail design by reviewing proposed contract drawings and documents and advising on desirable changes or improvements. Also, provide recommendations to various engineering offices on cost effective changes to standards and guidelines;
• Participating in formal Ministry training and seminars by lecturing, demonstrating, instructing and assisting with on-the-job training;
• Acting as a liaison between head office and construction staff (MTO/consultant) on construction and quality standards and assisting in the implementation and interpretation of new specifications;
• Preparing test result summaries and/or carry out analysis;
• Participating as required on work groups, task forces and committees;
• Participating in the preparation of various Ministry publications and manuals relating to construction and maintenance;
• Keeping abreast of technological developments, evaluating new materials, equipment and procedures, attending conferences, seminars, etc.

Staffing and Licencing :

• Valid class “G” driver's license.
• For the Electrical Specialty, the position requires valid licensing as an Electrician, Construction, Maintenance Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education and Training with Electronics Endorsement 309D.

Knowledge :

Job requires:
• Knowledge of; design, maintenance and construction practices related to construction materials and workmanship to monitor field activities for compliance with contract requirements, to recognize the difference between good and poor practices, and to assess quality and appropriateness of operations to protect the owner's interests and obligations.
• Knowledge of all pertinent Ministry practices, procedures, guidelines, standards and specifications related to construction materials and workmanship to review and analyze drawings, plans and designs, to perform reviews of material mix designs, and to assess contractor's and consultant's work for compliance with requirements.
• Knowledge of quality assurance methods, practices and techniques, field investigations and laboratory testing techniques and applicable administration and safety regulations to correlate, carry out and/or observe testing by qualified individuals to assure correct procedures are used, to inspect laboratories for test procedures and equipment for compliance with ministry specifications and industry standards, to assess quality of materials, and to interpret material and field test results.
• Knowledge of contract preparation and administration including payment, quality control measures, negotiations of unit prices and assessment of claims to perform technical reviews for completeness and accuracy and provide input on contract packages prior to tender, to assess designs for constructability, quality, safety and environmental issues, to provide intent and interpretations of contract provisions and technical expertise, to review and provide input into modifications to ministry specifications, and to assess the effectiveness of specifications and related administrative procedures.
• Knowledge of email, word-processing, spreadsheets, and presentation applications (i.e. Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint…) to prepare reports, communicate, make presentations, etc.

Skills :

Job requires:
• Problem solving skills to identify and resolve problems deviating from accepted standards and functions.
• Analytical skills to prepare comprehensive reports for in-house staff and consultant contract administrators, noting background, observations, and recommendations; carry out selected audits of operations and documentation.
• Evaluation skills to determine cost effectiveness of designs and contractor proposals and to make recommendations on such.
• Organizational skills to direct quality assurance programs and procedures, overseeing concurrent projects of varying complexities and prioritizing workload to provide oversight for critical and significant operations.
• Evaluation skills to determine effectiveness of field inspections.
• Oral and written communication skills to prepare reports and to effectively deal with Ministry staff, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders.
• Presentation skills to instruct formally in a classroom setting and on an individual basis on related subjects to provide technical leadership and training.
• Tact and diplomacy when working with in-house staff, consultants and contractors, maintaining good relations when obtaining results and enforcing new policies.

Freedom of Action :

• Job requires working in accordance with construction manuals, laboratory manuals, specifications standards, ministry policies, established practices and procedures, and contract documents.
• Job requires making recommendations, in a timely manner on acceptance/rejection of construction materials and workmanship, foreseeing and resolving construction and quality assurance problems.
• Work is considered technically authoritative and is reviewed for conformance to ministry policies.
• Job requires referring to Supervisor and Head, matters not covered by established procedures, practices, and providing recommendations (e.g. evaluating substandard material).
• Job requires working independently with freedom to schedule own daily workload to provide sufficient presence and coverage for all assigned contracts in the Region.