Tunnel Construction Inspector

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in geotechnical, geostructural, tunnel, and dam engineering. Schnabel’s high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 750+ employees in 30+ offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include:

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)
• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)
• Long-term disability
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• Bonus program
• Paid time off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Wellness program
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description:

Schnabel Engineering is seeking a Tunnel Construction Inspector for medium- to long-term assignments on major tunnel, shaft, and underground construction projects throughout the United States. The successful candidate will work as part of a construction management team providing quality assurance inspection and construction oversight services for complex underground infrastructure projects.

Job Responsibilities:

• Observe contractor construction means and methods and material installations for compliance with contract documents, specifications, and approved submittals.
• Perform quality assurance inspections and monitor contractor quality control activities.
• Develop and maintain inspection logs documenting construction activities, tests, quantities, locations, and results.
• Document daily construction activities, observations, and quality assurance activities through reports and photographic records.
• Track contractor progress, production rates, manpower, equipment utilization, and schedule performance.
• Verify quantities and assist with preparation of documentation supporting contractor payment applications.
• Attend progress meetings, coordination meetings, preconstruction meetings, and other project-related meetings.
• Assist in the review of contractor submittals, RFIs, and substitution requests.
• Assist with the review and documentation of change orders and field-directed work.
• Promote and maintain a safe work environment on active construction sites.
• Coordinate effectively with owners, contractors, resident engineers, project managers, and other project stakeholders.

Required Skills/Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Geology, Engineering Technology, or a related field preferred. Equivalent combinations of education, technical certifications, military experience, trade experience, and progressive construction inspection or heavy civil construction experience will be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of construction inspection, field engineering, quality assurance, construction management, or related experience on tunnel, underground, trenchless, mining, water/wastewater, transportation, or other heavy civil infrastructure projects.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, contract documents, and approved submittals.
• Experience preparing daily reports, inspection records, quantity tracking documentation, and photographic records.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with owners, contractors, designers, and project stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and electronic construction documentation systems.
• Experience utilizing Construction Management Information Systems (CMIS) for field reporting, document control, issue tracking, and project documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a construction management team and support successful project delivery.
• Ability to work in remote locations, underground environments, confined spaces, and active construction sites while complying with project-specific safety requirements.

Desired Skills/Experience:

• Experience inspecting tunnel boring machine (TBM), shaft, SEM/NATM, drill-and-blast, microtunneling, or other underground construction operations.
• Experience with CMIS platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud (BIM 360), e-Builder, Primavera Unifier, Kahua, SiteManager, or similar systems.
• Construction-related certifications such as NICET, OSHA 30-Hour, ACI, MSHA, ATSSA, or equivalent.
• Experience on large infrastructure programs involving tunnels, water/wastewater facilities, transportation systems, dams, mines, or other complex heavy civil construction projects.

Other Requirements:

• Position requires travel and possible temporary relocation to project sites throughout the United States for extended periods.
• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record and credit check
• Ability to pass pre-employment and project-specific drug screening requirements.
• Ability to safely navigate construction sites, climb ladders, walk uneven terrain, enter confined spaces, and perform field inspections in varying environmental conditions.

The compensation range for this position is between $45 to $75/hour. Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.