Construction Team Leader

Also known as - Supervisor, team supervisor, line manager, senior manager.

Construction team leaders work in supervisory roles and are generally in charge of a team working on a construction project. As a construction team leader, you may specialise in overseeing a particular area of construction, relating to your previous skills and experience, such as bricklaying, roofing or another trade.

Onsite
Trade-Craft
Health and Safety
Supervisory-Managerial

What does a construction team leader do?

As a construction team leader, you will be responsible for the work carried out by your team. Duties may include planning workloads and delegating tasks to your colleagues. You may also be required to carry out practical tasks alongside your team, day-to-day.

The role of a construction team leader may involve the following duties:

Planning workloads and rotas
Delegating work to team members
Working to budgets and managing team finances efficiently
Briefing your team on targets and providing business updates
Monitoring team performance and carrying out appraisals
Ensuring work is completed on time, to a high standard and in line with health and safety guidelines
Taking on aspects of your team’s particular type of work, such as bricklaying, demolition, surveying or administration
Showing new and inexperienced construction workers how to do the job
Ensuring workers follow company policy and procedures
Checking and signing off work
Working with technical drawings and plans.

How to become a construction team leader

There are several routes to becoming a construction team leader. You could do a university or college course, an apprenticeship or apply directly to an employer for work.

You should explore these routes to becoming a construction team leader, to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

University

Whilst it’s not an essential qualification, you could become a construction team leader or manager in the industry, if you hold a construction-related undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

College/training provider

There are no set qualifications required to become a construction team leader or manager, but you will be required to have a good level of experience in your area of work, and GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades A* to C or levels 4 to 9 in maths and English can be beneficial.

Apprenticeship

You could complete an advanced apprenticeship to become a construction team leader, or a higher apprenticeship to move into management.

An apprenticeship with a construction company is a good way into the industry.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you’ll be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

Guide to apprenticeships

Work

If you have some basic experience, you could apply directly to a construction company to gain onsite experience as a construction team leader. You might start out as an assistant to a more experienced team leader and progress as your abilities improve.

Alternatively, you could apply for a promotion within your company, or progress to a more senior role by completing in-house management training.

Work experience

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as a construction team leader. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

Find out more about work experience

Skills

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a construction team leader include:

Great attention to detail
Understanding of construction projects
Team working skills
Leadership skills
Excellent communication skills
Problem-solving skills and good initiative.

Qualifications

England

Whilst it’s not an essential qualification, you could become a construction team leader or manager in the industry, if you hold a construction-related undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

Scotland

Whilst it’s not an essential qualification, you could become a construction team leader or manager in the industry, if you hold a construction-related undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

Wales

Whilst it’s not an essential qualification, you could become a construction team leader or manager in the industry, if you hold a construction-related undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

How much could you earn as a construction team leader?

The expected salary for a construction team leader varies as you become more experienced.

Newly trained construction team leaders can earn from, £25,000
Construction team leaders with experience can earn up to £60,000*
Self-employed construction team leaders set their own pay rates.

Salaries depend on location, employer, level of responsibility, any overtime you may do, and whether you have completed and industry recognised training route.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

Career path and progression

As a construction team leader, you could progress into a role as a manager, or senior manager and take on greater responsibility and oversight of construction projects.