Field Superintendent

About Freshwater Development

Freshwater Development is a vertically integrated real estate firm specializing in the acquisition, design, and construction of exceptional residential and mixed-use properties throughout Traverse City, Michigan. We oversee every phase of the development process – from acquisition, design, and architecture through construction and completion – creating distinctive projects that strengthen the communities in which we build.

The Role

Freshwater Development is hiring a Field Superintendent to run its jobsites in and around Traverse City, Michigan. This is a working superintendent seat: the Superintendent runs the site and builds — tools in hand for part of every week on carpentry and finish work, and the balance of the week coordinating trades, holding the schedule, and controlling quality.

Freshwater is its own general contractor – the subs, the schedule, the site, and the finish standard are Freshwater’s responsibility.

The work spans waterfront, custom single-family homes and urban, mixed-use buildings. The Field Superintendent reports to the Director of Development.

Responsibilities

• Manage the jobsite day to day: sequence the work, set priorities each morning, and keep trades productive and organized.
• Self-perform carpentry and finish work; set the standard of workmanship other trades will be held to.
• Build and maintain the two-week look-ahead against the project schedule, flag potential schedule impacts.
• Coordinate subcontractors on site: confirm scope, approve mock-ups, and quality control work to meet Freshwater standards.
• Order and stage materials, schedule deliveries and equipment, and keep the site organized.
• Own punchlist and close-out: produce punchlist, assign responsible trades, drive to completion.
• Schedule and attend municipal inspections and third-party testing, including blower-door and envelope testing on high-performance projects.
• Run site safety: daily hazard checks, fall protection, ladders and scaffold, housekeeping, and toolbox talks.
• Run site security: manage the opening and closing of the jobsite.
• Document the job every day via Daily Reports.

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience running residential or mixed-use jobsites as a superintendent, lead carpenter, or working foreman.
• Demonstrated carpentry skills in framing, exterior, and/or finish work.
• Strong finish-level judgment and the ability to identify defective work before it reaches leadership.
• Proven ability to hold subcontractors to scope, schedule, and quality standards, including directing corrective work.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, and project schedules, and to identify conflicts prior to construction.
• Working knowledge of residential and light-commercial inspection processes and Michigan code requirements.
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification preferred.
• Familiarity with high-performance building practices, including air sealing, continuous insulation, and WRB and flashing detail, preferred.
• Proficiency with mobile documentation tools for daily reports, photographs, and look-ahead schedules
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation between project sites in and around Traverse City, Michigan.
• Ability to perform outdoor, four-season physical work on active construction sites, including climbing ladders and stairs, working at height, lifting and carrying construction materials and tools, and standing and walking on uneven ground for a full workday, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Why Freshwater

• Build some of Traverse City, Michigan’s most distinctive custom homes and mixed-use developments.
• Work directly with an integrated team spanning development, architecture, and construction, on projects Freshwater builds itself as general contractor.
• Own the finish standard on site, with direct access to the Director of Development and ownership.
• Contribute to Freshwater’s continued push into high-performance construction.
• Collaborative, entrepreneurial, design-driven culture with meaningful responsibility and significant opportunity for professional growth.
• Competitive compensation based on experience, with benefits and performance-based incentives.

Pay: $80,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Work Location: In person

Salary : $80,000 - $120,000