Philadelphia Construction Recruiters: Your Blueprint to Skilled Talent
Advastar has helped hundreds of construction companies hire top talent
Philadelphia construction recruiting and staffing solutions
Advastar is a Philadelphia construction recruitment and staffing agency. We connect owners, general contractors and specialty subcontractors with superintendents, project managers, estimators and trades leaders who know the Greater Philadelphia market, and our construction headhunters run executive search for senior leadership. We place people on a direct hire, contract, contract-to-hire or payrolled basis across Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties.
Philadelphia offers a steady construction market with a relatively small pool of senior leaders. About 3,390 construction managers and 10,700 first-line trade supervisors work in the metro, according to May 2025 federal estimates, which is why experienced construction managers are among the harder roles to fill.
Healthcare and infrastructure are two of the biggest sources of work. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is building its Roberts Children’s Health tower, more than 20 stories and over a million square feet, due to open in 2028. On the waterfront, the $329 million I-95 CAP at Penn’s Landing is expected to be complete in 2029.
Licensing shapes who can lead a site. Philadelphia requires a contractor license for construction, demolition and repair work outside the specialized trades, and every supervisor named on that license must show an approved OSHA 30 course taken within the last five years. Workers on permitted jobs need OSHA 10. We check both before a candidate reaches you.
Our Philadelphia searches cover drafting and design professionals, engineers and construction managers, including project managers, superintendents, foremen, estimators, schedulers, project controls, safety, procurement and QA/QC, along with skilled trades and site administration.
"*" indicates required fields
"*" indicates required fields
Our construction talent network
- 450k+ vetted construction professionals
- 55k NCCCO-certified skilled trades
- 41 metros with active placements
- 3weeks median time to mobilize a crew
Philadelphia construction industry segments commonly supported
Hospital and university builders in Philadelphia rely on models to coordinate complex systems before construction. Our searches find BIM talent for contractors and design firms in the region.
Center City office conversions, retail and mixed-use projects make up much of the commercial pipeline. We help builders find and hire candidates who can manage renovation risk in older structures.
Design and build professionals in Philadelphia often work on healthcare and campus programs where design and construction overlap. We recruit design managers and preconstruction leads for that work.
Finding experienced electrical contractors and foremen for hospitals, campuses and infrastructure is a core part of our Philadelphia recruiting.
Refining, pharmaceutical and utility clients in the Delaware Valley run long engineering, procurement and construction programs. We recruit EPC talent for controls, procurement and construction management.
Philadelphia general contractors must name OSHA 30-trained supervisors on their license, so we recruit superintendents and project managers who already meet that rule.
Industrial contractors serve plants, utilities and port facilities along the Delaware River. Planners, engineers and field supervisors are the roles we fill most for them.
Maintenance contractors keep hospitals, campuses and older commercial buildings running between capital projects. We place supervisors, planners and technicians across the region.
Hospital and lab projects keep mechanical contractors busy with complex air handling and piping. Our searches cover project managers, foremen and field staff.
Large healthcare towers depend on coordinated mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. We recruit MEP professionals for Philadelphia owners and contractors.
Multifamily builders work across Center City towers and neighborhood mid-rises. Advastar supports building a reliable workforce for Philadelphia developers and contractors.
Hospitals, universities and private developers all need owner-side leaders. We place experienced professionals as owner’s representatives, development managers and project executives.
Every worker on a permitted Philadelphia job needs OSHA 10, so we confirm it when we recruit skilled tradespeople.
Masonry restoration, fire protection and concrete scopes are common on the city’s older buildings. Advastar handles sourcing the right candidates for specialty contractors.
Highway, transit and water programs across the region need field engineers, inspectors and supervisors. We supply utility and civil construction teams for that work.
Comprehensive staffing expertise for every construction project need
- Agriculture
- Commercial
- Data Center
- Food & Beverage
- Hospitals
- Hotels
- Industrial
- Manufacturing
- Medical Facilities
- Multifamily
- Office Building
- Oil & Gas
- Power Generation
- Refinery
- Restaurants
- Schools
- Transmission & Distribution
- Utilities
- Warehouse/
Distribution - Wind/
Solar
Additional construction areas where we recruit
Construction management recruiters
Our construction management recruiters staff the office side of construction delivery: preconstruction and estimating, scheduling and project controls, cost management and document control, for CM-at-risk firms, owner’s representatives and general contractors.
Delivery method matters more than sector in this discipline, so we ask about it on every intake. A scheduler who has only worked lump-sum jobs is a different hire from one who has run an open-book GMP.
Roles we fill
- Preconstruction managers
- Estimators and chief estimators
- Schedulers and planners (P6)
- Project controls managers
- Cost engineers and cost analysts
- Document control and contract administrators
- QA/QC and commissioning managers
- Owner-side construction managers
Both, and the two hire differently. CM firms are usually staffing against backlog and pursuits. Owners are usually building a governance function that has to oversee consultants and contractors. We ask which side of the table you sit on at intake because it changes the candidate profile entirely.
Yes, and it is one of the more common requests. We normally sequence it, placing the controls manager first so they have a say in the shape of the team, then adding cost and scheduling staff underneath. Some clients run the junior roles contract-to-hire until the workload is proven.
Regularly. Peak preconstruction periods, a single large pursuit or covering a leave are all common contract engagements. Payrolling is available if you have already found the person and need them on another company’s books.
Construction project manager recruiters
Our construction project manager recruiters place assistant project managers through project executives with general contractors, specialty and trade contractors, developers and owners.
Project manager means very different things at different companies, so we qualify on what someone actually carried: contract value, delivery method, buyout authority and whether they owned the margin or reported it.
Roles we fill
- Assistant project managers
- Project managers
- Senior project managers
- Project executives
- Specialty and trade contractor PMs
- Owner-side project managers
- Industrial and heavy civil PMs
- Traveling project managers
By what they actually carried. Contract value on their largest job, delivery method, whether they held buyout authority, how much work was self-performed, whether they owned margin or reported it and how many direct reports they had. Two people with five years as a PM can be a decade apart in capability.
Yes, and it is a substantial part of this desk. Data center, energy and industrial programs run on traveling teams. We confirm rotation, per diem and travel expectations with the candidate before submittal, because that is where these placements usually fail.
Regularly. Contract and contract-to-hire are common for a single project, for covering a leave or where a program’s duration is uncertain. Payrolling is available if you have already identified the person.
Construction superintendent recruiters
Our construction superintendent recruiters place assistant, project and general superintendents and trade-specific field leaders with general contractors, self-perform builders and owners.
We qualify on what someone has actually run: project size and type, self-perform crews or subcontractors, how many trades were stacked at peak and whether they held the schedule or just reported on it.
Roles we fill
- Project superintendents
- General superintendents
- Assistant superintendents
- Self-perform and trade superintendents
- Traveling superintendents
- Interiors and occupied-space superintendents
- Industrial and plant superintendents
- Safety-focused field leaders
The project manager owns the money, the contract and the owner relationship. The superintendent owns the site, the schedule and the trades. Some companies blur the two, and we ask at intake which responsibilities actually sit with the role you are filling.
Yes, and it is a significant part of this desk. Data center, industrial and energy programs run on traveling field leadership. We confirm assignment length, rotation and per diem with every candidate before submittal, which is the single biggest factor in whether the placement lasts.
Yes. Replacing a superintendent who is still running a live job is common and sensitive, and we run those searches without your name attached until there is mutual interest.
Civil construction recruiters
Our civil construction recruiters work with heavy civil and infrastructure contractors: highway and bridge builders, earthwork and site contractors, underground utility installers, paving companies and the joint ventures assembled for large public programs.
Heavy civil runs on bid openings, public funding and quantities, so we screen for people who tracked and defended pay quantities and know what their own equipment costs per hour.
Roles we fill
- Heavy highway and roadway teams
- Bridge and structures
- Earthwork and grading
- Underground utilities
- Paving and asphalt
- Heavy civil estimators
- Equipment and fleet managers
- Civil operations leaders
Yes, and it is a large share of this work. We are familiar with prequalification, prevailing wage and certified payroll, DBE participation requirements and the documentation standards that come with publicly funded work.
Civil construction is about building infrastructure: the field teams, supervision and project staff at heavy civil contractors. Civil engineering is about designing it: the consulting firms, licensed engineers and design staff, which our civil engineering staffing agency covers. Same word, opposite ends of the project.
We plan the search against the window between award and notice to proceed, which is usually the real constraint, and we keep standing contact with field leaders in this market so a search does not start from zero.
Real-world outcomes: showcasing our construction recruiting expertise
- Read Case Study: Powering Industrial Projects with Skilled Trades
Powering industrial projects with skilled trades
- NCCCO crane operators, NCCER riggers, millwrights & electricians
- DISA, TWIC & Reciprocal Safety Council compliance verified
- Travel, per-diem and overtime logistics handled
- Read Case Study: Driving Success in Complex Projects
Driving success in complex projects
- Project controls, P6 scheduling, estimating & document control staffed
- Civil, structural, mechanical & electrical disciplines covered
- Start-up and commissioning specialists for the final phases
- Read Case Study: Building a Hyperscale Data Center
Building a hyperscale data center
- High-voltage electricians, HVAC techs & NCCCO crane operators sourced
- TWIC, DISA & OSHA compliance managed through onboarding
- Travel, per-diem and overtime logistics coordinated across states
What hiring managers say about Advastar
Why clients trust Advastar
Forbes 2026 America’s Best Recruiting & Temp Staffing Firms
Advastar was named to Forbes’ America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms 2026 and America’s Best Temp Staffing Firms 2026, both compiled from independent surveys of the clients and candidates we work with.
Read the AnnouncementGE Energy Staffing Partner of the Year
GE Energy named Advastar its Staffing Partner of the Year in 2025 through the GE Vernova supplier program.
60+ years of combined construction expertise
Our construction desk brings more than 60 years of combined recruiting experience to every search we run.
Tell us who you need to hire
- Tell us about the role you need to fill
- A recruiter calls you within one business day
- Together we agree on a plan to fill the role
Find your next role
- Tell us what kind of work you want
- A recruiter reviews your details and gets in touch
- We put you forward for jobs that fit
GE Energy Staffing Partner of the Year
"*" indicates required fields
"*" indicates required fields
Our Philadelphia construction recruiting team
David Case
Founder and President
LinkedIn
Tim Shearer
VP & National Managing Director
LinkedIn
Robert Cornelio
Director of Business Development
LinkedIn
Jaime Summers
Senior Recruiter
LinkedIn
Amanda Martin
Recruiter
LinkedIn
Christen Trent
Recruiter
LinkedIn
Laura Carrillo Barrios
Recruiter
LinkedIn
Lisa Wombwell
Office Manager
LinkedIn
Philadelphia construction hiring, answered
May 2025 federal wage estimates put the Philadelphia metro average at $135,120 a year for construction managers and $99,420 for first-line trade supervisors. We price each search against those local figures.
Yes. Our construction executive search practice recruits presidents, COOs and vice presidents through confidential retained search for Philadelphia contractors, owners and developers.
Beyond management, the Philadelphia metro employs about 14,580 construction laborers, 10,090 electricians and 6,160 civil engineers, according to May 2025 federal estimates.
Yes. We place direct hire, contract, contract-to-hire and payrolled staff in Philadelphia. Contract staffing covers project peaks and short programs, while permanent leadership roles are usually direct hire.
Cost estimators in the Philadelphia metro average $87,290 a year and civil engineers $105,810, according to May 2025 federal estimates.
Yes. Our Philadelphia office is at 123 S Broad St, and you can reach the Philadelphia team on (215) 608-2948.
The Philadelphia office
123 S Broad StPhiladelphia, PA 19109