Prevailing Wage & Apprentice Compliance Specialist

Prevailing Wage & Apprentice Compliance Specialist

Location:

Teaneck, NJ, United States Location Type:
On-site Salary Range: 75000 - 105000 USD Annually

The Prevailing Wage & Apprentice (PWA) Compliance Specialist supports compliance programs for construction projects subject to prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements, with a primary focus on compliance related to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax-credit eligibility. This role is responsible for managing the collection, organization, and completeness review of certified payroll, prevailing wage documentation, fringe benefit support records, apprentice utilization reporting, and project onboarding documentation required by 3rd party Independent Auditors from our EPC partners.

The Specialist will perform an initial review for completeness and general compliance indicators and then submit compliance packages to Deloitte (or other third-party auditors) for formal confirmation of compliance. This position also supports subcontractor insurance compliance as a secondary responsibility, ensuring subcontractors maintain required coverage throughout the duration of work. At times, and when the workload allows, this role will help with other business-related support tasks.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable coordinating with subcontractors, project teams, and external auditors in a fast-paced construction environment.

Certified Payroll & Prevailing Wage Compliance

• Collect weekly certified payroll reports (CPRs) from subcontractors and vendors.
• Perform initial review of submissions for completeness and general compliance indicators, including:
• Missing signatures or certifications
• Incorrect project identifiers, dates, or work locations
• Missing worker classifications
• Wage/fringe fields left blank or inconsistent
• Obvious wage rate inconsistencies versus wage determinations
• Coordinate corrections and resubmissions with subcontractors as needed.
• Maintain an organized compliance trail for each contractor, by project, by week.

Apprenticeship Compliance & Documentation

• Collect and maintain documentation supporting apprentice compliance, including:
• Apprentice program affiliation and registration
• Apprentice hour tracking by project and contractor
• Supporting documentation for apprentice requests (as required)
• Identify gaps and escalate risks to project leadership and compliance management.

Independent Auditor Coordination & Audit Package Submission

• Prepare and submit compliance documentation packages to Independent Auditor for formal compliance confirmation.
• Serve as a primary liaison between project teams, subcontractors, and Deloitte for compliance-related documentation requests.
• Track Independent Auditor feedback, findings, and corrective actions and coordinate responses with subcontractors and internal teams.
• Maintain audit-ready records and version-controlled documentation to support tax credit substantiation, internal reviews, third-party audit requests, and owner/lender/tax equity diligence.

Secondary Responsibilities — Subcontractor Insurance Compliance

Insurance Tracking & COI Management

• Track subcontractor Certificates of Insurance (COIs) and required endorsements for each project.
• Verify COI submissions for completeness against contract requirements, including:
• General Liability
• Auto Liability
• Workers' Compensation
• Umbrella / Excess Liability
• Additional insured endorsements
• Waiver of subrogation (as required)
• Maintain an organized log of COI status, expiration dates, and renewal follow-ups in Procore.
• Escalate noncompliance to the Project Manager for corrective action.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work closely with Project Managers, Construction Managers, subcontractor payroll administrators, and Deloitte auditors and compliance reviewers.
• Provide subcontractors with instructions, templates, and submission requirements.
• Support subcontractor onboarding into PWA and insurance compliance processes.

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 5+ years of professional work experience including 3+ years of work experience in prevailing wage compliance, labor compliance, construction payroll, or related…