Preconstruction Manager

Preconstruction Manager

About the Role:

A growing commercial construction company is seeking an experienced Preconstruction Manager to lead preconstruction activities for complex commercial projects throughout Southern California. This is an excellent opportunity for a construction professional with strong estimating, cost management, design coordination, procurement, and client-management experience who enjoys taking projects from early concept through final pricing and turnover.

The successful candidate will provide leadership across the full preconstruction process, working closely with clients, architects, engineers, subcontractors, vendors, and internal operations teams. The role will primarily support negotiated projects across Life Sciences, Healthcare, Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial markets.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the overall preconstruction process from project initiation through turnover to the construction team.
• Establish project preconstruction strategies, milestones, responsibilities, deliverables, and communication plans.
• Lead detailed estimates through all phases of design, from conceptual development through final pricing, GMP, or lump-sum bid.
• Direct Senior Estimators, Estimators, and other preconstruction team members while providing mentorship and guidance.
• Review estimates for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and alignment with company standards.
• Identify and communicate budget variances, cost risks, assumptions, opportunities, escalation, and market impacts.
• Lead buyout and lump-sum bid pursuits, including subcontractor outreach and market engagement strategies.
• Develop and execute procurement and buyout strategies in partnership with Project Executives and Operations.
• Lead value engineering and value-management initiatives to improve project cost, constructability, schedule, and overall value.
• Reconcile estimates and budgets with clients, architects, engineers, consultants, and third-party estimators.
• Monitor Southern California labor trends, material pricing, escalation, and market conditions.
• Maintain historical cost information to support conceptual estimating and future preconstruction efforts.
• Lead preconstruction efforts for design-build and design-assist projects.
• Coordinate design development, project budgets, schedules, procurement, constructability, and client requirements.
• Provide ongoing cost feedback and lead design-to-budget efforts throughout the design process.
• Evaluate design alternatives based on cost, schedule, constructability, procurement, and project value.
• Identify and mitigate design-related cost, schedule, procurement, and constructability risks.
• Coordinate early trade partner involvement and design-assist activities.
• Support procurement strategies for long-lead materials, equipment, and critical trade packages.
• Ensure a smooth transition of preconstruction information, commitments, risks, assumptions, and opportunities to the construction team.
• Lead preconstruction, pre-bid, scope review, estimate review, and value-management meetings.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for clients and design teams regarding preconstruction cost, scope, value, and procurement matters.
• Present project budgets, estimate reconciliations, value-management analysis, and other key project deliverables.
• Participate in project pursuits, presentations, and design-phase interviews.
• Collaborate with Project Executives, Project Managers, Superintendents, Design Managers, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and vendors.
• Help develop and continuously improve preconstruction systems, estimating tools, processes, and best practices.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in estimating, preconstruction, or related commercial construction, preferably within a general contractor environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred.
• Proven experience leading preconstruction for complex commercial construction projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets from conceptual design through final pricing, GMP, or lump-sum bid.
• Strong understanding of construction means and methods, building systems, trade scopes, sequencing, scheduling, logistics, and procurement.
• Strong conceptual estimating, cost analysis, value-management, and risk-management skills.
• Experience leading estimate reconciliation, value-management discussions, subcontractor scope reviews, and procurement strategies.
• Ability to integrate estimating, design, operations, scheduling, logistics, and procurement into a coordinated preconstruction process.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring experience.
• Strong organizational, analytical, time-management, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong presentation, facilitation, negotiation, and client-management abilities.
• Proficiency with construction and estimating software such as Excel, Bluebeam, OST, Procore, PlanSwift, Sage, or comparable platforms.
• Strong ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with internal and external project stakeholders.

Why Join Us:

• Lead complex commercial construction projects from concept through final pricing and turnover.
• Work across diverse and technically sophisticated markets, including Life Sciences, Healthcare, Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial construction.
• Take a leadership role in estimating, value management, procurement, design coordination, and project strategy.
• Work directly with clients, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and senior construction leadership.
• Mentor and develop estimating and preconstruction professionals while helping shape team processes.
• Join a family-owned construction organization with approximately 30 years of industry experience.
• Be part of a culture focused on teamwork, inclusiveness, growth, leadership, creativity, and accountability.
• Gain meaningful ownership and influence over project strategy and preconstruction outcomes.
• Work within a collaborative environment that values professional excellence, ethical practices, innovation, and accountability.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Performance-based bonus opportunities.
• Professional development and career growth opportunities.
• Training and exposure to modern estimating and construction technologies.
• Collaborative and supportive work environment.
• Opportunities to work on diverse and complex commercial construction projects.
• Long-term career development within a growing construction organization.