Director of Preconstruction-General Construction

About the Company

The company is a nationally recognized general contractor known for delivering highly technical and complex projects across life sciences, healthcare, and advanced technology sectors. As an employee-owned company, they foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and long-term value creation through its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

With a strong presence in the Bay Area, the firm partners with leading developers and institutions to deliver cutting-edge facilities in one of the most competitive construction markets in the country.

About the Position

The Director of Preconstruction is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the strategic direction of preconstruction operations across the San Francisco Bay Area. This individual will lead high-performing estimating teams, drive pursuit strategy, and serve as the critical bridge between business development, design, and construction operations.

This role is highly visible and client-facing, requiring deep expertise in conceptual estimating, self-perform capabilities, and risk management within complex urban construction environments.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Leading preconstruction strategy for major pursuits across healthcare, life sciences, and advanced technology sectors
• Overseeing conceptual and detailed estimating, ensuring alignment with internal self-perform capabilities and market conditions
• Driving Go/No-Go decisions, pursuit planning, and win strategies for negotiated work
• Acting as a senior client-facing leader during interviews, presentations, and proposal efforts
• Leading constructability reviews and Target Value Design (TVD) processes to maintain budget alignment
• Directing value engineering efforts and managing cost options throughout design development
• Overseeing subcontractor engagement, bid packaging, and scope coverage
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key Bay Area subcontractors and trade partners
• Identifying and mitigating project risks, including logistics, procurement, and schedule challenges
• Partnering with Operations to ensure seamless transition from preconstruction to project execution

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or related field
• 12–15+ years of construction experience, with significant time in preconstruction/estimating leadership
• Strong experience in the San Francisco/Bay Area construction market

Technical Expertise:

• Deep knowledge of self-perform estimating and labor unit costing
• Proficiency in estimating platforms such as Timberline/Sage (or similar)
• Experience with scheduling tools such as Primavera P6
• Familiarity with VDC/BIM tools (e.g., Revit, Assemble) and 5D estimating workflows

Leadership & Core Competencies:

• Proven ability to lead high-performing teams and manage complex pursuits
• Strong client-facing presence with experience in interviews and negotiated procurement
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills
• Ability to manage multiple high-value pursuits under tight deadlines

Benefits

• Competitive executive-level compensation ($275K–$325K) plus discretionary bonus
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – 100% company-funded ownership stake
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance (PPO and HSA options with company contributions)
• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability coverage
• Untracked/unlimited vacation policy and 9 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) with up to 4% company match and immediate vesting