Preconstruction Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Preconstruction Manager

Job Description

The Preconstruction Manager leads multiple preconstruction pursuits from early concept through project turnover, ensuring accurate estimates, clear strategies, and a seamless handoff to project execution teams. This role drives budgeting, value engineering, constructability reviews, and trade partner bidding while serving as a key client-facing representative. The position offers the opportunity to influence high-profile commercial projects across multiple sectors within a collaborative, growth-oriented construction environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple preconstruction pursuits simultaneously from conceptual design through project turnover.
• Prepare accurate estimates, budgets, and cost studies for commercial construction projects, including corporate interiors, hospitality, life sciences, education, senior living, and similar sectors.
• Perform value engineering analyses to optimize cost, schedule, and constructability while maintaining project quality and design intent.
• Conduct detailed constructability reviews and identify potential issues early to reduce risk during project execution.
• Manage the full bid solicitation process, including identifying qualified trade partners, issuing invitations to bid, and tracking responses.
• Oversee subcontractor relationships and maintain strong communication with trade partners throughout the preconstruction process.
• Lead the RFI process during preconstruction to clarify design intent, scope gaps, and assumptions with design teams and stakeholders.
• Evaluate proposals from trade partners, including leveling bids, aligning scopes, and validating pricing to ensure comprehensive coverage.
• Collaborate closely with Project Managers, Superintendents, and Operations teams to align preconstruction assumptions with field execution strategies.
• Develop and execute pursuit strategies in partnership with business development and leadership teams to win targeted projects.
• Identify and assess project risks related to cost, schedule, design, and market conditions, and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Present budgets, assumptions, and recommendations to clients, architects, engineers, and ownership teams in a clear, professional manner.
• Monitor market pricing, labor trends, and material lead times to maintain current and accurate estimating data.
• Utilize estimating tools and software such as Bluebeam, Outbuild, Procore, and NetSuite to prepare, track, and report on estimates and bids.
• Support and participate in client-facing meetings, presentations, and project pursuits as a preconstruction subject matter expert.
• Mentor and guide junior estimators and preconstruction staff, providing feedback, training, and support to develop their skills.
• Help refine and improve preconstruction processes, tools, templates, and best practices to drive continuous improvement.
• Maintain strong, professional relationships with clients, design partners, and internal stakeholders through clear communication and reliable follow-through.
• Stay accountable for delivering high-quality work within deadlines while upholding the organizations values of integrity, empathy, and collaboration.

Essential Skills

• 5+ years of experience in preconstruction, estimating, or construction management with a general contractor, preferably in the Chicago commercial market.
• Proven experience leading full-cycle estimates from conceptual pricing through GMP or final pricing on commercial interior or similar projects.
• Strong preconstruction and estimating expertise, including budgeting, cost studies, and value engineering.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent pursuits with competing deadlines and priorities.
• Experience in commercial construction projects such as corporate interiors, hospitality, life sciences, education, senior living, healthcare, lab, or amenity spaces.
• Strong working knowledge of construction documents, scopes of work, and bid packages.
• Experience managing trade partner bidding processes, including solicitation, bid leveling, scope alignment, and pricing validation.
• Exposure to and understanding of constructability reviews and their impact on cost and schedule.
• Experience collaborating with Project Managers, Superintendents, and Operations teams to align preconstruction plans with execution strategies.
• Basic experience participating in client-facing meetings, presentations, and project pursuits.
• Proficiency with estimating tools and software, including Bluebeam, Outbuild, Procore, and NetSuite.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to present complex information clearly and confidently.
• Strong leadership and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and coordinate cross-functional teams.
• Personable, professional, and comfortable in client-facing situations.
• Solid project management capabilities, including organization, time management, and attention to detail.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with commercial interior construction in a dense urban environment is beneficial.
• Background in working with a best-in-class or highly reputable general contractor is advantageous.
• Experience mentoring junior estimators or coordinating small teams in a preconstruction setting.
• Ability to think strategically about pursuit approaches, win themes, and competitive positioning.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with high-stakes, complex projects.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement, learning, and process refinement.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate issues and propose practical solutions.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and follow-through on commitments.
• Collaborative mindset, bringing empathy, humility, and respect to interactions with colleagues and partners.
• Curiosity about new methods, tools, and market trends within the construction and real estate industries.

Work Environment

This role is based in a downtown Chicago, IL office and follows a 100% in-office schedule, Monday through Friday. The environment is highly collaborative, with daily interaction alongside executive leadership, project management, operations, and client teams. You will work with modern construction and estimating technologies, including Bluebeam, Outbuild, Procore, and NetSuite, and support high-profile commercial projects across workplace, amenity, hospitality, healthcare, lab and life sciences, and education sectors. The culture emphasizes empathy, integrity, perseverance, curiosity, humility, and mutual respect, with a strong focus on teamwork, accountability, and doing work the right way. The organization is nationally growing and offers significant career advancement potential, exposure to complex and visible projects, and an inclusive, innovative atmosphere where team members contribute to building both exceptional spaces and a stronger future for the industry.

This is a Permanent position based out of Chicago, IL.

The pay range for this position is $80000.00 - $140000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Gold PPO Health Insurance 401k Plan Unlimited Flex PTO Commuter Benefits, Paid Family Leave Professional Development Volunteer Time Off

This is a Permanent position based out of Chicago, IL.

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 23, 2026.

This is a fully onsite position in Chicago,IL.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.