Director Of Preconstruction

About the role

Location: Honolulu, HI. Employment Type: Full-Time | Exempt | Salaried. Reports To: Vice President, Solar. We are seeking an experienced Solar Director of Preconstruction & Engineering to lead the preconstruction, estimating, and engineering functions for large-scale utility solar projects. This leadership role is responsible for driving accurate project estimates, overseeing engineering coordination, managing risk, and developing high-performing teams throughout the project lifecycle. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in utility-scale solar EPC projects, extensive preconstruction and estimating expertise, and a proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams while collaborating with owners, consultants, subcontractors, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead all preconstruction and engineering efforts from project pursuit through final pricing, contract execution, and operational handoff.
• Develop, mentor, and manage preconstruction and engineering personnel, including team performance, staffing priorities, and professional development.
• Establish departmental objectives, standards, and best practices to improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency.
• Conduct regular team meetings and ensure alignment on project priorities, schedules, and deliverables.
• Promote a culture focused on safety, quality, accountability, continuous improvement, and risk management.
• Oversee the estimating process for EPC utility-scale solar projects, from conceptual design through issued-for-construction documents and final contract pricing.
• Prepare and review detailed cost estimates, budgets, and bid packages.
• Track estimate evolution throughout design development and perform cost reconciliations as project scopes mature.
• Lead value engineering initiatives and constructability reviews to identify cost-saving opportunities and project efficiencies.
• Prepare executive-level bid summaries highlighting key risks, assumptions, opportunities, and project financials.
• Direct engineering coordination and review technical deliverables for utility-scale ground-mount solar projects.
• Ensure designs align with project requirements, constructability considerations, schedule requirements, and budget objectives.
• Provide technical guidance during project planning and execution.
• Support engineering, project management, and operations teams during project startup and early execution phases.
• Review owner agreements, subcontracts, consultant contracts, and other project-related documents to identify commercial, operational, technical, and contractual risks.
• Develop and implement processes that improve risk identification, scope development, and project controls.
• Support compliance initiatives and ensure adherence to established departmental procedures.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with project owners, consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, and industry partners.
• Evaluate subcontractor capabilities and support contractor qualification efforts.
• Foster competitive bidding participation and long-term strategic partnerships across the solar industry.
• Coordinate seamless project handoff from preconstruction to operations teams.
• Ensure all estimating assumptions, engineering deliverables, contract requirements, and project documentation are accurately transferred.
• Support successful project planning, execution, and closeout efforts.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• 8+ years of engineering, preconstruction, or construction management experience.
• 5+ years supporting utility-scale solar energy projects.
• Strong experience with ground-mount solar EPC projects, including engineering coordination, construct