Preconstruction Manager

About the role

The Pre-Construction Manager provides strategic direction and oversight for the pre‑construction department. This includes providing leadership to the estimating team, evaluation of bid opportunities, management of client expectations, reviewing & delivery of accurate, on‑time bid proposals.

Responsibilities

• Review and assign new bid opportunities to estimators and manage workload distribution across the department.
• Review and approve final bid estimates, productions, quantity takeoffs, and proposal packages in accordance with client scope requirements.
• Ensure bid selection aligns with company capacity, resources, and financial objectives.
• Facilitate weekly bid scheduling meetings with the Estimating and Operations departments.
• Attend and lead pre‑job, cost review, and post‑job meetings as required.
• Regularly review historical cost and production data and apply findings to future bids.
• Develop, mentor and provide training and growth opportunities for the department.
• Involve in the estimator interview & hiring process to ensure the department is adequately staffed.
• Coordinate between the Estimating and Operations departments on matters including internal equipment costs, activity production rates, crew sizing, and scheduling.
• Maintain estimating databases, cost and production data, and software tools, including implementations and renewals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with owners, clients, engineers, municipalities, vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Perform quantity takeoffs, bid pricing, and bid submissions as required to support the estimating department.
• Evaluate bid components, including site conditions, geotechnical data, scope, and schedule.
• Perform value engineering and identify cost‑saving alternates that strengthen the company’s competitive position.
• Review contracts to support a seamless transition of awarded work from pre‑construction to operations.
• Continually evaluate and advance estimating best practices and departmental standards.
• Provide estimating performance and outlook reporting to senior management, including weekly bid schedules, summaries & matrix updates.
• Review and approve PTO requests for direct reports in accordance with company policy.
• Hold the pre‑construction team accountable to performance expectations, administering corrective and disciplinary action as warranted.
• Model company values by maintaining a respectful, constructive, and professional demeanor with employees, subcontractors, suppliers, and clients.
• Foster a collaborative work environment that promotes teamwork and professional development.
• Maintain clear, direct, and timely communication with the team, subcontractors, suppliers, and clients.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of estimating experience in the heavy civil construction industry.
• Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to motivate, direct, and evaluate a team.
• Strong understanding of civil construction methods, scheduling, estimating, contracts, and software (AGTEK, HCSS, etc.).