Senior Preconstruction Project Manager

Position Summary

The Senior Preconstruction Project Manager leads front-end project planning for large-scale mission-critical and data center construction opportunities prior to award. This role is responsible for developing proposal-phase manpower plans, labor forecasts, preliminary project schedules, execution strategies, and pre-award risk assessments that improve pursuit quality, increase schedule certainty, and better position Smart Tech Contracting to win and successfully launch complex projects.

Essential Functions

• Preconstruction Planning and Scheduling (40%)

• Develop proposal-phase manpower plans, labor-loading models, staffing curves, and workforce forecasts for large-scale critical infrastructure and mission-critical construction projects
• Build preliminary project schedules, milestone plans, and high-level sequence logic aligned with owner, GC, and trade partner expectations
• Translate conceptual scope, bid documents, and pursuit assumptions into practical execution sequencing and labor deployment plans
• Define work packaging, phasing strategies, turnover sequencing, startup assumptions, and deployment approaches for fast-track and phased projects
• Develop initial project startup plans including key staffing milestones, site mobilization assumptions, and major execution dependencies
• Prepare schedule narratives, manpower histograms, staffing plans, and related client-facing planning deliverables in support of proposals and interviews

• Estimating and Proposal Support (25%)

• Partner with business development, estimating, and operations leaders to align labor assumptions, resource needs, schedule durations, and execution strategy
• Review drawings, specifications, bid documents, client requests, and internal assumptions to identify risks, missing scope, constructability concerns, and schedule constraints
• Support pursuit strategy for negotiated, design-assist, design-build, GMP, and hard-bid opportunities
• Evaluate subcontractor, vendor, and trade-partner planning assumptions as needed to confirm schedule feasibility and manpower impacts
• Contribute to proposal content related to project approach, sequencing, manpower planning, logistics, schedule strategy, and risk mitigation
• Assist with client discussions and interviews involving staffing approach, schedule confidence, execution readiness, and overall delivery strategy

• Forecasting, Risk, and Execution Readiness (20%)

• Identify key project risks related to labor availability, productivity, procurement timing, prefabrication strategy, site logistics, turnover sequencing, and overall schedule compression
• Develop mitigation strategies and planning assumptions to improve project certainty before award
• Support portfolio-level manpower forecasting and resource visibility across active pursuits and expected awards
• Assist leadership in evaluating pursuit prioritization and go / no-go decisions by providing planning and execution insight
• Help establish realistic expectations around labor, schedule, and mobilization requirements for high-growth and high-volume project pipelines

• Handoff and Operational Integration (15%)

• Develop pre-award handoff packages that can be efficiently transitioned to the assigned project team upon award
• Ensure proposal assumptions for labor, schedule, sequencing, execution strategy, and project startup are documented and transferable to operations
• Participate in project kickoff and transition meetings to communicate key planning assumptions, risks, and execution priorities
• Help improve company standards, templates, and best practices for proposal-phase planning, manpower forecasting, preliminary scheduling, and project startup readiness
• Support continuous improvement of how Smart Tech Contracting ports preconstruction planning into awarded project execution

Position Requirements

• Industry and Technical Experience

• Demonstrated experience in preconstruction, project planning, project management, operations planning, or related leadership roles for large-scale construction projects
• Strong understanding of how complex construction projects are staffed, sequenced, and executed in the field
• Experience in one or more relevant contractor environments such as building automation, controls, electrical, mechanical, low-voltage, ICT, industrial automation, or mission-critical systems
• Experience supporting large data center, mission-critical, industrial, or other complex fast-track construction environments
• Ability to interpret construction drawings, specifications, bid packages, phasing plans, and owner / GC expectations to develop practical labor and schedule plans
• Familiarity with major project delivery methods including negotiated work, design-assist, design-build, GMP, and hard-bid environments

• Scheduling and Manpower Planning

• Advanced experience developing manpower forecasts, labor-loading plans, staffing curves, and resource plans for large construction projects
• Strong working knowledge of critical path scheduling, milestone development, phasing logic, schedule compression strategies, and project sequencing
• Ability to create preliminary project schedules and execution plans during pursuit and pre-award phases
• Experience forecasting project management, engineering, technical, field, and subcontract labor needs across different phases of work
• Ability to evaluate schedule feasibility against labor assumptions, site constraints, turnover requirements, and procurement lead times
• Strong understanding of how early staffing and schedule assumptions affect project startup, delivery risk, and operational readiness after award

• Tools and Project Controls

• Proficiency with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent scheduling and planning tools
• Advanced proficiency with Excel and related tools used for manpower planning, forecasting, scenario analysis, and staffing models
• Familiarity with Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360, or similar project planning and collaboration platforms
• Ability to organize planning data and assumptions in a format that supports efficient handoff to project delivery teams

• Leadership and Communication

• Strong client-facing communication, presentation, and facilitation skills, especially related to schedule, manpower, execution approach, and project readiness
• Ability to collaborate effectively across business development, estimating, operations, engineering, procurement, and field leadership
• Ability to identify planning risks early, evaluate alternatives, and recommend practical solutions
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple pursuits or planning efforts simultaneously
• Skilled in completing assignments accurately and with attention to detail
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to analyze and prepare documents, reports, and correspondence
• Ability to leverage AI and emerging technologies to streamline workflows, improve forecasting, and contribute to company-wide innovation
• Ability to work successfully in a remote environment through effective communication, self-motivation, proactiveness, and resourcefulness in a distraction-free workspace

• Safety and General

• Ability to follow company and site safety requirements
• Ability to identify and analyze complex problems, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions
• Ability to achieve certification for NFPA 70E and / or OSHA training as required
• Organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously