Director of Preconstruction

Dexel; Halifax; On-site; CAD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits

Relocation support

Job summary

Dexel, the design-build arm of The Lawen Group, is seeking a seasoned preconstruction leader in Halifax. You will own estimates, pro formas and buyouts from concept to buyout, guiding in-house design and BIM teams to coordinated construction-ready drawings.

You will supervise a team including BIM leads and consultants, manage tendering, value engineering, and ensure all packages align with budget. Relocation and full benefits accompany the role.

Qualifications

• Ten or more years leading preconstruction, estimating or design delivery on multi-residential work, including high-rise.
• Estimates you prepared yourself on projects of $50 million or more, and the buyout that proved them
• Trade package procurement: scoping, tendering, bid levelling, qualifying bidders and awarding
• The design judgment to hold a drawing set back until it is ready
• BIM as a working tool for coordination and quantity takeoff, not just a deliverable
• A quality obsession, because we keep what we build, and a teacher’s instinct: you build people and systems, not just budgets

Responsibilities

• Every estimate and cost plan, Class D through Class A, kept tied to the budget and pro forma
• Tendering and procurement until every trade package is bought, including long-lead and overseas supply
• Design direction for DEXEL Architecture and our consultants, so drawings go out for tender or construction only when they are complete and coordinated
• Constructability reviews and value engineering
• The preconstruction schedule, permits and readiness for construction start
• A complete handover to Construction: coordinated drawings, a priced budget, a schedule and most trade packages bought
• Design support through the build: RFI answers, consultant coordination and design changes, plus the BIM, estimating and procurement standards behind every project

Skills

Preconstruction leadership

Estimating experience

Design delivery

BIM coordination

Budgeting/proforma

Education

Degree in construction management or architecture

Tools

Revit

BIM

Procurement systems

Job description

The Lawen Group | DEXEL | Paramount is deeply rooted in community values with a shared vision that each property shapes the future of Halifax for generations to come. We offer a cohesive team of more than 75 members providing design, construction, and property management services across Halifax, Nova Scotia.

DEXEL is the design-build arm of Lawen Group, a family-founded real estate group building in Halifax since 1972. DEXEL Developments builds, DEXEL Architecture designs in-house, and our sister company Paramount Management manages our portfolio of about 2,000 homes and growing.

We design, build, own and manage our buildings, so quality is not a slogan. We keep what we build, which is why we build it right.

Our Culture

Ours is a collaborative team that focuses on quality of work and community vibe, where professionalism meets passion. We pride ourselves on being a family firm that operates exclusively in Halifax, for over 50 years. We believe in continual learning, fostering a tight-knit work family, pushing to our potential, embracing humility, honoring our community, and getting the job done.

LIVE In HALIFAX

Ocean at your door, a real community, a short commute, and home ownership still within reach compared with Toronto or Vancouver. Halifax passed 515,000 people in 2025, and your work will help shape its skyline.

THE OPPORTUNITY

You will own the number. You prepare every estimate yourself, Class D through Class A, from first concept to final buyout, and keep it tied to the pro forma. There is no estimator below this role. What you price is what we build.

This is a working leader’s role, one of two directors reporting to the President and CEO. You run preconstruction from start to finish, and you lead DEXEL Architecture, our in-house design team, through its Production Manager. Your team includes a BIM Lead, and our consultants deliver Revit models. Two 30-storey towers are underway on Spring Garden Road, and heritage buildings are being restored on Carlton Street. You will shape how the next ones are drawn, priced and bought.

What You Will Own

• Every estimate and cost plan, Class D through Class A, kept tied to the budget and pro forma
• Tendering and procurement until every trade package is bought, including long-lead and overseas supply
• Design direction for DEXEL Architecture and our consultants, so drawings go out for tender or construction only when they are complete and coordinated
• Constructability reviews and value engineering
• The preconstruction schedule, permits and readiness for construction start
• A complete handover to Construction: coordinated drawings, a priced budget, a schedule and most trade packages bought
• Design support through the build: RFI answers, consultant coordination and design changes, plus the BIM, estimating and procurement standards behind every project

What You Bring

• Ten or more years leading preconstruction, estimating or design delivery on multi-residential work, including high-rise
• Estimates you prepared yourself on projects of $50 million or more, and the buyout that proved them
• Trade package procurement: scoping, tendering, bid levelling, qualifying bidders and awarding
• The design judgment to hold a drawing set back until it is ready
• BIM as a working tool for coordination and quantity takeoff, not just a deliverable
• A quality obsession, because we keep what we build, and a teacher’s instinct: you build people and systems, not just budgets

NICE TO HAVE

• A degree or diploma in construction management, architecture, engineering or a related field
• P.Eng., registered architect, CET or PQS designation
• Overseas procurement or offshore supply-chain experience

If you meet most of these, we would still like to hear from you.

What We Offer

• A base salary of $170,000 to $200,000, plus a performance bonus of 15 to 25 percent tied to estimate accuracy, buyout and drawing quality
• Full benefits
• Direct work with a President and CEO who is a practising P.Eng.
• Relocation support for the right candidate

Mostly office and design-studio based in Halifax, with regular time on site and occasional evening or weekend work around tenders.