Director, Preconstruction West - Canem

Canem Systems Ltd.; Calgary; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Canem Systems Ltd. in Calgary, AB, is seeking a Director, Pre-construction to lead the company-wide pre-construction process, including estimating, budgeting, schedule development, constructability, VDC and procurement.

You will set the vision and operate across business units to standardize best practices and win complex opportunities. The role requires senior leadership, deep experience with CM or design-build environments, and a proven ability to align stakeholders, manage risk, and deliver

Qualifications

• Candidates with a professional engineering designation or equivalent.
• Experience leading pre-construction in complex projects is required.
• Strong skills in budgeting, estimating and bid strategy development.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive pre-construction strategy and processes.
• Oversee bid strategy, pricing, and competition advantages.
• Lead Estimators, Project Managers, VDC Coordinators and site leaders.
• Develop pre-construction plans, schedules, and validation steps.
• Collaborate with Procurement and project teams on vendor selection.
• Ensure training needs and progress for the pre-construction team.
• Support business development and client relationship building.

Skills

Strategic planning

Leadership

Pre-construction experience

Bid strategy

Budgeting

Vendor management

Stakeholder management

Education

P.Eng or equivalent

Gold Seal Certification or LEED

MRICS or CIQS asset

Tools

Estimating software

VDC

Job description

We Are Canem Systems

Canem Systems is a leading full-service electrical and mechanical contractor, offering comprehensive services across Canada. Our expertise spans design assistance, pre-construction, planning, installation, and maintenance. We excel in delivering sophisticated solutions for complex projects and provide a wide range of specialized trade services, including electrical, mechanical, data, and communications.

With eight offices across Canada and a dedicated workforce of over 700 professionals, Canem Systems operates in diverse public and private market sectors. Our extensive knowledge, capabilities, and experience enable us to support projects in commercial, healthcare, transportation, light industrial, and data centre sectors.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Pre-Construction, the Director, Pre-construction establishes and maintains company-wide preconstruction processes, including those for estimating and budgeting, schedule development and management, constructability, VDC, and procurement.

On a project level, they oversee and support complex project pursuits, the creation of preconstruction plans and schedules, and adherence to key preconstruction milestones and deliverable requirements.

What You Will Be Working On

Responsibilities

• Set the strategy for the entire pre-construction process and be accountable for it determining and allocating the resource requirements to implement the pre-construction strategy of the business unit.
• Provide oversight and support of the pre-construction requirements for the business units and processes.
• Collaborating with Estimating team to determine bid strategies and identify competitive advantages and win themes for bids and proposals.
• Provide leadership and support to the entire pre-construction process and team.
• Support the development of the fee, escalation, and contingency necessary to win the project while delivering the project safely.
• Work closely with Procurement and the project team on developing strategies for vendor selection and alignment for projects.
• Review the overall bid / pre-construction schedule.
• Identify the training needs of project pre-construction team members and monitor training progress.
• Develop an effective strategy for each project based on the owner's evaluation criteria; align response to maximize scoring.
• Support the pursuit process included but not limited to Business Development, Proposal, Interview, and debrief.
• Collaborate with the Business Unit Manager to develop the Pre-Construction processes for each opportunity

Planning and Process

• Provide oversight and utilize best practices to set the overall standard for pre-construction activities
• Oversee all project preconstruction kick-off meetings and support / review the creation of project preconstruction plans.
• Ensure the accuracy of the internal validation process prior to submitting a committed proposal or executing the contract (PTRP Process)
• Develop the pre-construction process, for continuous improvement, effectiveness, and efficiencies

Financial Accountabilities

• Support all financial deliverables for bids and pre-construction projects
• Support the management of the pre-construction budget on more complex projects if necessary
• Advise on selecting project partners that are assessed to be financially viable with adequate manpower and appropriate level of expertise to complete the work

Client Focus

• Build and maintain relationships with the client, consultants, and key stakeholders
• Participate in the business development process, ensuring that potential clients are aware of the value Canem provides during preconstruction
• Build and maintain strong business relationships
• Provide direction and leadership to project Pre-Construction team including but not limited to Estimators, Project Managers, VDC Coordinators, Site leaders.
• Ensure the needs and expectations of clients are achieved while balancing and aligning expectations and strategic plan

What We Are Looking For

• P.Eng, Project Management, Gold Seal Certified, LEED Accredited, LEAN experience, MRICS, and CIQS are all assets
• 15+ years of experience as a Project Manager, Estimator, or Construction Manager, including previous exposure to CM, large design-build, and other complex projects in a senior position
• Proficiency in conceptual estimating, benchmarking, and market testing, and knowledge of analytics related to project pursuits
• Experience working as a consultant in an engineering or architecture firm is an asset
• Proven experience with demonstrating the capabilities and proficiencies of a company
• Good understanding and knowledge of design processes, estimating, construction, finance, and contracts
• Good understanding of other parties' expectations and genuine interest in creating win-win solutions
• Understanding of complex situations involving multiple parties with divergent interests
• Timely decision-making skills to achieve the objectives and goals of the job
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, and organizational skills
• Strong negotiation skills
• test

The People Behind our Work

At Canem, we prioritize a high commitment to the employee experience, fostering a professional and engaged workforce. We are dedicated to building an inclusive and collaborative community, driven by a strong sense of belonging, well-being, and social responsibility. Our people are what matter most; without them, our business would not exist. Our teams are comprised of construction professionals who deliver on our commitments with integrity and professionalism for all clients across diverse market sectors throughout Canada.

Safety, To Us It's Personal

We put safety first. Our holistic health and safety culture is rooted in our commitment to work in a spirit of collaboration with all employees, trade partners, clients, and suppliers to foster the healthy and safe work environment that every worker deserves. Our goal is to ensure that everyone goes home safe every day.