Pre Construction Director

Wates Smartspace; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Wates Construction in London is seeking an exceptional Pre-Construction Director to lead the division's strategic direction across bid management, estimating, planning, design management and technical services. You will shape winning strategies and ensure a market-leading pre-construction function.

You will build and develop a high-performing team, drive a strong pipeline of opportunities, manage risk, sustainability and buildability, and partner with clients and consultants to deliver

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading pre-construction in tier one or major regional contractor.
• Proven track record securing complex construction projects across public and private sectors.
• Leadership of major bids and work-winning strategies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and risk management expertise.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the London Division's pre-construction function with accountability for growth.
• Oversee bid management, estimating, planning, design management and technical services.
• Drive work-winning strategy and maintain a strong pipeline of opportunities.
• Champion value, sustainability, buildability and risk management across bids.
• Inspire and develop a multidisciplinary team of pre-construction professionals.

Skills

Pre-construction leadership

Bid management

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

People leadership

Job description

Wates Construction is seeking an exceptional Pre-Construction Director to join our London Division in one of the most influential leadership roles within the business.

As a key member of the divisional senior leadership team, you will take overall responsibility for the strategic direction, leadership and performance of our pre-construction function, ensuring the successful transition of opportunities from initial engagement through to project commencement. This is a critical rolewith accountability for driving sustainable growth, overseeing bid and work-winning activities, and ensuring that our pre-construction teams consistently deliver market-leading solutions that differentiate Wates from our competitors. Working closely with customers, consultants, supply chain partners and internal stakeholders, you will shape winning strategies, lead complex pursuits and ensure that every opportunity is positioned to achieve the very best outcome for our clients and our business. The successful candidate will have a proven track record ofleading high-performing pre-construction teams within the construction industry and will possess the commercial acumen, strategic mindset and customer focus required to support the continued growth of one of London's leading construction businesses.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead and develop the London Division's pre-construction function, creating a culture of excellence, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Establish and implement divisional pre-construction strategies aligned to business growth objectives.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Managing Director and divisional leadership team on all aspects of pre-construction and work-winning.
• Provide leadership across bid management, estimating, planning, design management and technical services functions.

Work Winning & Business Development

• Lead the work-winning strategy across the division, ensuring a strong and sustainable pipeline of opportunities.
• Oversee the qualification and selection of target projects, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives and risk appetite.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key clients, consultants, developers and framework providers.
• Support and influence client engagement activities, presentations, interviews and key negotiations.
• Drive winning methodologies and ensure the highest standards of bid quality and customer engagement.

Pre-Construction Excellence

• Oversee the delivery of all pre-construction activities from enquiry through to contract award.
• Ensure robust governance and risk management processes are embedded throughout the bid lifecycle.
• Champion innovative solutions that deliver value, sustainability, buildability and certainty for our customers.
• Lead the development of winning technical, commercial and programme strategies.
• Foster collaboration between operational, commercial and technical teams to ensure seamless project handover.

Team Leadership

• Inspire, coach and develop a multidisciplinary team of pre-construction professionals.
• Build succession plans and identify future talent to strengthen the function.
• Promote a collaborative and inclusive culture that reflects Wates' values and purpose.
• Drive high levels of engagement, performance and accountability across the team.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a respected industry leader who can demonstrate:

• Extensive experience leading pre-construction functions within a tier one or major regional contractor.
• A strong track record of securing complex construction projects across public and private sectors.
• Proven success in leading major bids and work-winning strategies.
• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and risk management expertise.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams across estimating, planning, design and bid management.
• A deep understanding of modern construction techniques, procurement routes and market trends.
• Excellent presentation, influencing and negotiation abilities.
• The ability to build trusted relationships at executive level with clients and partners.

Our commitments:

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at [e-mail]