Pre-Construction Project Manager

RWR Construction JobAdder; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

RWR Construction JobAdder in Auckland seeks a Project Manager to lead preconstruction for upcoming interiors and construction projects. You’ll own the front end, coordinating client, design team, QS, consultants and construction team to shape concepts into priced, consented, build-ready plans.

You don’t need prior Preconstruction Manager title; candidates from project management, architecture or technical design with solid foundations are welcome.

Qualifications

• Experience in preconstruction or front-end project management.
• Background in architecture or design with commercial understanding.
• Able to coordinate multiple teams and manage budgets.
• Excellent communication and client-facing credibility.
• Willingness to learn and adapt within a defined methodology.

Responsibilities

• Own the preconstruction phase across multiple projects.
• Drive programme, decisions, and design progression in line with budget.
• Coordinate budgeting, consultants, consent, procurement and tendering.
• Lead client and project meetings and identify risks early.
• Ensure a clean transition to Construction PM for on-site delivery.

Skills

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Client communication

Commercial awareness

Adaptable

Job description

We’re working with an established New Zealand interiors and construction business looking for a Project Manager to join their Auckland team, with a focus on preconstruction and getting projects ready to build.

This is a front-end project role. You’ll take ownership once a project is moving, bringing together the client, design team, QS, consultants and construction team to turn the initial concept into something that is properly designed, priced, consented and ready for construction.

You don’t need to have been a Preconstruction Manager before. Our client is open to people from project management, architecture and technical design who have the right foundations to step into the role.

The Role

You’ll own the preconstruction phase across a number of projects, typically in the $1m–$5m range.

A big part of the role is keeping everything moving. You’ll drive the programme, make sure decisions are being made and keep the design developing in line with the client’s budget and expectations.

Working closely with the QS and wider project team, you’ll be involved in progressive budgeting, consultant coordination, consenting, procurement and tendering. You’ll lead client and project meetings, identify risks early and work through issues before they become problems during construction.

Ultimately, you’re responsible for getting the project to an agreed construction contract and making sure there’s a clean transition into the Construction PM who will deliver it on site.

About You.

The client side of this role is important.

You’ll need to be polished and credible in front of clients, comfortable talking through budgets and project decisions and confident enough to have difficult conversations when something isn’t stacking up.

You’ll also need to be commercially aware, but you don’t need to be a QS. There’s good cost-management support around the role. What matters more is understanding the implications of decisions and being able to keep the client, design and budget heading in the same direction.

Your background could be in project management consultancy, architecture, architectural technology, technical design or another relevant interiors or construction environment. If you’re coming from architecture or design, a technical or documentation-focused background is likely to translate particularly well.

We’re also interested in someone who is curious and adaptable. Our client has an established methodology for taking projects through preconstruction, so they’re looking for good foundations and a willingness to learn rather than someone with a fixed view of how projects should be run.

Construction contract knowledge would be useful but isn’t essential.

This is a predominantly office-based role in Auckland CBD, working closely with the design, QS, project and construction teams.

If you enjoy the front end of construction projects, like bringing the different pieces together and want more ownership across the client, design and commercial process, this could be a good next step.