Client-Facing Preconstruction Lead (ESOP)

W.E. O'Neil Construction; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP ownership

Bonus program

Medical/dental/vision insurance

PTO/sick leave

Life insurance

401(k) with match

Student debt assistance

Job summary

W. E. O'Neil Construction is seeking a Preconstruction Manager in Los Angeles to lead day-to-day preconstruction efforts for commercial and multifamily projects. You will help shape budgets and schedules, build strong client relationships early, and guide projects from pursuit through handoff.

You will own the real-time trend budget between estimates, coordinate with Estimating, Operations, Marketing, and Business Development, and mentor teams as you scale to multiple projects.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of project management or preconstruction experience with a general contractor.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred.
• Experience across multifamily, commercial, or mixed-use construction projects.
• Solid understanding of construction documents, design development, budgeting, and constructability concepts.
• Naturally personable and client-facing, comfortable building relationships with Owners and design teams from the earliest stages of a project.
• Curious, creative problem-solver who wants to understand why a design or approach was chosen, not just execute against it.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and shifting deadlines as project load increases over time.
• Proficiency in Excel, Bluebeam, Procore (or equivalent), and Concentric (or equivalent cost management platform).

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with Owners, design partners, and subcontractors, serving as a key point of contact throughout pursuit and planning.
• Manage day-to-day preconstruction execution from pursuit through construction handoff — tracking deliverables, action items, and committed dates across all stakeholders.
• Schedule and support design and preconstruction coordination meetings (OACs, working sessions, site walks) and help maintain integrated preconstruction schedules.
• Coordinate with Estimating to ensure accurate, on-time drawings for each budget round, and support cost studies and budget presentation materials.
• Own the real-time trend budget in Concentric between formal estimates — logging cost-impacting items immediately and establishing a preliminary budget within 24 hours, so the Owner is never surprised.
• Manage value engineering items through to disposition, securing Owner backup and reflecting savings only once accepted.
• Support Pursuit Leads on pursuit strategy, proposal content, and interview prep, coordinating deliverables across departments.
• Start with a single project and take on more as your workload allows — eventually managing multiple projects simultaneously, each at a different phase, with mentorship support along the way.
• Own project-level preconstruction data — Concentric setup, dashboard accuracy, monthly pay applications, and site documentation.
• Contribute to tools, templates, and process improvements that raise preconstruction efficiency and consistency

Skills

Project management

Client-facing

Budgeting

Scheduling

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management or related field

Tools

Excel

Bluebeam

Procore

Concentric

Job description

W. E. O'Neil Construction is seeking a Preconstruction Manager in Los Angeles to lead day-to-day preconstruction efforts for commercial and multifamily projects. You will help shape budgets and schedules, build strong client relationships early, and guide projects from pursuit through handoff.

You will own the real-time trend budget between estimates, coordinate with Estimating, Operations, Marketing, and Business Development, and mentor teams as you scale to multiple projects.