Director of Pre-Construction

Avb; Portage (MI); On-site; USD 145,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

AVB seeks a Director of Pre-Construction in Portage, MI to lead the preconstruction team and drive estimating excellence from the earliest project stages. You will shape project strategy, manage budgets and risk, and collaborate with business development, operations, and client stakeholders to position the company for the right opportunities.

Required 10+ years of experience with strong leadership and a track record in design-assist and value engineering.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of preconstruction or estimating experience.
• Proven leadership of high-performing teams.
• Strong knowledge of commercial construction delivery methods.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to balance competitiveness, risk, and client expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the preconstruction team to deliver budgets.
• Establish estimating standards, tools, and processes.
• Oversee budgets, scopes, schedules, and risks prior to construction.
• Partner with business development for client presentations.

Skills

Leadership

Team Development

Estimating

Preconstruction

Construction Management

Client Relationship Management

Design-Assist

Value Engineering

Communication

Job description

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Director of Pre-Construction

Management Portage, MI, US

28 days ago Requisition ID: 1055

Salary Range: $145,000.00 To $175,000.00 Annually

Why Join AVB?

Are you a strategic preconstruction leader who thrives on turning opportunities into executable projects? We're looking for a Director of Preconstruction to lead our preconstruction team, drive estimating excellence, and serve as the critical link between business development, project planning, and operations.

In this role, you'll shape project strategy from the earliest stages, guide a team of preconstruction professionals, and ensure budgets, scopes, schedules, and risks are thoroughly evaluated before construction begins. You'll help position our team to win the right work while setting projects up for successful execution.

What You'll Do

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the preconstruction team.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards.
• Conduct performance reviews and support hiring and succession planning efforts.
• Manage team workload, staffing, and resource allocation to meet business demands.
• Oversee the development of accurate, competitive, and risk-aware budgets and proposals.
• Establish and maintain estimating standards, tools, processes, and best practices.
• Lead design-assist efforts, budget validation, value engineering discussions, and scope development.
• Support facility assessments and other early-stage project evaluations.
• Execute project pursuit strategies in alignment with divisional leadership.
• Partner with business development teams to support client presentations, interviews, and relationship-building efforts.
• Help position the company as a trusted construction partner through technical expertise and strategic guidance.

Operational Integration

• Ensure seamless collaboration between business development, preconstruction, and operations teams.
• Facilitate effective preconstruction-to-operations handoffs.
• Identify and mitigate project risks early to improve project outcomes and profitability.
• Drive process consistency and continuous improvement across the preconstruction function.

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in preconstruction, estimating, or related construction management roles.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of commercial construction delivery methods and project execution.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to balance competitiveness, risk management, and client expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading preconstruction efforts for complex commercial construction projects.
• Strong client-facing presentation and relationship management skills.
• Experience with design-assist, conceptual estimating, and value engineering.
• Track record of implementing estimating processes, tools, and operational improvements.

Why Join Us?

• Influence the success of major commercial construction projects before they break ground.
• Lead and shape a talented preconstruction team.
• Work closely with executive leadership on project pursuit and growth strategies.
• Join a collaborative, relationship-driven organization focused on quality, innovation, and long-term success.
• Competitive salary range of $140,000 - $175,000 plus benefits and professional development opportunities.