Director of Preconstruction

Niche SSP - No.1 for Estimating Talent; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Niche SSP - No.1 for Estimating Talent in Charlotte, NC seeks an experienced Director of Preconstruction to lead and scale the regional preconstruction and estimating teams. The role oversees the full lifecycle from conceptual estimating to GMP, managing projects across North and South Carolina ranging from $10M to $400M.

You will develop budgets, drive cost-saving opportunities, mentor managers and estimators, and collaborate with BD to win work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of commercial construction experience in preconstruction or estimating.
• Proven track record managing complex commercial projects from conceptual budgeting through GMP.
• Strong leadership, communication, and mentoring skills.
• Proficiency with estimating software and MS Office.
• Ability to lead multiple projects and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple preconstruction efforts from conceptual design to pricing and turnover.
• Oversee projects ranging from $10M to $400M across all design phases.
• Direct and mentor Preconstruction Managers, Estimators, and staff.
• Develop conceptual budgets, detailed estimates, and bid packages.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through constructability reviews and value engineering.
• Track budgets and mitigate cost overruns while preserving design intent.
• Prepare client presentations, estimates, clarifications, and bid assumptions.
• Maintain documentation and audit trails for all activities and communications.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Strategic thinking

Estimating

Preconstruction

Budgeting

Cost control

Constructability reviews

Value engineering

Communication

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management/Engineering or related field

Tools

MC2

Construction management software

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are seeking an experienced, strategic Director of Preconstruction to lead, mentor, and scale our regional preconstruction department and estimating team based out of Charlotte, NC.

In this leadership role, you will have direct operational oversight of the Charlotte team, managing the full preconstruction lifecycle from initial conceptual estimating and target value design through final GMP execution for a diverse commercial portfolio across both North and South Carolina ranging from $10 million to $400 million.

Serving as the critical bridge between design and operations, you will drive advanced preconstruction workflows, lead risk mitigation and value engineering efforts, and partner closely with business development to secure new work. This position requires a collaborative leader with a proven track record in complex commercial construction, strong team-building and mentorship capabilities.

Essential Functions

• Lead multiple preconstruction efforts simultaneously from conceptual design through final pricing and turnover to operations.
• Oversee projects ranging from $10M to $400M across all phases of design.
• Direct and mentor Preconstruction Managers, Estimators, and support staff throughout the preconstruction process.
• Develop conceptual budgets, detailed estimates, general conditions, and bid packages.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through constructability reviews and value engineering.
• Track project budgets and proactively mitigate cost overruns while maintaining design intent.
• Review project documents and establish appropriate assumptions where design information is incomplete.
• Prepare client presentation materials, estimate deliverables, qualifications, clarifications, and bid assumptions.
• Maintain thorough documentation and audit trails for all preconstruction activities and client communications.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the regional preconstruction team.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement.
• Conduct employee performance reviews and support career development planning.
• Develop and facilitate training programs that strengthen estimating and preconstruction best practices.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent progressive industry experience).
• 10+ years of commercial construction experience in preconstruction, estimating, operations, or a combination thereof.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex commercial projects from conceptual budgeting through GMP development.
• Strong understanding of conceptual estimating, constructability reviews, value engineering, procurement, and subcontractor management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting aggressive deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and construction estimating software.

Preferred Experience

• Experience leading preconstruction efforts for large commercial projects valued between $10 million and $400 million.
• Background working closely with operations teams through project turnover.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership, clients, and design teams.
• Familiarity with conceptual estimating software such as MC2 or similar estimating platforms.
• Knowledge of bid management platforms, online plan rooms, and construction management software.
• Experience mentoring and developing preconstruction professionals.