Director of Preconstruction

Innovative Construction Solutions; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Innovative Construction Solutions seeks a Director of Preconstruction to lead HIMC's water/wastewater pursuits, integrate RFQ/RFP strategies, and manage the estimating group across NorCal/Southern CA. This hands-on role requires directing conceptual and detailed estimates, GMP development, and cross‑functional collaboration with operations and design teams.

You will personally drive pursuits, mentor staff, and ensure smooth hand-off to field teams, overseeing a portfolio typically valued from

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CM/CE or equivalent experience.
• 10–12+ years in heavy civil or industrial construction management.
• Hands-on estimating experience incl. hard-bid and GMP development.
• Experience with CMAR and Design-Build delivery methods.
• Strong client presentation and negotiation capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead RFQ/RFP responses across hard-bid, CMAR, and PDB pursuits.
• Drive pursuit strategy and go/no-go decisions with teams.
• Oversee conceptual and detailed estimating, cost modeling, VE.
• Develop GMPs and lead bid reviews and negotiations.
• Mentor HIMC estimating team and build bench strength.
• Coordinate hand-off to operations with full estimate package.

Skills

Executive presentation

Negotiation skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management or Civil Engineering

Tools

B2W Estimate

HeavyBid

Estimating software

Job description

Founded in 1999, Innovative Construction Solutions (ICS) is a California-based environmental construction company with 170+ employees across California and Washington. We specialize in environmental remediation, water/wastewater treatment systems, hazardous waste management, and federal contracting. As a Federal Small Business (NAICS 562910) with $175-million bonding capacity and Class A general engineering contractor status, IC delivers projects that protect, remediate, and restore our environment while addressing critical infrastructure challenges.

ICS's Heavy Industrial & Mechanical Construction (HIMC) division self-performs civil construction, structural concrete, structural steel erection, process piping fabrication and installation, process mechanical systems and equipment installation, startup, testing, and commissioning. HIMC has grown from approximately $6 million to approximately $50 million in annual revenue over the past five years and is targeting approximately $100 million in new work won annually, with a growing share delivered through alternative delivery methods including CMAR and Progressive Design-Build.

Position Summary

The Director of Preconstruction directs preconstruction operations for HIMC's water/wastewater projects, from initial pursuit through transition to field construction. This includes both hard-bid and collaborative delivery models, including Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Progressive Design-Build (PDB), and fixed-price design-build, for both private and public clients, on projects generally ranging from $1 million to $100 million in value. The role evaluates and prices self-perform scopes, alongside subcontracted and vendor-supplied scopes.

This is a new position at IC. The Director of Preconstruction will oversee the HIMC estimating function across both Northern California and Southern California, managing a team currently composed of a Chief Estimator, two Senior Estimators, a Junior Estimating Manager, and an Estimating Coordinator. This is a hands‑on leadership role; the Director is expected to personally lead pursuits and estimates in addition to managing the team.

Key Responsibilities

Pursuit & Strategy

• Lead responses to Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) across hard-bid, CMAR, and PDB pursuits, for both public and private clients.
• Drive client‑facing pursuit strategy, including go/no‑go decisions based on estimating team bandwidth and operations team bandwidth to execute the work.
• Support business development in identifying and qualifying pursuit opportunities aligned with HIMC's annual sold‑work targets.
• Manage conceptual estimating, detailed hard‑bid estimating, cost modeling, and value engineering across all active pursuits.
• Lead Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) development and negotiation for CMAR and PDB projects.
• Lead bid reviews for hard‑bid pursuits and proposal reviews for private, negotiated pursuits.
• Evaluate and price self‑perform scopes, in coordination with operations leadership.

Risk & Constructability

• Identify project risks during pursuit and estimating, and incorporate appropriate contingency, exclusions, and qualifications into bids and proposals.
• Review constructability of proposed designs and provide input on means, methods, and sequencing during preconstruction.

Preconstruction Execution

• Personally lead and/or oversee key preconstruction activities on awarded projects, including development of the initial CPM schedule, Schedule of Values, and project budget.
• Generate and negotiate schedule‑critical subcontracts and purchase orders for long‑lead equipment ahead of project mobilization.
• Own the project hand‑off process from estimating to operations, ensuring the receiving Project Manager and Superintendent have a complete, accurate basis of estimate, budget, schedule, and risk register.
• Act as the central point of coordination between operations, estimating, design management, owners, and trade partners during pursuit and preconstruction.
• Represent IC in client‑facing presentations, interviews, and negotiations at an executive level.
• Manage and develop the HIMC estimating team across NorCal and SoCal, including the Chief Estimator, Senior Estimators, Junior Estimating Manager, and Estimating Coordinator.
• Mentor junior preconstruction and estimating staff; build estimating bench strength to support HIMC's growth.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 10 to 12+ years of heavy civil or industrial construction management experience, with a specialized focus on water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Direct, hands‑on estimating experience, including conceptual and detailed hard‑bid estimating, GMP development, and self‑perform pricing, with a track record of leading pursuits from RFQ/RFP through award.
• Deep understanding of water/wastewater treatment processes and self‑perform labor and material pricing.
• Direct experience with alternative project delivery methods, including CMAR and Design‑Build, in addition to hard‑bid estimating.
• Strong contract acumen and conceptual estimating capability across a range of project sizes and delivery methods.
• Executive‑level client presentation and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency with a construction estimating software platform (e.g., B2W Estimate, HeavyBid, or comparable); direct experience with B2W Estimate is a plus, but familiarity with a comparable system and the ability to learn B2W is acceptable.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Innovative Construction Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status.