Director of Preconstruction

The GOR Group; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

The GOR Group is seeking a senior construction executive to lead preconstruction for its Advanced Technology data center business unit, based in Dallas. This role blends strategic leadership, business development, and client relationship management across North America.

You will oversee design, estimating, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, constructability, and risk management throughout the preconstruction lifecycle, and build high-performing multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in preconstruction or project management
• Mission-critical or data center construction experience
• Proven track record of winning work and managing executive relationships
• Ability to build and lead multidisciplinary teams and drive strategic initiatives
• Understanding of design management, estimating, scheduling, procurement, and risk management across preconstruction

Responsibilities

• Establish strategy, standards, and expectations for preconstruction delivery in the Advanced Technology unit
• Provide executive oversight for high-value, high-risk pursuits and projects
• Allocate resources based on workload and market priorities
• Align business development, estimating, design, operations, and service groups
• Improve estimating, design management, client coordination, and design-build practices
• Ensure standards and processes are consistently applied across project teams
• Lead pursuits, client presentations, negotiations, and deal structuring
• Develop and manage architecture/engineering teaming strategies and risk allocation
• Build a high-performing preconstruction team and career development plans
• Champion technology, data, benchmarking, and continuous improvement in preconstruction

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Business development

Client relationship management

Team building

Communication

Negotiation

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field

Job description

The GOR Group is supporting a highly established general contractor in the search for a senior construction executive to lead preconstruction for its growing Advanced Technology business unit.

Headquartered in Dallas, this executive will help shape and expand the organization's data center construction platform. The position combines strategic leadership, business development, client relationship management, and executive oversight of design, estimating, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, constructability, and risk management throughout the preconstruction lifecycle.

This is an opportunity to help build a data center division, influence its long-term strategy, develop the supporting team and processes, and play a critical role in winning and delivering complex mission-critical projects across North America.

The ideal candidate brings deep mission-critical construction experience, a history of winning work, strong industry relationships, and the ability to build and lead high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish the strategy, standards, and expectations for preconstruction delivery across the Advanced Technology business unit.
• Provide executive oversight for strategic, high-value, and high-risk pursuits and projects.
• Allocate preconstruction resources based on workload, project complexity, market priorities, and team development needs.
• Create strong alignment among business development, estimating, design, operations, and supporting service groups.
• Develop and continuously improve estimating, preconstruction, design management, client coordination, and design-build practices.
• Ensure preconstruction standards and processes are understood and consistently applied across project teams.

Preconstruction Leadership and Integration

• Establish the strategy, standards, and expectations for preconstruction delivery across the Advanced Technology business unit.
• Provide executive oversight for strategic, high-value, and high-risk pursuits and projects.
• Allocate preconstruction resources based on workload, project complexity, market priorities, and team development needs.
• Create strong alignment among business development, estimating, design, operations, and supporting service groups.
• Develop and continuously improve estimating, preconstruction, design management, client coordination, and design-build practices.
• Ensure preconstruction standards and processes are understood and consistently applied across project teams.

Cost Planning, Estimating, and Commercial Strategy

• Establish consistent expectations for conceptual estimating, benchmarking, cost planning, estimate validation, and GMP or bid readiness.
• Review and approve commercial strategies for major pursuits, including fees, escalation, contingencies, qualifications, and risk posture.
• Use portfolio-level cost data and market intelligence to strengthen forecasting and executive decision-making.
• Ensure cost planning is fully integrated with design management and overall project strategy.
• Provide leadership throughout pricing reviews, commercial evaluations, and internal project approvals.

Design Management, Constructability, and Value

• Establish expectations for conceptual design, design-to-budget, constructability, design risk, consultant coordination, and decision governance.
• Strengthen the organization's ability to engage early with architects and engineers.
• Champion collaborative delivery methods, including design-build, design-assist, early contractor involvement, and target value delivery.
• Build organizational capabilities in design management, estimating, and construction planning.
• Lead the selection, scoping, contracting, and management of architecture and engineering teams and design-assist partners.
• Oversee design fees, delegated-design responsibilities, design interfaces, and associated risks.
• Support industry participation that strengthens the organization's design-build expertise, reputation, and professional network.

Scheduling, Procurement, Logistics, and Risk

• Establish standards for preconstruction scheduling, procurement planning, logistics, market engagement, and risk management.
• Maintain current knowledge of labor availability, material pricing, supply-chain conditions, and trade-partner capacity.
• Translate market conditions into effective pursuit and portfolio strategies.
• Support executive risk reviews and ensure proposals receive the appropriate level of internal validation before commitment.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with trade partners and key suppliers.
• Promote inclusive procurement and participation across the organization's trade-partner network.

Pursuits, Clients, and Business Development

• Partner with business development, marketing, preconstruction, and operations leaders on market strategy, pursuit selection, and competitive positioning.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with clients, architects, engineers, consultants, trade partners, and industry stakeholders.
• Provide strategic leadership for major client presentations, interviews, negotiations, and pursuit decisions.
• Support deal structuring and contract negotiations for major collaborative and design-build pursuits.
• Develop architecture and engineering teaming strategies, including design scope, fees, responsibilities, and risk allocation.
• Use market intelligence, project outcomes, and lessons learned to improve the organization's competitive position and service offering.

Team Development and Continuous Improvement

• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing, multidisciplinary preconstruction team.
• Define career paths, capability expectations, succession plans, and professional-development priorities.
• Establish metrics and feedback processes for preconstruction quality, efficiency, pursuit performance, and project outcomes.
• Champion the use of technology, data, benchmarking, and continuous improvement throughout the preconstruction function.
• Foster a collaborative culture built around accountability, integrity, performance, and long-term client relationships.

Qualifications

• 12 to 15 or more years of progressively responsible experience in preconstruction, construction or project management, design management, architecture and engineering, estimating, cost planning, or a related project-delivery leadership function.
• Significant mission-critical or data center construction experience.
• Demonstrated success leading complex pursuits, projects, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience engaging with executive-level clients and influencing commercial and strategic decisions.
• Comprehensive understanding of the full preconstruction lifecycle, including pursuit strategy, design, estimating, cost planning, scheduling, procurement, constructability, contracting, risk management, and transition to operations.
• Proven ability to build teams, develop organizational capabilities, allocate resources, and improve business processes.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with the ability to connect project-level decisions to market strategy, financial performance, and long-term client relationships.
• Established relationships within the data center, mission-critical, design, construction, or trade-partner community.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent experience will also be considered.
• Professional credentials such as AIA, RA, PE, DBIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, PMP, or comparable certifications are valued but not required.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is more than an opportunity to step into an established position. The selected executive will have a meaningful voice in shaping the organization's data center strategy, building its leadership and delivery teams, strengthening industry relationships, and developing the systems required to support long-term growth.

The organization brings an established reputation, substantial construction resources, and more than a century of industry experience. This leader will help translate that foundation into a highly competitive Advanced Technology and data center construction platform.

Compensation will include a competitive executive base salary and incentive structure, with the final package based on experience, relationships, and demonstrated industry impact.

About the GOR Group:

At GOR Group, we believe in Grit Over Resume.

We understand that great talent does not always come from a perfectly matched resume. While experience and technical skills matter, we know that some of the most successful professionals are those who demonstrate the character, determination, and drive to learn, adapt, and deliver results.

We value individuals who demonstrate:

• Leadership
• Accountability
• Problem Solving
• Strong Communication
• A Willingness to Take on Challenges
• A Strong Work Ethic
• The Ability to Grow and Develop in New Environments

If your experience does not align with every requirement, but you believe you can make an impact, we encourage you to apply.

At GOR Group, we look beyond job titles and keyword matches. We focus on identifying individuals who bring the right attitude, work ethic, leadership, and technical capability to help our clients succeed. We partner with organizations across the mission critical, data center, manufacturing, commissioning, construction, and infrastructure industries to connect them with professionals who are ready to contribute, grow, and build meaningful careers.

If you're ready to help build the next generation of digital infrastructure while advancing your career in one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, we'd love to hear from you.