Preconstruction Director

Balfour Beatty US; Charlotte, Northern (NC, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Balfour Beatty US is seeking an experienced Director of Preconstruction in Charlotte, NC. This leadership role will oversee the regional preconstruction and estimating teams, driving from conceptual budgeting through GMP while managing projects from $10M to $400M across the Carolinas.

The ideal candidate will mentor staff, advance value engineering, and partner with BD to win future work, with only occasional travel to project locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CM, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 12+ years in commercial construction with preconstruction/estimating experience.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects from conceptual budgeting to GMP.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor the regional preconstruction team and estimators.
• Develop conceptual budgets, budgets, and bid packages; drive value engineering.
• Oversee multiple projects from conceptual design through GMP and turnover to operations.
• Collaborate with BD to secure new work and build client relationships.
• Monitor market conditions, tracking costs and risk throughout the lifecycle.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Team mentorship

Estimating

Preconstruction

Budgeting

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management/Engineering

Tools

MC2

Microsoft Office

Job description

Summary

Balfour Beatty is 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, and the ability to travel occasionally (10-15%) to regional offices and project locations throughout the Carolinas, including Raleigh, NC, and Charleston, SC.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with extensive commercial construction experience, strong conceptual estimating skills, and the ability to guide teams while building lasting client relationships. This position is based in Charlotte and requires occasional travel throughout the Carolinas, including Charleston, Raleigh, and other regional offices and project locations as needed.

Essential Functions

Preconstruction Leadership

• 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.

Operations & Project Support

• Serve as the primary liaison between preconstruction and operations through project turnover and early construction.
• Assist operations teams with procurement strategies, purchasing processes, and subcontractor engagement.
• Analyze subcontractor bids and participate in post-bid reviews and negotiations.
• Support change order pricing after GMP establishment.
• Monitor local market conditions, labor trends, and material pricing to maintain accurate cost forecasting.
• Assist with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation planning and reporting as required.

Client & Business Development

• Build trusted relationships with owners, architects, engineers, consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Participate in client presentations and business development pursuits to demonstrate the value of Balfour Beatty's preconstruction process.
• Collaborate with Business Development to prepare proposals and preconstruction service offerings.
• Represent the company professionally in meetings with executive-level clients and project stakeholders.

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.
• Promote Balfour Beatty's values through servant leadership, accountability, and mentorship.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent progressive industry experience).
• 12+ 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.
• Willingness to travel periodically throughout the Carolinas in support of regional projects and client meetings.