Preconstruction Lead: Estimating & Bid Strategy

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated; Dallas (TX); Remote; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with match

Medical, Dental & Vision

Paid parental leave

Paid Time Off

Daily Pay

Job summary

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) is seeking a Lead of Preconstruction to translate project briefs into competitive proposals and robust bid packages. You will oversee estimating, bid packaging, and constructability from pursuit through award, guiding 7+ years of commercial preconstruction experience and a strong MEP cost-estimating background.

You’ll manage one or two preconstruction managers, drive vendor strategies with Project Managers, and ensure compliant, client-ready deliverables for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in commercial preconstruction, estimating, or bid packaging on lump-sum and GMP work.
• Hands-on estimating experience and the discipline to maintain basis-of-estimate files that survive a handoff.
• Proven vendor coverage practices: walks, RFIs, apples-to-apples scopes, no single-source surprises on bid day.
• Ability to write exclusions, assumptions, and a procurement plan that holds up in compliance review.
• Experience building a critical-path bid schedule and work-package structure a Construction Manager can inherit.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop estimates, bid templates, and detailed take-offs using estimating and takeoff technology (e.g., COSTX or equivalent).
• Lead vendor strategy with the Project Manager: share documents, schedule walks, issue RFIs and clarifications, and collect and level bids.
• Assemble the full proposal package: detailed scope, procurement plan, exclusions/qualifiers/assumptions, safety and logistics plans, critical-path schedule, lump-sum vs. GMP recommendation, resource plan, design and permit strategy, commissioning plan, equipment/move lists, and finishes plan.
• Support Target Value Design and translate construction documents into a formal bid package, scopes of work, and bid-form structure.
• Feed Go/No-Go and compliance review with commercial backup and client-ready deliverables.
• Hand off the baseline to the Construction Manager at Move-to-Construction: scopes, vendor coverage, long-lead list, exclusions, and schedule assumptions.
• Remain available after handoff to resolve re-buy or missed-scope questions.

Skills

Leadership

Estimating

Bid packaging

Vendor management

Compliance writing

Critical-path scheduling

Communication

Education

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

Tools

COSTX

Job description

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) is seeking a Lead of Preconstruction to translate project briefs into competitive proposals and robust bid packages. You will oversee estimating, bid packaging, and constructability from pursuit through award, guiding 7+ years of commercial preconstruction experience and a strong MEP cost-estimating background.

You’ll manage one or two preconstruction managers, drive vendor strategies with Project Managers, and ensure compliant, client-ready deliverables for