Preconstruction Leader

EMCOR Construction Services; United States; On-site; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligible

Job summary

EMCOR Construction Services, Inc. invites applications for an Enterprise Preconstruction Leader.

This role elevates preconstruction performance across mechanical, electrical, and facilities teams nationwide, preserving operating company autonomy while transferring best practices and improving estimating rigor. The ideal candidate is a respected technical leader who can influence without authority, supports acquisitions and growth in data centers and advanced manufacturing, and travels up to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction or related field, plus 10–15 years of preconstruction or estimating experience in mechanical piping, plumbing, sheet metal/HVAC.
• Experience as a Chief Estimator, Preconstruction Manager, or Senior Estimator for a $100M+ contractor.
• Proven leadership in hyperscale data centers, healthcare, manufacturing or mission-critical projects with GMP/negotiated environments.

Responsibilities

• Visit operating companies to provide guidance and support to preconstruction teams (40–60% travel).
• Assess preconstruction maturity and improve margin discipline across the portfolio.
• Transfer best practices across companies while preserving autonomy.
• Support acquisitions and leadership transitions; assist in turnaround situations.
• Develop enterprise metrics and a preconstruction playbook.
• Elevate backlog quality and procurement alignment in large, complex projects.

Skills

Preconstruction leadership

Hyperscale data centers experience

Ethics and safety commitment

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or construction

Job description

EMCOR Construction Services, Inc. (ECS) seeks Enterprise Preconstruction Leader. As a leading provider of mechanical and electrical construction, facilities services, and energy infrastructure, we offer employees a competitive salary and benefits package and we are always looking for individuals with the talent and skills required to contribute to our continued growth and success. ECS HQ is based out of McLean, Virginia. However, candidates in other locations and meeting the requirements below may be considered.

About the Role

The Enterprise Preconstruction Leader will support and elevate preconstruction performance across a portfolio of independent mechanical operating companies serving mission-critical, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and large commercial markets nationwide. This position is a performance multiplier — designed to enhance estimating rigor, strengthen margin discipline, transfer best practices across operating companies, and support acquisition integration and leadership transitions — while fully preserving operating company autonomy. The ideal candidate will be a highly respected technical leader who can influence without authority and elevate teams without centralizing control.

Responsibilities

Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• The Enterprise Preconstruction Leader will visit Operating Companies provides guidance and support to operating company preconstruction teams (up to 40-60% travel).
• Assess preconstruction maturity across operating companies.
• Improve margin discipline and reduce WIP fade.
• Support newly acquired businesses and leadership transitions.
• Assist in turnaround situations.
• Transfer best practices across companies.
• Enhance positioning in data center and mission-critical markets.
• Evaluate Operating Company estimating rigor, productivity assumptions, contingency logic, and risk registers.
• Assess Company performance by diagnosing root causes of margin erosion.
• Support company with identifying gaps in systems, process, or talent.
• Assess Margin & Risk discipline and help with strengthening labor productivity methodology.
• Support Operating Company to improve contingency structuring on large, complex projects.
• Help Company enhance procurement alignment within preconstruction.
• Support growth in data centers and advanced manufacturing.
• Elevate negotiated and design-build backlog quality.
• Support acquisition activities and with turnaround support, evaluate backlog quality within 6 months of acquisition and support underperforming preconstruction teams in a constructive, trusted manner.
• Document and share high-performing estimating best practices and approaches across operating companies.
• Facilitate cross-company collaboration without forced standardization.
• Develop and implement enterprise metrics.
• Develop and implement Preconstruction playbook.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction or related areas of study or field experience; and minimum of 10-15 years Preconstruction or Estimating experience in Mechanical Piping, Plumbing, Sheet Metal/HVAC.
• Prior experience as a Chief Estimator, Preconstruction Manager, Regional Preconstruction Director, or Senior Estimator working for a $100 million+ contractor.

Required Skills

• Preconstruction or Estimating Market/Sector experience in Hyperscale Data Centers, Semiconductor/Advanced Manufacturing, Large Healthcare Systems, Mission-Critical projects, Negotiated and GMP environments strongly preferred.
• Experience with Preconstruction playbook development.
• Proven track record of leading projects while maintaining a commitment to Ethics and Safety.
• Technical Competency
• Labor productivity and material databases.
• Historical cost systems.
• Bid recap structure and margin layering.
• Procurement alignment strategies.

Preferred Skills

Preconstruction or Estimating Market/Sector experience in Hyperscale Data Centers, Semiconductor/Advanced Manufacturing, Large Healthcare Systems, Mission-Critical projects, Negotiated and GMP environments strongly preferred.

Pay range and compensation package

• Compensation Range: $175,000 - $225,000
• This position is bonus eligible.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled