Preconstruction Manager

Cannon Building; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Paid holidays

Vacation and sick time

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Job summary

Cannon Building in Carlsbad, CA is seeking an experienced Preconstruction Manager to lead complex commercial preconstruction efforts across Southern California. The role spans from early development through turnover, overseeing estimating, cost management, value engineering, and procurement planning.

You will supervise Senior Estimators and the preconstruction team, coordinate with design and operations, and drive budgets, constructability, and risk management.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of estimating, preconstruction, or related commercial construction experience in a general contractor environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred.
• Proven experience leading preconstruction for complex commercial projects.
• Strong budgeting, cost analysis, value-management, and risk-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preconstruction process from project initiation through turnover.
• Develop preconstruction strategies, milestones, responsibilities, deliverables, and communication plans.
• Lead detailed estimates throughout all design phases.
• Direct Senior Estimators, Estimators, and other preconstruction team members.
• Review estimates for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with Cannon Building standards.
• Monitor labor trends, material pricing, escalation, and market conditions in Southern California.

Skills

Leadership

Estimating

Preconstruction

Budget management

Cost analysis

Value management

Client management

Negotiation

Mentoring

Construction methods

Education

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

Tools

Excel

OST

Procore

PlanSwift

Sage

Job description

Location: Carlsbad, CA | Southern California

Salary Range: $150,000–$180,000

About the Opportunity

Cannon Building is looking for an experienced Preconstruction Manager to join our growing team and lead the preconstruction efforts for complex commercial construction projects throughout Southern California.

As a Preconstruction Manager, you will play a key leadership role from early project development through turnover to the construction team. You will oversee estimating, cost management, value engineering, design coordination, procurement planning, constructability, scheduling, logistics, and project risk management.

This is an opportunity for an experienced construction professional who enjoys working collaboratively with clients, architects, engineers, subcontractors, vendors, and internal operations teams and who can confidently lead projects from concept through final pricing.

The position will primarily support negotiated projects within Cannon Building’s core markets, including Life Sciences, Healthcare, Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial construction.

What You'll Do

• Lead the overall preconstruction process from project initiation through turnover.
• Establish project preconstruction strategies, milestones, responsibilities, deliverables, and communication plans.
• Lead detailed estimates throughout all phases of design.
• Direct Senior Estimators, Estimators, and other preconstruction team members.
• Review estimates for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and alignment with Cannon Building standards.
• Identify and communicate budget variances, cost risks, assumptions, opportunities, and market impacts.
• Lead buyout and lump-sum bid pursuits.
• Develop subcontractor outreach and market engagement strategies.
• Lead procurement and buyout strategies in partnership with Project Executives and Operations.
• Lead value engineering and value-management efforts.
• Reconcile estimates with clients, design teams, consultants, and third-party estimators.
• Monitor Southern California labor trends, material pricing, escalation, and market conditions.
• Maintain historical cost information to support future conceptual estimating and preconstruction efforts.

Design & Project Integration

• Lead preconstruction efforts for design-build and design-assist projects.
• Partner with Design Managers, Project Executives, Operations, design teams, and key trade partners.
• Maintain alignment between design development, project budget, schedule, procurement, constructability, and client requirements.
• Lead the design-to-budget process and provide ongoing cost feedback.
• Evaluate design options based on cost, schedule, constructability, procurement, and overall project value.
• Identify and mitigate design-related cost, schedule, procurement, and constructability risks.
• Coordinate early trade partner involvement and design-assist activities.
• Support procurement strategies for long-lead materials, equipment, and critical trade packages.
• Ensure a successful transition of preconstruction information, commitments, risks, and opportunities to the construction team.

Leadership & Client Relations

• Lead preconstruction, pre-bid, scope review, estimate review, and value-management meetings.
• Represent Cannon Building as a leader in preconstruction with clients and design teams.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for preconstruction-related cost, scope, value, and procurement matters.
• Present project budgets, estimate reconciliations, value-management analysis, and other key deliverables.
• Participate in project pursuits and design-phase interviews.
• Mentor and provide direction to Senior Estimators, Estimators, and other preconstruction team members.
• Help develop and continuously improve Cannon Building’s preconstruction systems, tools, and processes.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of estimating, preconstruction, or related commercial construction experience within a general contractor environment preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred.
• Proven experience leading preconstruction for complex commercial construction projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets from conceptual design through final pricing, GMP, or lump-sum bid.
• Strong understanding of construction means and methods, building systems, trade scopes, sequencing, scheduling, logistics, and procurement.
• Strong conceptual estimating, cost analysis, value-management, and risk-management skills.
• Experience leading estimate reconciliation, value-management discussions, subcontractor scope reviews, and procurement strategies.
• Ability to integrate estimating, design, operations, scheduling, logistics, and procurement into a coordinated preconstruction process.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring experience.
• Strong organizational, analytical, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong presentation, facilitation, negotiation, and client-management abilities.

Preferred Technical Skills

Experience with construction and estimating software such as:

• Excel
• OST
• Procore
• PlanSwift
• Sage
• Similar estimating and construction platforms

Why Cannon Building?

Cannon Building is a family-owned commercial construction company celebrating 30 years in operation, specializing in Life Sciences, Healthcare, Commercial/Institutional, and Industrial construction.

Our culture is built around teamwork, inclusiveness, growth, leadership, and creativity. We empower our employees to take ownership of their careers while working collaboratively to deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Our values are simple:

Professional. Ethical. Innovative. Accountable.

Salary Range: $150,000–$180,000 DOE

Cannon Building offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Medical insurance
• Dental and vision insurance
• Employee, family, and supplemental coverage options
• Life and disability insurance
• Paid holidays
• Vacation and sick time
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)