Preconstruction Manager

Blackwood Partners - Search & Recruiting; Dallas, Fort Worth (TX, TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackwood Partners - Search & Recruiting is representing a leading Dallas-Fort Worth general contractor expanding into ground-up industrial construction. The Preconstruction Manager will lead front-end planning, pursue opportunities, and develop competitive strategies with leadership, project management, and trade partners.

This role emphasizes how to position the firm to win work, with responsibilities spanning market analysis, client meetings, and detailed preconstruction budgeting across

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive preconstruction and estimating experience with a commercial general contractor.
• Significant experience pursuing and estimating ground-up tilt-wall / tilt-up industrial projects
• Strong background in warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, flex industrial, or similar construction
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects from early conceptual budgeting through final GMP or bid
• Track record of contributing to successful project pursuits and awarded work
• Strong understanding of the DFW industrial development community and competitive landscape
• Existing relationships with developers, architects, consultants, subcontractors, and trade partners are highly valued
• Strong knowledge of conceptual estimating, detailed estimating, scheduling, constructability, and value engineering
• Ability to present effectively to clients and participate confidently in project interviews
• Strong commercial instincts and understanding of how owners make contractor-selection decisions
• Entrepreneurial mindset and desire to help build a new market vertical inside an established company
• Experience with industrial tenant improvements, warehouse renovations, or commercial interiors is beneficial

Responsibilities

• Lead pursuit strategy for ground-up industrial and tilt-wall construction opportunities
• Evaluate potential projects based on client relationships, competitive positioning, risk, schedule, and profitability
• Develop pursuit plans designed to differentiate the organization from established competitors
• Participate in client meetings, interviews, presentations, and proposal efforts
• Build relationships with developers, architects, consultants, brokers, and other decision-makers within the industrial market
• Provide market intelligence regarding competitors, pricing trends, subcontractor capacity, and upcoming opportunities
• Help determine which projects the company should pursue and how each pursuit should be approached
• Develop conceptual, schematic, design-development, and final estimates
• Prepare detailed budgets for warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, flex industrial, and tilt-wall projects
• Perform quantity takeoffs, subcontractor solicitation, scope reviews, and bid leveling
• Evaluate construction methods, logistics, scheduling, phasing, and constructability
• Develop value-engineering strategies that protect design intent while improving cost and schedule
• Maintain current market pricing and subcontractor information
• Work closely with field leadership to ensure estimates reflect real-world constructability and execution
• Build strong client and trade partner relationships, creating repeat and negotiated opportunities
• Coordinate with leadership on development of the ground-up industrial business
• Establish estimating standards, pursuit processes, subcontractor databases, and preconstruction best practices
• Support industrial TI and renovation work when appropriate
• Play a meaningful role in the long-term growth and direction of the construction platform
• The objective is to identify the right opportunities, develop the right strategy, and win the work

Skills

Preconstruction

Estimating

Pursuit Strategy

Client Relations

Leadership

Tools

Procore

PlanSwift

Bluebeam

Job description

Ground-Up Industrial / Tilt-Wall Construction | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

The Opportunity

A highly respected commercial general contractor with nearly three decades of success in the light industrial, flex-space, tenant improvement, warehouse, and commercial interiors markets is expanding into ground-up industrial construction.

The organization has longstanding relationships with developers, owners, brokers, property managers, and end users throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and Central Texas. Those relationships are creating access to larger ground-up opportunities across the industrial market, including warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, flex, and tilt-wall construction.

To support that expansion, the company is seeking an experienced Preconstruction Manager who understands how to do more than simply estimate a project.

They need someone who knows how to pursue, position, price, and win work in one of the most competitive construction markets in Texas.

This individual will play a critical role in helping the company build a sustainable ground-up industrial platform and convert existing relationships into awarded projects.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Nearly 30 years of success in the commercial and industrial construction markets
• Deep relationships with industrial developers, owners, and end users
• Established presence throughout DFW and Central Texas
• Direct access to decision-makers and company leadership
• Opportunity to help build the ground-up industrial business from the front end
• Ability to influence pursuit strategy, subcontractor relationships, estimating processes, and project selection
• Existing client relationships already creating access to new project opportunities
• Established TI and commercial interiors business providing a strong foundation behind the expansion

Position Overview

The Preconstruction Manager will lead front-end planning and project pursuit efforts for ground-up industrial construction opportunities.

This role requires someone who understands both the technical and commercial sides of preconstruction.

The successful candidate must be capable of building accurate estimates, but equally important, they must understand how industrial developers evaluate contractors, how projects are awarded, and how to position the company competitively throughout the pursuit process.

This person will work directly with company leadership, project management, field operations, clients, developers, architects, engineers, and subcontractors to develop competitive strategies and convert opportunities into awarded work.

Key Responsibilities

Project Pursuit & Strategy

• Lead pursuit strategy for ground-up industrial and tilt-wall construction opportunities
• Evaluate potential projects based on client relationships, competitive positioning, risk, schedule, and profitability
• Develop pursuit plans designed to differentiate the organization from established competitors
• Participate in client meetings, interviews, presentations, and proposal efforts
• Build relationships with developers, architects, consultants, brokers, and other decision-makers within the industrial market
• Provide market intelligence regarding competitors, pricing trends, subcontractor capacity, and upcoming opportunities
• Help determine which projects the company should pursue and how each pursuit should be approached
• Develop conceptual, schematic, design-development, and final estimates
• Prepare detailed budgets for warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, flex industrial, and tilt-wall projects
• Perform quantity takeoffs, subcontractor solicitation, scope reviews, and bid leveling
• Evaluate construction methods, logistics, scheduling, phasing, and constructability
• Develop value-engineering strategies that protect design intent while improving cost and schedule
• Maintain current market pricing and subcontractor information
• Work closely with field leadership to ensure estimates reflect real-world constructability and execution

Client & Trade Partner Relationships

• Develop and maintain relationships with industrial developers and repeat clients
• Build a strong network of subcontractors and suppliers capable of supporting ground-up project delivery
• Communicate effectively with clients throughout budgeting and design development
• Establish credibility as a trusted construction resource rather than simply a bidder
• Help create repeat and negotiated opportunities through strong front-end service
• Partner directly with executive leadership on the development of the ground-up industrial business
• Coordinate closely with Project Managers and Superintendents during project transition and turnover
• Help establish estimating standards, pursuit processes, subcontractor databases, and preconstruction best practices
• Support the broader industrial TI and renovation business when appropriate
• Play a meaningful role in the long-term growth and direction of the construction platform

Ideal Background

• 5+ years of progressive preconstruction and estimating experience with a commercial general contractor
• Significant experience pursuing and estimating ground-up tilt-wall / tilt-up industrial projects
• Strong background in warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, flex industrial, or similar construction
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects from early conceptual budgeting through final GMP or bid
• Track record of contributing to successful project pursuits and awarded work
• Strong understanding of the DFW industrial development community and competitive landscape
• Existing relationships with developers, architects, consultants, subcontractors, and trade partners are highly valued
• Strong knowledge of conceptual estimating, detailed estimating, scheduling, constructability, and value engineering
• Ability to present effectively to clients and participate confidently in project interviews
• Strong commercial instincts and understanding of how owners make contractor-selection decisions
• Entrepreneurial mindset and desire to help build a new market vertical inside an established company

Experience with industrial tenant improvements, warehouse renovations, or commercial interiors is beneficial given the company's existing portfolio.

What Makes This Role Different

This is not a position for someone who wants to sit behind a computer and simply turn drawings into numbers.

The company needs a construction professional who understands that preconstruction is ultimately about winning the right work.

That means knowing the market.

Knowing the developers.

Knowing the subcontractors.

Knowing where the competition is vulnerable.

And knowing how to develop a strategy that gives the client a compelling reason to select your team.

The organization already has relationships capable of generating opportunities. The next step is putting the right preconstruction leader in place to help turn those opportunities into projects.

The Long-Term Opportunity

The company is entering ground-up industrial construction from a position of strength.

It already serves many of the owners, developers, tenants, and end users active throughout the industrial real estate market. Leadership believes those relationships can create meaningful opportunities for ground-up construction as the company expands its capabilities.

The Preconstruction Manager will be one of the most important additions supporting that strategy.

For someone currently operating inside a larger industrial contractor who understands the market but wants greater influence, autonomy, and visibility, this represents an opportunity to help shape a growing business rather than simply service an existing estimating department.

The objective is simple: identify the right opportunities, develop the right strategy, and win the work.