Preconstruction Manager

Daksta | Connecting Mission Critical Talent; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Daksta | Connecting Mission Critical Talent seeks an experienced Preconstruction Manager to lead preconstruction and estimating across mission critical developments, driving conceptual budgets and cost models from design through handover.

You will mentor junior staff, collaborate with clients and design teams, optimise constructability, and ensure competitive, accurate proposals while balancing budgets and risk.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction-related field or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading preconstruction and estimating for large commercial projects.
• Strong understanding of design, cost planning, procurement, and value engineering.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead preconstruction and estimating activities across large-scale mission critical developments.
• Develop conceptual budgets, cost models, value engineering solutions, procurement strategies, and project schedules from design through handover.
• Provide technical leadership to estimating and PM teams, reviewing estimates for accuracy.
• Support business development with client presentations and preconstruction proposals.
• Develop and maintain historical cost data and benchmarking information.
• Collaborate with clients, architects, engineers, and internal teams to optimise design and constructability.

Skills

Leadership

Estimating leadership

Cost planning

Team coordination

Client-facing

Education

Bachelors degree in CM/Engineering/Architecture

Tools

DESTINI Estimator

Bluebeam

OST (On-Screen Takeoff)

MS Excel

Job description

Preconstruction Manager – Mission Critical Construction

Overview

An established national General Contractor is seeking an experienced Preconstruction Manager to join its growing Mission Critical team. This individual will provide strategic leadership across preconstruction, estimating, cost planning, and design management, supporting the successful delivery of complex data centre and mission critical projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead preconstruction and estimating activities across large-scale commercial and mission critical developments.
• Develop conceptual budgets, cost models, value engineering solutions, procurement strategies, and project schedules from early design through construction handover.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to estimating and project management teams, reviewing estimates and ensuring cost accuracy throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support business development activities by contributing to client presentations, project pursuits, and preconstruction proposals.
• Develop and maintain historical cost databases, market pricing intelligence, and benchmarking information.
• Collaborate with clients, architects, engineers, consultants, and internal project teams to optimise design, improve constructability, and maximise project value.
• Lead and mentor junior preconstruction professionals through coaching, training, and professional development initiatives.
• Manage multiple concurrent pursuits while balancing commercial objectives, project risk, and client expectations.
• Review project scope, procurement strategies, subcontractor pricing, and resource availability to ensure competitive and accurate proposals.
• Prepare conceptual cost plans using recognised construction work breakdown structures and maintain historical project data for future benchmarking.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related discipline (or equivalent industry experience).
• Extensive experience within commercial construction, including significant experience in preconstruction and estimating leadership.
• Proven ability to lead teams while delivering accurate, commercially competitive estimates across complex construction projects.
• Strong understanding of construction methods, scheduling, cost planning, procurement, value engineering, and budget management.
• Experience working within Design-Build and other collaborative project delivery methods.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and client-facing skills.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance design quality, project budgets, and client expectations.
• Demonstrated experience preparing conceptual estimates and early-stage costmodels.
• High level of professionalism, leadership, and commitment to delivering quality outcomes.

Preferred Experience

• projects.Familiarity with CSI and Uniformat II cost breakdown structures.
• Proficiency with estimating and preconstruction software such as DESTINI Estimator, Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff (OST), and advanced Microsoft Excel.