Senior Pre-Construction Leader – Mission-Critical Projects

Henderson Engineers; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Ownership Plan

401K match and profit sharing

Paid time off

Job summary

Henderson Engineers is seeking a Senior Pre-Construction Manager in Chantilly, VA to lead the planning, strategy, and development of large, complex mission-critical projects from assessment through bid and turnover. You will mentor teams, manage budgets, and coordinate with clients, subcontractors, and design teams to deliver competitive technical and pricing solutions.

You will guide pursuits, respond to RFPs, conduct site investigations, and lead bid walks, ensuring quality control and

Qualifications

• Ten years of experience in construction management, pre-construction, estimating, or design of building systems.
• Ability to work independently while leading project teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong budgeting, scheduling, and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Prepares site investigation teams and advises on complex field conditions.
• Leads project pursuits, bids, and subcontractor selection.
• Maintains project budgets and conducts turnover to implementation.
• Provides mentorship to pre-construction and project management teams.
• Develops and enforces technical standards for deliverables.
• Coordinates with clients and engineering design teams to ensure quality outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Budgeting

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Summary

The Sr Pre-Construction Manager leads the planning, strategy, and development of large, complex mission critical project opportunities from early assessment through bidding and transition to the construction team. This role leads major project pursuits, responds to RFPs, participates in site investigations and bid walks, and works directly with clients, subcontractors, and project teams to develop competitive technical and pricing solutions.

In addition to leading project pursuits, the Senior Pre-Construction Manager provides hands-on leadership and mentorship to pre-construction and project management team members, helping build the team's capabilities and support continued growth of Henderson Building Solutions' mission critical business.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepares site investigation teams to collect field data and advises teams on complex field conditions.
• Resolves issues that may impact project schedule or budget through the project bid date.
• Documents observations, issues, and potential solutions.
• Advises on conceptual design and reviews calculations to support solutions presented to the design team.
• Communicates project scope to contracting partners to support budget development.
• Provides leadership and direction for assessment teams.
• Leads projects through the assessment, design, and project buyout phases.
• Leads the bidding process and provides recommendations on subcontractor selection.
• Maintains responsibility and accountability for project budgets.
• Prepares project turnover packages for transition to implementation.
• Assigns projects and manages resources to maintain project schedules.
• Advises project team members of budget impacts resulting from project changes.
• Manages 2–3 direct reports, including performance evaluations.
• Develops and maintains technical standards for project deliverables.
• Performs quality control reviews of project deliverables.
• Advises on complex project issues and supports problem-solving activities.
• Conducts training and onboarding for new team members.
• Develops and conducts new and ongoing training exercises.
• Provides technical assistance and support to HBS team members.
• Mentors and trains junior members of the pre-construction team, serves as a role model, and demonstrates the organization's core values in daily activities.
• Coordinates project criteria, long-lead items, and logistical complexities with project team members.
• Reviews solicitation documents, distributes materials to bidding subcontractors and vendors, and reviews responses.
• Oversees bidding period activities and distributes RFIs, responses, and addenda as necessary.
• Evaluates proposals from subcontractors and vendors.
• Recommends subcontractor and equipment selections to owners and clients.
• Assists with contract negotiations with subcontractors and vendors.
• Prepares final subcontract documentation for execution.
• Participates in the design-assist process with selected subcontractors and internal team members to maintain quality and support consistent project outcomes.
• Partners with the engineering design team to provide consistency and quality control across HBS projects.
• Communicates directly with clients and their representatives to establish project requirements and verify the effectiveness of proposed solutions.
• Develops new client relationships and maintains a positive experience with existing clients.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for clients.
• Assists with business development activities.

Required Qualifications

• Ten (10) years of experience in construction management, pre-construction, estimating, or the design of building systems required.
• Twelve (12) years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Advanced proficiency in technical knowledge, industry codes and standards, contractual methods, budgeting, and win strategies related to the design-build delivery process.
• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with project teams and clients.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, project demands, and organizational needs.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to identify and understand emerging technologies, market developments, and industry trends.
• Self-starter with a proactive approach to leadership, client service, and team support.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a construction, engineering, or related discipline. Common examples include Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Science, Construction Engineering, and Construction Management.
• Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) certification.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• OSHA 10 certification.
• Experience leading large-scale mission critical or data center design-build projects from assessment through project turnover.
• Experience supporting project pursuits, pre-construction, or estimating for large, technically complex construction projects.
• Experience leading client pursuits, RFP responses, proposal development, estimating strategies, and pre-construction teams.
• Experience working on projects within active or live mission critical environments.
• Experience mentoring and developing estimators, project engineers, project managers, or pre-construction professionals.
• Experience working with hyperscale data center operators, large general contractors, or mission critical owner's representatives.

Physical & Other Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a desk and working on a computer
• Ability to read, write and communicate in English