Senior Preconstruction Manager - Building

Kiewit; Lenexa (KS); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Kiewit is seeking a Senior Preconstruction Manager in Lenexa, KS to lead strategic preconstruction efforts across civil, structural, and architectural systems. You will bridge business development, design, estimating, engineering, procurement, and operations to ensure competitive, sound project scoping and budgeting before construction.

The role emphasizes standard-setting, resource coordination, client engagement, and risk-managed budgeting with a focus on profitability and on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
• 20+ years of experience in estimating, preconstruction, and project management, with proven results on industrial and heavy commercial projects.
• Strong knowledge of construction methods, building systems, materials, market pricing, and multiple delivery models (DBB, DB, DA, EPC, CMAR, IPD).
• Skilled in estimating, scheduling (Primavera P6), and takeoff tools (Bluebeam, OST); proficient in Microsoft Office and willing to learn InEight.
• Experienced in design-phase coordination, budget development, value engineering, and detailed quantity takeoffs.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage cross-functional teams and multiple pursuits under tight deadlines.
• Ethical, detail-oriented, and committed to mentoring and collaboration.
• Professional certifications (CPE, PMP) preferred; OSHA 30-Hour a plus. #LI-TJ1

Responsibilities

• Define preconstruction standards and workflows aligned with business goals.
• Lead trade partner outreach, process improvement, digital innovation, and benchmarking.
• Develop KPIs, reporting, and support pursuit strategy and go/no-go decisions.
• Lead and mentor preconstruction and trade partner teams.
• Allocate resources effectively and support recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance management.
• Coordinate with internal and external design professionals.
• Establish early alignment with project leadership.
• Lead presentations and milestone reviews.
• Clarify project goals, priorities, budgets, and risks.
• Guide feasibility studies and early planning.
• Oversee estimating strategy, benchmarking tools, and cost data.
• Integrate constructability, market conditions, procurement, and logistics.
• Validate budgets at design milestones.
• Develop schedules and sequencing strategies. Incorporate permitting, procurement, fabrication, and delivery timelines.
• Coordinate site logistics, phasing, and temporary operations.
• Align design intent with cost, schedule, and constructability.
• Coordinate architects, engineers, and specialty subs. Manage design reviews, logs, and clarifications.
• Direct BIM/VDC use for validation and clash prevention.
• Lead procurement strategy, RFQ/RFP development, trade outreach, qualification, scope review, and bid leveling.
• Assess market capacity, cost volatility, and labor/material risks.
• Support long-lead procurement and early awards.
• Identify and mitigate financial, design, schedule, and scope risks.
• Document assumptions and contingencies.
• Deliver high-quality outputs including cost models, schedules, logistics plans, basis-of-design narratives, clarification logs, and GMP/budget packages.
• Support commercial term development and coordinate with legal and leadership.
• Align contract terms with delivery models.
• Implement cost modeling and estimating platforms.
• Ensure data accuracy, cost history tracking, and escalation modeling.
• Adopt tools that improve efficiency and competitiveness.
• Ensure complete documentation for transition to construction.
• Support kickoff meetings and assist early buyout and mobilization.

Skills

Leadership

Estimating

Preconstruction

Project management

Primavera P6

Takeoffs

Cross-functional

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture

Tools

Bluebeam

OST

InEight

Primavera P6

Job description

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Location: Lenexa, KS, US

Requisition ID:182058

Job Level:Mid Level

Home District/Group:Kiewit Industrial & Water Engineering

Employment Type:Full Time

Position Overview

The Senior Preconstruction Manager serves as the central leader responsible for the strategic, technical, and operational execution of the firm’s preconstruction efforts for civil, structural, and architectural systems of a project. This role bridges business development, design, estimating, engineering, procurement, and operations to ensure projects are accurately scoped, competitively positioned, and commercially sound before transitioning to construction. The Preconstruction Manager establishes standards, manages resources, coordinates with estimating, participates in client engagement, and ensures project budgets, schedules, risk profiles, and procurement strategies are aligned with client expectations and company goals. The role is critical in shaping project outcomes and enabling profitable, well-coordinated project delivery.

District Overview

Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc. is a full-service engineering consulting and design firm serving a broad range of industrial markets. With more than 1,300 engineers and design professionals across all major engineering disciplines, we support the industrial, transportation, power, water/wastewater, mining, building, and oil, gas & chemical markets.

Our operations-focused engineering approach integrates over 130 years of construction expertise to deliver safe, efficient facilities - finishing projects on schedule and ensuring that Nobody Gets Hurt.

The Industrial & Water Engineering team includes process, mechanical, electrical, controls, structural, architectural, geotechnical, and civil disciplines. We specialize in EPC and design-build delivery for industrial projects in markets including:

• Datacenters
• Mineral Processing
• Renewable Fuels
• Pulp & Paper

Location

This position is based in Lenexa, Kansas. Opportunities for flexible work are available.

Responsibilities

• Define preconstruction standards and workflows aligned with business goals.
• Lead trade partner outreach, process improvement, digital innovation, and benchmarking.
• Develop KPIs, reporting, and support pursuit strategy and go/no-go decisions.
• Lead and mentor preconstruction and trade partner teams.
• Allocate resources effectively and support recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance management.
• Coordinate with internal and external design professionals.
• Establish early alignment with project leadership.
• Lead presentations and milestone reviews.
• Clarify project goals, priorities, budgets, and risks.
• Guide feasibility studies and early planning.
• Oversee estimating strategy, benchmarking tools, and cost data.
• Integrate constructability, market conditions, procurement, and logistics.
• Validate budgets at design milestones.
• Develop schedules and sequencing strategies. Incorporate permitting, procurement, fabrication, and delivery timelines.
• Coordinate site logistics, phasing, and temporary operations.
• Align design intent with cost, schedule, and constructability.
• Coordinate architects, engineers, and specialty subs. Manage design reviews, logs, and clarifications.
• Direct BIM/VDC use for validation and clash prevention.
• Lead procurement strategy, RFQ/RFP development, trade outreach, qualification, scope review, and bid leveling.
• Assess market capacity, cost volatility, and labor/material risks.
• Support long-lead procurement and early awards.
• Identify and mitigate financial, design, schedule, and scope risks.
• Document assumptions and contingencies.
• Deliver high-quality outputs including cost models, schedules, logistics plans, basis-of-design narratives, clarification logs, and GMP/budget packages.
• Support commercial term development and coordinate with legal and leadership.
• Align contract terms with delivery models.
• Implement cost modeling and estimating platforms.
• Ensure data accuracy, cost history tracking, and escalation modeling.
• Adopt tools that improve efficiency and competitiveness.
• Ensure complete documentation for transition to construction.
• Support kickoff meetings and assist early buyout and mobilization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
• 20+ years of experience in estimating, preconstruction, and project management, with proven results on industrial and heavy commercial projects.
• Strong knowledge of construction methods, building systems, materials, market pricing, and multiple delivery models (DBB, DB, DA, EPC, CMAR, IPD).
• Skilled in estimating, scheduling (Primavera P6), and takeoff tools (Bluebeam, OST); proficient in Microsoft Office and willing to learn InEight.
• Experienced in design-phase coordination, budget development, value engineering, and detailed quantity takeoffs.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage cross-functional teams and multiple pursuits under tight deadlines.
• Ethical, detail-oriented, and committed to mentoring and collaboration.
• Professional certifications (CPE, PMP) preferred; OSHA 30-Hour a plus. #LI-TJ1

Other Requirements:

• Work productively and meet deadlines timely
• Communicate and interact effectively and professionally with supervisors, employees, and others individually or in a team environment.
• Perform work safely and effectively. Understand and follow oral and written instructions, including warning signs, equipment use, and other policies.
• Work during normal operating hours to organize and complete work within given deadlines. Work overtime and weekends as required.
• May work at various different locations and conditions may vary.

We offer our fulltime staff employees a comprehensive benefits package that’s among the best in our industry, including top-tier medical, dental and vision plans covering eligible employees and dependents, voluntary wellness and employee assistance programs, life insurance, disability, retirement plans with matching, and generous paid time off.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

There’s no limit to what you’ll do at Kiewit. Whether you’re building or supporting projects that provide communities with dependable energy, safe transportation, clean water, or access to health care, the work you do will positively impact people’s lives for generations to come.

Here you’ll have endless opportunities to expand your expertise through on-the-job experience and internal and external training and development opportunities.

We offer our full-time staff employees a comprehensive benefits package that’s among the best in our industry.From top-tier health care programs to employee assistance programs and retirement planning, we aim to provide you with the tools you need to be successful in the areas of life that matter most to you.

Kiewit is an equal-opportunity employer, and we believe a diverse workforce is vital to the success of our business. We continue our efforts to attract, develop and retain employees from all backgrounds who are passionate about our industry.

We are committed to veteran and military hiring and will consider relevant military experience as equivalent to qualification requirements.