Senior Preconstruction Manager - MEP

Coakley & Williams Construction; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Bonuses potential

Job summary

Coakley & Williams Construction in Bethesda, MD seeks a Senior Preconstruction Manager to lead government construction preconstruction and estimating efforts, focusing on federal projects from $5M to $50M. You will drive hard bid pursuits, coordinate design-build teams, and build relationships with owners, agencies, architects, and subcontractors.

The role requires strong estimating experience, knowledge of government procurement, and a track record of profitable bids, with opportunities to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CM or related field.
• 5+ years estimating/preconstruction on projects from $5M–$50M.
• 2+ years communicating with Owners/Architects.
• 2+ years bidding on public/government design-build projects.
• Proficient in MS Office and Bluebeam.

Responsibilities

• Lead preconstruction and estimating for public-sector and federal opportunities from pursuit to handoff.
• Develop pursuit strategies, estimates, scopes, bid lists, and risk assessments.
• Coordinate design-build pursuits with architects, engineers, and subcontractors.
• Build relationships with government owners, agencies, and partners.
• Represent the firm at industry and procurement events and secure quality opportunities.
• Identify and manage procurement, scope, schedule, and pricing risks.

Skills

Estimating

Preconstruction

Public-sector procurement

Bid strategy

Leadership

Communication

Contracting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management or related field

Tools

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office

Job description

Coakley & Williams Construction, LLC – Senior Preconstruction Manager – Main Office (Bethesda, MD)

Salary: $130,000.00 - $180,000.00 a year

Position Type: Full Time

Open Date: 10/12/2026

Requisition: 2026-39

Coakley & Williams is seeking a Senior Preconstruction Manager to lead preconstruction and estimating efforts for our government construction business, with a focus on public-sector and federal projects ranging from $5 million to $50 million.

This role will lead hard bid pursuits from early opportunity identification through bid submission, negotiation, and turnover to Operations. The right candidate will bring strong estimating experience, knowledge of government procurement and design-build delivery, and the ability to build trusted relationships with owners, agencies, architects, engineers, and subcontractors.

What You'll Do:

• Lead preconstruction and estimating efforts for public-sector and federal construction opportunities from early pursuit through bid review, negotiation, and project handoff.
• Develop pursuit strategies, estimates, quantity surveys, scopes of work, bid lists, subcontractor analyses, bid clarifications, value-engineering options, and risk assessments.
• Lead design-build pursuits by coordinating architects, engineers, preconstruction professionals, subcontractors, and other project partners.
• Build and maintain relationships with government owners, public agencies, architects, engineers, construction managers, subcontractors, and industry partners.
• Support business development by identifying qualified government construction opportunities and representing Coakley & Williams at industry, procurement, networking, and market-facing events.
• Secure work that aligns with company profitability standards while identifying and managing contractual, scope, schedule, procurement, and pricing risks.
• Lead preconstruction meetings, estimate reviews, client presentations, post-bid discussions, and negotiations with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and Operations to develop bid strategy, improve pursuit outcomes, and support a clear transition from preconstruction to project execution.
• Monitor government construction market conditions, including agency procurement trends, construction costs, subcontractor availability, competition, and owner selection criteria.
• Mentor Preconstruction team members and contribute to processes that improve estimating accuracy, consistency, efficiency, and accountability.

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least five (5) years of experience in estimating/Preconstruction on projects from Five (5) to Fifty (50) Million Dollars.
• At least two (2) years of experience communicating directly with Owners and Architects.
• At least two (2) years of experience bidding on public/government design-build projects.
• General knowledge of all construction trades.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office and Bluebeam.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to assess and prioritize multiple tasks, projects, and demands.

Preferred Qualifications

• One or more years of experience in business development.
• One or more years of experience leading design-build pursuits.
• Experience supporting federal construction pursuits, public agency procurement, or government contracting environments.
• Familiarity with public bid requirements, best-value selection processes, technical proposals, and government owner expectations.
• Knowledge of the regional subcontractor market and trade partner capacity for public and federal projects.

Why Join Coakley & Williams?

This is an opportunity to take a visible leadership role in the growth of Coakley & Williams' government construction business.

You will help determine which public and federal opportunities the company pursues, how those projects are positioned, and how risk, cost, schedule, and constructability are evaluated before work begins. Your judgment will directly influence the quality of our proposals, the strength of our client relationships, and the success of the transition from preconstruction to Operations.

You will work closely with government owners, design partners, subcontractors, operations leaders, and company leadership on complex projects that serve public agencies and communities. You will also have the opportunity to mentor team members, improve department processes, and help shape the company's long-term approach to public-sector and federal construction.

Wage Transparency

The anticipated salary range for this position is $100,000 - $180,000, based on experience, qualifications, location, and the requirements of the role.

Coakley & Williams also offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include medical, dental, vision, retirement plan, paid time off, bonus opportunity, and other benefits and perks.

Coakley & Williams is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.