Director of Preconstruction-General Construction

About the Company

The company is a nationally recognized general contractor known for delivering highly technical and complex projects across life sciences, healthcare, and advanced technology sectors. As an employee-owned company, they foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and long-term value creation through its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

With a strong presence in the Bay Area, the firm partners with leading developers and institutions to deliver cutting-edge facilities in one of the most competitive construction markets in the country.

About the Position

The Director of Preconstruction is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the strategic direction of preconstruction operations across the San Francisco Bay Area. This individual will lead high-performing estimating teams, drive pursuit strategy, and serve as the critical bridge between business development, design, and construction operations.

This role is highly visible and client-facing, requiring deep expertise in conceptual estimating, self-perform capabilities, and risk management within complex urban construction environments.

Key Responsibilities include:

- Leading preconstruction strategy for major pursuits across healthcare, life sciences, and advanced technology sectors

- Overseeing conceptual and detailed estimating, ensuring alignment with internal self-perform capabilities and market conditions

- Driving Go/No-Go decisions, pursuit planning, and win strategies for negotiated work

- Acting as a senior client-facing leader during interviews, presentations, and proposal efforts

- Leading constructability reviews and Target Value Design (TVD) processes to maintain budget alignment

- Directing value engineering efforts and managing cost options throughout design development

- Overseeing subcontractor engagement, bid packaging, and scope coverage

- Building and maintaining strong relationships with key Bay Area subcontractors and trade partners

- Identifying and mitigating project risks, including logistics, procurement, and schedule challenges

- Partnering with Operations to ensure seamless transition from preconstruction to project execution

Requirements

Education & Experience:

- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or related field

- 12–15+ years of construction experience, with significant time in preconstruction/estimating leadership

- Strong experience in the San Francisco/Bay Area construction market

Technical Expertise:

- Deep knowledge of self-perform estimating and labor unit costing

- Proficiency in estimating platforms such as Timberline/Sage (or similar)

- Experience with scheduling tools such as Primavera P6

- Familiarity with VDC/BIM tools (e.g., Revit, Assemble) and 5D estimating workflows

Leadership & Core Competencies:

- Proven ability to lead high-performing teams and manage complex pursuits

- Strong client-facing presence with experience in interviews and negotiated procurement

- Excellent communication, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills

- Ability to manage multiple high-value pursuits under tight deadlines

Benefits

- Competitive executive-level compensation ($275K–$325K) plus discretionary bonus

- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – 100% company-funded ownership stake

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance (PPO and HSA options with company contributions)

- Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability coverage

- Untracked/unlimited vacation policy and 9 paid holidays

- Paid parental leave

- 401(k) with up to 4% company match and immediate vesting