Senior Director, Preconstruction

Job Title: Senior Director, Preconstruction

Company: Loenbro

Business Unit/Department: Preconstruction / Estimating

Location: Remote

Reports to: Vice President, Preconstruction/Estimating

Employment Type: Full Time

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Position Summary

Loenbro is a trusted, long-term construction lifecycle partner to thousands of customers across the U.S. Our market spans all industries, and our service offerings include Critical Electrical, Mechanical & Structural, Soft Crafts, Inspection, Underground Maintenance and Installation, and Fabrication. Our expertise lies in simplifying the complex and establishing long-standing relationships with our partners. We have a national presence but a local approach—every customer benefits from our capabilities and our care.

At Loenbro, we don't just offer jobs—we build careers grounded in integrity, teamwork, excellence, and purpose. Join a team where your expertise is valued, your growth is supported, and your work helps maintain and enhance the critical infrastructure that powers communities across the nation.

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Preconstruction – Power is the market leader for how Loenbro procures, estimates, shapes, and wins power work. This role sets the power preconstruction strategy and estimating standards; leads complex, high-value, multi-discipline pursuits; and ensures proposals are accurate and competitive. The Senior Director brings together Loenbro's electrical, mechanical, structural, underground, inspection, and fabrication capabilities into integrated power solutions, from field construction and maintenance opportunities to factory-built power equipment. The role develops preconstruction talent, directs pursuit assignments, strengthens cost data and systems, and partners with Sales, Business Development, Marketing, Operations, and Manufacturing leadership to align scope, pricing, market conditions, risk, and execution strategy for successful project delivery.

Power Solutions Scope

The Senior Director owns preconstruction for the full range of power solutions Loenbro delivers, whether self-performed in the field, built in our fabrication shops, or combined into a single turnkey offering.

Field service lines

- Critical Electrical : medium- and low-voltage distribution, substations and switchyards, switchgear, motor control centers, transformers, protective relays and controls, grounding, and power and control cabling for industrial, utility, and mission-critical facilities.

- Mechanical & Structural: generator, turbine, and engine-driven equipment setting and alignment; skid and package installation; piping; equipment foundations and supports; and structural steel for power facilities.

- Underground Maintenance and Installation: duct banks, conduit, direct-buried and underground cable, vaults, and utility corridors that carry power to and across a site.

- Inspection: testing, commissioning, and inspection of electrical equipment and systems, supporting energization, acceptance, and ongoing reliability.

- Soft Crafts: supporting scopes such as civil, site preparation, insulation, painting, and scaffolding that keep power projects moving.

Manufacturing and fabrication

- Prefabricated power equipment and enclosures, such as power distribution centers and e-houses, skidded power packages, and modular electrical assemblies.

- Custom panels, switchgear and control assemblies, cable tray and supports, and structural and steel fabrication for power infrastructure.

- Shop-built, factory-tested solutions that shorten field schedules, improve quality control, and reduce on-site labor risk.

Power solution types the role must be able to scope and price

Solution

Typical scope

Utility and transmission & distribution

Substations, switchyards, line terminations, protection and control upgrades

Industrial and process power

Plant power distribution, MCC and switchgear replacement, process electrical

Generation and backup power

Generator sets, turbine-driven and engine-driven systems, paralleling and transfer equipment, standby and emergency power

Renewable and energy storage

Solar, battery energy storage, and associated medium-voltage collection and interconnection

Data center and mission-critical power

Utility feeds, primary and backup distribution, UPS and switchgear, prefabricated power modules

Modular and prefabricated power

Fabricated e-houses, skids, and enclosures delivered with pre-commissioning and testing

Maintenance, testing, and lifecycle services

Recurring maintenance, equipment upgrades, retrofits, and commissioning support

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy and market leadership

- Set the preconstruction strategy for Loenbro's power market, aligning pursuit priorities, staffing, and resources with company and regional objectives.

- Partner with Sales, Business Development, and Marketing to build the power pipeline, qualify opportunities, shape go/no-go decisions, and position Loenbro's integrated field and fabrication offering with utilities, developers, owners, and general contractors.

- Develop and maintain market intelligence on power demand, utility and developer capital plans, supply-chain conditions, equipment lead times, and competitor positioning.

Team leadership

- Build, retain, train, mentor, and develop a high-performing power preconstruction and estimating team; set clear expectations, accountability, succession plans, and development priorities.

- Assess staffing needs, support recruiting and hiring, and maintain the capacity to pursue power work as the business grows.

Estimating and proposal leadership

- Lead the preconstruction and estimating process, request workflow, deadlines, deliverables, documentation control, and quality control across project sizes, disciplines, and delivery methods.

- Establish, maintain, and continuously improve standards, procedures, work package structures, estimating methods, cost structures, and review requirements for power scopes.

- Direct estimates across varying project stages and levels of scope definition, from conceptual and budgetary through hard-bid and negotiated pricing.

- Lead or oversee complex, high-value, multi-discipline pursuits; validate scope alignment, quantity takeoffs, constructability, sequencing, pricing, and cross-scope gaps.

Integrated power solutions

- Coordinate with Manufacturing Fabrication leadership to build shop-fabricated and modular power solutions into estimates, including fabrication hours, material, shop capacity, testing, shipping, and field installation.

- Develop turnkey and design-build power offerings that combine field service lines (Critical Electrical, Mechanical & Structural, Underground, Inspection, Soft Crafts) with prefabricated equipment.

- Evaluate self-perform versus fabricate versus buy decisions, and the schedule and risk benefits of prefabrication, for each pursuit.

- Lead risk assessment, contingency development, constructability review, cost optimization, and value engineering; present alternatives and recommend solutions to customers and internal leadership.

Procurement, vendors, and Operations

- Oversee subcontractor and vendor strategy, bid solicitation, quote coverage, bid leveling, scope comparison, and commercial evaluation, with particular attention to long-lead power equipment such as transformers, switchgear, and generators.

- Partner with Operations to develop direct job expense, labor productivity, execution assumptions, procurement strategy, and estimate turnover requirements that support successful project delivery.

- Coordinate with owners, utilities, engineers, architects, contractors, Business Development, Procurement, and Operations to align scope, engineering input, cost data, negotiations, and pursuit strategy.

Performance, data, and systems

- Own department reporting, analytics, and performance metrics, including hit ratio, pipeline coverage, client feedback, bid volume, estimating capacity, estimate accuracy, and process compliance; use results to drive improvement.

- Champion historical-cost analysis, benchmarking, trend logs, productivity data, market intelligence, cost databases, and estimate-performance reviews to improve accuracy and competitiveness.

- Develop and advance estimating software, tools, reporting systems, data governance, and technology initiatives to improve consistency, scalability, and decision quality.

- Promote a culture of safety, integrity, urgency, disciplined execution, collaboration, continuous improvement, and excellence consistent with Loenbro LEAD values.

Minimum Qualifications Required:

- 15+ years of estimating, preconstruction, or project-development experience in electrical, power, or industrial construction, including substation, utility, generation, or critical-power work.

- 7+ years of experience leading estimators and preconstruction teams, managing pursuit assignments, and overseeing estimating workflow, quality, and team performance.

- Demonstrated expert proficiency in quantity takeoff and scope development, cost estimating and pricing, conceptual and budgetary estimating, bid and proposal management, risk analysis, QA/QC, and estimating process management.

- Proven ability to lead complex, multi-discipline, high-value estimates and proposals with minimal oversight, sound judgment, and accountability for department-level outcomes.

- Working knowledge of power systems and equipment (medium- and low-voltage distribution, substations, switchgear, transformers, generation and backup power) and of the long-lead procurement and supply-chain factors that drive power project cost and schedule.

- Experience estimating or partnering on shop-fabricated, prefabricated, or modular work, including how fabrication hours, shop capacity, testing, and shipping integrate with field installation.

- Strong knowledge of labor productivity, material and equipment pricing, subcontractor and vendor cost analysis, indirect costs, contingency, and escalation requirements.

- Demonstrated ability to establish standards and methodology, allocate resources, manage workflow, develop employees, and lead continuous improvement initiatives.

- Advanced analytical capability using historical costs, benchmark data, trend logs, ratios, metrics, market trends, and estimate performance results.

- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to engage clients, utilities, designers, Operations, Business Development, leadership, subcontractors, and vendors.

- Ability to manage competing priorities and demanding deadlines.

- Willingness to travel periodically to offices, client locations, fabrication facilities, and job sites.

Preferred:

- Bachelor's degree in construction management, electrical or mechanical engineering, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.

- Relevant estimating, cost, project-delivery, leadership, safety, or technical certifications and training (for example, Certified Professional Estimator, PMP, or OSHA 30) that complement demonstrated role proficiency.

- Experience with estimating software, systems, and data-management tools, including Accubid, HeavyBid, Salesforce, and Bluebeam.

- Experience with utility, independent power producer, data center, or renewable developer customers and their procurement and qualification processes.

Benefits

Loenbro offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, and rewards to those who join our team:

- Medical, dental, and vision insurance

- 401(k) retirement plan with company match

- Flexible time off (FTO) and holiday pay

- Life and disability insurance

- Professional development and training opportunities

- Employee assistance program (EAP)

Benefits eligibility may vary based on employment classification and hours worked.

Our Core Values (LEAD)

Guided by our Core Values (LEAD), grounded in grit and a commitment to excellence, Loenbro betters our families, customers, and local communities. If you're ready to be part of a company that LEADS by:

- L iving with Integrity

- E xceeding Expectations

- A cting with Urgency

- D elivering Excellence

Loenbro is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Loenbro is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.