Director, Pursuits

Location:Denver, Colorado

Position Summary

The Director, Pursuits is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing Forgen's estimating and proposals functions to secure new business opportunities across all markets. This position manages the full lifecycle of project pursuits-from pursuit strategy and competitive positioning, through proposal development, to accurate estimating and bid submission. The Director provides vision, process discipline, and leadership to cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment with Forgen's business objectives and core values. By integrating estimating expertise with pursuit strategies, this role plays a critical part in increasing competitiveness and driving profitable growth in both public and private sectors.

Forgen Overview

Forgen is a leading geotechnical and specialty civil construction company operating across North America. We are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions for complex civil, geotechnical, and environmental challenges, guided by our core values of integrity, passion, teamwork, and smart work.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and be accountable for the estimating and proposals teams.
• Build and mentor a high-performing, collaborative pursuit organization.
• Establish processes and performance metrics to drive efficiency, consistency, and results.
• Partner with business development, operations, and executive leadership to develop and execute pursuit strategies for priority projects and markets.
• Align estimating and proposal activities with business unit and company growth goals.
• Lead pursuit kickoff meetings, win theme development, and competitive positioning strategies.
• Direct estimating teams to develop accurate, competitive, and profitable cost estimates for bids and proposals.
• Review and approve final estimates for major pursuits, ensuring risk factors, constructability, and value drivers are considered.
• Drive continuous improvement in estimating tools, benchmarking, and best practices.
• Provide executive-level insight on cost trends, market competitiveness, and financial risk management.
• Oversee the development of persuasive, compliant, and high-quality proposals for government and commercial clients.
• Guide content development, technical narratives, pricing strategies, and overall submission quality.
• Ensure proposal processes are standardized, efficient, and consistently executed across the company.
• Analyze win/loss data, proposal metrics, and market intelligence to refine strategies and improve outcomes.
• Track estimating accuracy, proposal efficiency, and pursuit success rates; implement corrective actions as needed.
• Champion innovation in proposal development and estimating tools and technologies.
• Perform additional assignments and special projects as directed.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Twelve or more years of progressive experience in estimating and proposals within the A/E/C industry.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-disciplinary pursuit teams on large, complex projects.
• Five or more years of leadership experience with accountability for teams and departmental results.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, municipal, and private sector procurement and proposal practices; experience with FAR compliance preferred.
• Proven ability to lead estimating on multi-million-dollar pursuits, integrating technical input and risk analysis.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and estimating software; experience with proposal development tools preferred.
• Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills.
• Adaptable, detail-oriented, and results-driven, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Valid Driver's License and ability to travel on behalf of company business

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
• Fifteen or more years of experience in estimating and proposals within the heavy civil, geotechnical, or environmental construction industries.
• Direct experience managing federal (USACE, DOE, EPA, NAVFAC) and large-scale commercial pursuits.
• Strong financial and risk management acumen, with experience integrating estimating strategy into overall business planning.
• Proven success in developing pursuit strategies that improved win rates and overall competitiveness.
• Established industry network with clients, teaming partners, and agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to drive organizational change, improve processes, and scale pursuit functions to match growth.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

This office-based role requires frequent computer use and effective communication, with occasional travel to project sites as needed. Site visits may involve extended periods of standing or walking and required PPE, with potential exposure to heavy equipment, chemicals, dust, fumes, uneven terrain, and extreme weather.

This job description outlines the general scope of work and is not exhaustive. Employees may be assigned additional duties as needed. Requirements may be adjusted to accommodate disabilities, except where they pose a direct safety risk.

Perks and Benefits

Forgen offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, retirement plans, bonuses, paid time off, and more. We support a flexible work model for most non-craft positions and provide additional perks like education assistance, wellness programs, and employee awards.