Director of Preconstruction

Walbridge has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Preconstruction Director to join our team. In this leadership role, you will guide complex preconstruction efforts from early pursuit through project handoff, helping shape strategy, drive estimating excellence, manage risk, and support successful client outcomes. You will lead teams across estimating, procurement, design management, operations, and business development to deliver competitive, accurate, and well-planned solutions that align with Walbridge standards and client expectations.

As a senior leader, you will balance technical depth, operational discipline, and people leadership while strengthening preconstruction processes, mentoring talent, and supporting growth across the business.

Location

You will work from our enterprise headquarters in Detroit, MI, or one of our regional offices in Kalamazoo, MI, Pittsburgh, PA, or Charlotte, NC. Travel may be required based on project pursuits, client meetings, and team collaboration.

Your Key Responsibilities

Preconstruction Leadership & Strategy

Lead the full preconstruction lifecycle for major pursuits, from concept development through final estimate, proposal support, and handoff to operations.
• Establish preconstruction strategy, execution plans, and deliverables aligned with client goals, delivery method, and business objectives.
• Guide conceptual estimating, budgeting, scheduling, and milestone planning for complex projects across multiple markets and delivery methods.
• Drive value engineering, constructability input, and strategic planning to improve competitiveness and project outcomes.
• Identify key project risks, assumptions, clarifications, and opportunities, and align stakeholders on mitigation strategies.

Estimating, Cost & Commercial Oversight

• Oversee the development, review, and approval of detailed estimates to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with project scope.
• Review drawings, specifications, contract requirements, logistics plans, bid packaging strategies, and market conditions that impact pricing and risk.
• Support pricing strategy, estimate recaps, executive reviews, and proposal recommendations for major pursuits.
• Ensure consistency in preconstruction tools, templates, estimate structures, and reporting standards across the team.
• Contribute to historical cost benchmarking and continuous improvement of estimating best practices.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop preconstruction managers, estimators, and support staff while fostering accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Establish priorities, assign resources, and support workload balancing across pursuits and initiatives.
• Reinforce Walbridge values, safety expectations, and operational standards throughout the preconstruction organization.
• Partner with People & Talent to support recruiting, onboarding, development, and succession planning for preconstruction roles.
• Promote continuous learning and process improvement across systems, workflows, and team capability.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with operations, procurement, design management, project controls, and business development to align pursuit strategy and execution plans.
• Support smooth handoff from preconstruction to operations by ensuring clarity on scope, assumptions, risks, schedule, and commercial considerations.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on go/no-go decisions, pursuit strategy, staffing, and business planning.
• Work with internal stakeholders to improve preconstruction standards, reporting, and enterprise consistency.

Client & Pursuit Engagement

• Serve as a senior-facing representative during client meetings, interviews, presentations, and key pursuit discussions.
• Communicate project approach, pricing strategy, assumptions, risk, and value propositions clearly and confidently.
• Build and maintain strong client, design partner, subcontractor, and internal stakeholder relationships throughout the pursuit lifecycle.
• Support business development efforts by contributing to RFQs, RFPs, interviews, presentations, and strategic pursuit planning.

To qualify for the role, you must have

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field required; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in estimating, preconstruction, or related construction leadership roles.
• 5+ years of experience leading teams and overseeing complex preconstruction efforts for large industrial, commercial, or mission critical projects.
• Strong knowledge of construction means and methods, estimating principles, procurement strategy, contracts, and risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex pursuits, influence stakeholders, and support successful project outcomes.
• Strong communication, leadership, organizational, and decision-making skills.

Ideally, you'll also have

• Experience with CM at Risk, Design-Build, and negotiated delivery methods.
• Experience leading large, complex pursuits with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with estimating systems, Microsoft Excel, and enterprise construction platforms.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate effectively with clients, leadership, and project teams.
• A process improvement mindset and commitment to standardization, quality, and continuous improvement.

Excited to make an impact? Apply now!

Click the "Submit for this job online" button below. We look forward to hearing from you!

Walbridge is an equal opportunity employer with a culture that promotes diversity in the workforce. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, military or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, and termination.