Preconstruction Director/Utilities Estimator
Position Summary:
The Preconstruction Director / Senior Utilities Estimator is a leadership role responsible for directing all preconstruction and estimating activities for the Company’s plumbing and underground utilities operations, serving as a senior-level technical expert overseeing our estimating department. This individual serves as both the head of preconstruction and the lead utilities estimator, overseeing all company estimates, including plumbing and utilities bids and occasionally assisting with change order pricing, while directly performing detailed estimating for wet utilities projects. The role ensures strategic bid selection, margin protection, backlog stability, manpower forecasting, and effective client positioning. The Preconstruction Director is accountable for the accuracy, competitiveness, and presentation of all proposals prior to submission and plays a key role in sales strategy, client communication, and contract award positioning. As our Senior Utilities Estimator, this position is also responsible for comprehensive and accurate preparation of cost estimates and proposals for underground wet utility systems.
Preconstruction Leadership and Oversight:
Oversee all estimates prepared by the Company for plumbing and underground utilities projects.
Supervise, mentor, and guide estimators. Assist junior estimators to identify and visualize pitfalls and complexities on projects and account for costs accordingly.
Provide technical direction when estimators encounter unusual conditions or ambiguities on the plans.
Direct estimators to submit pre-bid RFIs when necessary and review their RFI’s for appropriateness and accuracy.
Establish and enforce consistent estimating standards, labor productivity assumptions, and proposal formatting. Review and approve all bids prior to submission.
Review and assist with change order pricing when necessary, to ensure takeoff accuracy and margin protection.
Bid Strategy and Opportunity Evaluation:
Review all incoming bid invitations. Employ strategy and judgement to make sound decisions regarding opportunity selection. Strategically position the Company to increase likelihood of contract award.
Maintain an organized estimating schedule and manage time efficiently.
Collaborate with leadership and estimating to determine bid/no bid decisions and respond to clients appropriately.
Monitor, maintain, and own the Sales Pipeline. Follow up on bids, gauge likelihood of award on various projects, and record feedback on Sales Pipeline.
Analyze current backlog and projected awards. Stay informed of manpower availability. Coordinate with project managers/superintendents on manpower. Forecast manpower utilization to ensure crews remain occupied.
Coordinate with operations to balance workload and avoid over-commitment.
Proposal Review & Finalization
Review bids produced by junior estimators for takeoff accuracy, scope coverage, labor & equipment calculations, and proposal language, exclusions, and formatting.
Manage risk exposure by adding exclusions and qualifying language as needed. Clearly define scope inclusions, exclusions, qualifications, and assumptions.
Ensure proposals are submitted on or before the established deadlines. Ensure all required bid documentation, e.g. bid forms, scope cards, etc. are submitted with our proposals.
Utility Estimating:
Analyze plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, schedules, and other bid documents.
Communicate effectively with GC’s to discuss important aspects of each project, clarify assumptions, and resolve issues.
Request and receive all information required to produce accurate bids.
Identify errors, omissions, ambiguities, and constructability issues; submit pre-bid RFIs as needed to resolve these types of issues.
Request all supplier and specialty vendor quotes and review them for accuracy and conformance to the specifications.
Review the location of each portion of our scope to ensure constructability and analyzes the cost implications of where the work is located (e.g., work in the ROW, adjacent to structures, occupied buildings, etc.)
Conduct site walks and field investigations as required to analyze existing conditions.
Analyze our scopes of work, calculate durations for each phase, and produce accurate, detailed, and complete takeoffs and cost estimates.
Prepare proposals for wet utilities bids on or before the bid deadlines.
Project Handoff & Change Management
Assist Project Managers with project handoff and job startup.
Monitor commodity cost fluctuations and inform Project Managers to minimize cost overruns.
Pay: $145,000.00 - $190,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: In person
