Director of Preconstruction & Estimating (Chief Estimator)

Vanir Construction Management, Inc.•Sacramento, CA

17h•$150,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Preconstruction & Estimating (Chief Estimator) provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for all preconstruction and estimating activities. This role is responsible for strengthening departmental structure, elevating technical rigor, and ensuring consistent, high‑quality delivery across all project types. The Director drives pursuit strategy, market positioning, and internal alignment while building a resilient, scalable team capable of supporting the company’s long‑term growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or related field; or equivalent experience.
10+ years of construction experience with extensive estimating and/or preconstruction leadership.
Demonstrated ability to build and lead high‑performing teams.
Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to interpret market conditions and organizational needs.
Deep understanding of labor and material markets and their impact on project delivery.
Comprehensive technical knowledge of building systems, constructability, and preconstruction processes.
Significant experience with design‑build delivery and sustainable construction practices.
Strong commitment to client service and high‑quality deliverables.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to inspire, influence, and align diverse stakeholders.
Skilled at balancing data, intuition, and experience in decision‑making.
Proven ability to foster collaboration, resolve conflict, and maintain strong internal and external relationships.
Adaptable, enterprise‑minded, and able to lead through organizational change.
Proficiency with construction management software and digital tools.

Nice To Haves

LEED or DBIA credentials.
Experience with Bluebeam, On‑Screen Takeoff, and Primavera P6 is a plus

Responsibilities

Establish and communicate a clear vision for a modern, high‑performing Estimating and Preconstruction Department, with emphasis on consistency, technical excellence, and scalable processes.
Translate organizational goals into actionable departmental strategies, ensuring staff understand priorities and how their work contributes to broader business objectives.
Identify and evaluate opportunities in existing and emerging markets, using industry insight to shape pursuit strategies and strengthen competitive positioning.
Lead or support go/no‑go decisions, pursuit planning, interviews, and proposal development, ensuring alignment between estimating, operations, and business development.
Represent Vanir at industry events and within professional networks to expand visibility and cultivate new relationships.
Refine departmental structure, workflows, and standards to ensure consistent, repeatable, and high‑quality outputs across all disciplines.
Oversee staffing plans, resource allocation, and workload balancing to support predictable delivery and reduce single‑point dependencies.
Establish and maintain a department‑wide utilization rate of 80% or higher, including the Chief Estimator, ensuring balanced workloads and efficient staff usage across pursuits and active projects.
Develop and manage departmental budgets, identifying risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
Ensure adherence to corporate standards and effectively communicate organizational updates and expectations.
Foster strong partnerships with operations, design partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment throughout the preconstruction process.
Develop a diverse, technically strong team with depth across all major building systems and delivery methods.
Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance management to elevate staff capabilities and prepare future leaders.
Establish clear expectations, accountability frameworks, and professional development pathways to support long‑term departmental stability.
Lead estimating and preconstruction efforts on complex, multi‑disciplinary, or high‑risk projects when strategic involvement is required.
Provide expert guidance on design development, cost modeling, constructability, procurement strategies, and contract negotiations.
Strengthen QA/QC processes to ensure accuracy, defensibility, and consistency across all estimates and deliverables.
Use data, performance metrics, and market intelligence to inform departmental decisions and refine processes.
Lead or oversee development of independent cost estimates for change orders and support negotiation strategies with contractors.
Identify potential cost impacts from RFIs, submittmits, and design changes and advise project teams proactively.
Lead or support value engineering efforts, ensuring recommendations align with project goals, performance requirements, and long‑term value.
Own the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Vanir’s cost models, benchmarking tools, and cost databases.
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.