Director of Preconstruction

Holt Brothers Inc•Raleigh, NC

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Preconstruction is responsible for leading and managing the company’s preconstruction department while driving strategic growth across North Carolina and South Carolina. This role provides leadership for all preconstruction services including estimating strategy, budgeting, constructability review, and early-stage project planning. The Director of Preconstruction works closely with clients, subcontractors, architects, and internal teams to define scope, prepare detailed estimates, and develop efficient schedules and works in close partnership with the Director of Operations to ensure seamless transition from preconstruction to construction execution. This position plays a critical role in project pursuit strategy, client relationship development, and strengthening the company’s presence with owners, developers, architects, and industry partners across the region. The ideal candidate is a strategic construction leader with strong market relationships, deep estimating expertise, and the ability to lead teams while influencing business development and operational success.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, architecture, or a related field
10 + years of construction industry experience, with significant focus on preconstruction and estimating
5 + years of leadership experience managing preconstruction or estimating teams.
Experience working with commercial construction projects (i.e. office, healthcare, education, hospitality, mixed use, or similar sectors preferred).
Strong familiarity with construction markets in North and South Carolina is highly desirable.
Strategic leadership and team development
Advanced estimating and cost analysis expertise
Strong understanding of construction methods and sequencing
Client relationship management and business development support
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Ability to influence cross-functional teams and executive leadership
Proficiency with construction management software (e.g. On-Screen Takeoff, Procure, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project, or similar)
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel)
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Holt Brothers Construction does not provide sponsorship for employment visas and will not consider applicants who require sponsorship now or in the future.

Responsibilities

Lead the preconstruction department, ensuring alignment with Holt Brothers Construction’s objectives, vision, and values.
Motivate and inspire the preconstruction team, including estimators, preconstruction managers, and support staff to achieve milestones and foster a culture of excellence.
Establish departmental goals, standards, and performance metrics.
Provide mentorship to team members, with the goal of maintaining a high-performing preconstruction culture.
Oversee workload planning and resource allocation across multiple projects and pursuits.
Implement and improve preconstruction systems, tools, and estimating processes.
Direct all phases of preconstruction services, including conceptual estimating, budgeting, value engineering, constructability review, and bid preparation.
Lead pricing strategies to ensure competitive, accurate, and profitable proposals.
Ensure that all plans and schedules account for local laws, construction regulations, and environmental factors.
Develop and maintain cost databases and market intelligence to support accurate forecasting.
Responsible for the tracking and monitoring of the preconstruction personnel time to ensure adequate resources to support projects and track our annual preconstruction budget.
Ensure alignment between preconstruction planning and operational execution.
Support the company’s strategic growth across North and South Carolina.
Build and maintain strong relationships with Developers, Owners, Architects and design teams, Engineers, Subcontractors, and Industry Partners.
Participate in industry organizations, networking events, and community engagement to strengthen the company’s presence.
Provide insights into leadership on market trends, project opportunities, and competitive positioning.
Partner closely with the Director of Operations to ensure alignment between preconstruction planning and project execution.
Collaborate with operations and field teams to identify risks, constructability considerations, and cost drivers early in the project lifecycle.
Support smooth project handoffs by participating in project kickoff meetings and providing clarifications on estimates, scope, and budgets.
Maintain regular engagement with field teams and job sites to strengthen coordination between preconstruction and operations.
Collaborate with Business Development and Executive Leadership to evaluate project pursuit opportunities.
Serve as the primary point of contact for clients during the preconstruction phase, building and nurturing long term relationships.
Ensure that clients’ needs are met through clear communication and transparency throughout the planning stages.
Participate in go/no go decision-making for major projects.
Lead preconstruction efforts for complex or high-value pursuits, present budgets, schedules, and value engineering strategies to clients and design teams.
Support proposal development and client presentations during the pursuit process.