Director of Preconstruction - National Student Housing Developer

Park7 Group

2d • $150,000 - $200,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Director of Pre-construction is a senior leadership role responsible for managing and directing the full pre-construction lifecycle for a national portfolio of mid-rise and high-rise private student housing developments.
This role serves as the primary liaison between the Development Team, Architects, Consultants, and General Contractors (GCs) from early conceptual planning through final GMP execution. The Director of Preconstruction will lead early conceptual pricing, General Contractor selection, budgeting strategy, cost validation, design consultant coordination, constructability review, value engineering, and schedule alignment to ensure projects are financially viable and aligned with underwriting assumptions.
The position plays a critical role in maintaining national and regional GC relationships while developing and managing a comprehensive historical cost database to support accurate conceptual estimating for future developments.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in construction, pre-construction, or development.
• Minimum 5+ years in a senior pre-construction leadership role.
• Experience with large-scale multifamily, mixed-use, or student housing developments.
• Strong understanding of: Mid-rise and high-rise construction methodologies
• GMP contracting
• Conceptual estimating and cost modeling
• National construction market dynamics
• Advanced budgeting and conceptual estimating skills.
• Proficiency in construction cost software and Excel-based modeling.
• Strong understanding of:
• Construction documents
• Building systems
• Site development costs
• Vertical transportation systems
• Life safety and code considerations for high-rise construction

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience with student housing developments.
• Experience working for:
• A national real estate developer
• A large general contractor in a pre-construction leadership capacity
• Experience across multiple U.S. markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full preconstruction lifecycle for new development projects and renovation projects, from early feasibility and conceptual budgeting through General Contractor selection and final GMP execution.
• Develop and maintain conceptual cost models, project budgets, and construction strategies to support underwriting and development decision-making.
• Manage the General Contractor procurement process, including RFP/RFQ development, bid evaluation, contractor interviews, and contract negotiations.
• Partner closely with architects, engineers, and consultants to ensure design progression remains aligned with budget, schedule, and constructability requirements.
• Lead structured cost reviews at major design milestones (Concept, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents).
• Identify and implement value engineering strategies that preserve design intent while maintaining financial feasibility.
• Maintain and continually refine a national construction cost database, tracking labor trends, material pricing, and regional cost differences across markets.
• Evaluate construction schedules and identify procurement risks, long-lead items, and escalation exposure early in the design process.
• Provide strategic input to development and executive leadership on construction cost trends, budgeting assumptions, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Support site acquisition and new development opportunities by providing construction feasibility analysis and preliminary cost projections.

Benefits

• The expected base salary range for this position is $150,000 – $200,000 annually, depending on experience, qualifications, and geographic location.
• 12 days of total paid time off (PTO)
• Accumulating an additional day for each year of employment with the company
• 9 paid holidays
• Paid Parental/Childbirth Leave
• 80/20 split on classic health care coverage and 50/50 split on the dental plan
• Voluntary vision, life, and ancillary coverage available
• 401(k) and 401(k) company matching after 1 year of employment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed