Preconstruction Engineer
About The Position
The Preconstruction Engineer is a cross-functional role that supports the full lifecycle of Product Development and Samara’s design-build construction projects. You will work closely with our Product Development, Project Management, Sales, and Site Installation teams to deliver takeoffs, bills of material, labor estimates, and total project costs at key milestones — from early-stage product design through GMP development and change order pricing. While our offshore Remote Estimators own the day-to-day for customer-facing site proposals, the Preconstruction Engineer is the in-house anchor for our internal development pipeline: building GMPs for Samara-owned projects, pricing self-perform installation scopes, and feeding cost insight back into product development at key design gates. You will also serve as a technical resource to the Remote Estimating team as needed. If you are passionate about preconstruction strategy, rigorous cost engineering, and helping shape how a fast-growing prefab company scales, we’d love to hear from you.
Requirements
- ~5 years of construction estimating experience, across both subcontracted and self-perform scopes.
- General contractor background, ideally on residential single-family or small multifamily projects. Light commercial works too.
- Working knowledge of light-gauge steel framing.
- Proficiency with takeoff and estimating tools (Autodesk Construction Cloud and ProEst preferred) and strong Excel skills.
- Sharp attention to detail and clear written and verbal communication.
- Collaborative, social, and comfortable building process in a fast-moving startup.
Nice To Haves
- Experience estimating in modular or prefabricated construction.
- Background in design-build project delivery.
- Familiarity with GMP development and preconstruction processes.
- ASPE certification (CPE or CEP).
- Experience integrating cost data with ERP, MRP, or BOM systems.
Responsibilities
- Develop GMP estimates for Samara’s internal development projects, from conceptual through design development.
- Provide cost feedback to the Product Development team at key design gates — early enough that changes are still cheap.
- Estimate self-perform installation scopes: structural connections, MEP tie-ins, drywall, roofing, and exterior siding.
- Run quantity takeoffs from drawings, specs, and 3D models. Develop bills of material at key product milestones.
- Estimate labor hours for internal field crews and pressure-test assumptions against actual production data.
- Price change orders for the internal install team — accurate, timely, and well-documented.
- Provide technical guidance and pricing support to the offshore Remote Estimating team on customer-facing site quotes when needed.
- Maintain unit cost libraries using industry cost databases and Samara historical data.
- Solicit, level, and award subcontractor and vendor proposals for outsourced scope.
- Surface cost risk, scope ambiguity, and schedule pressure points early — and document the assumptions behind every estimate.
- Partner with the Estimating Manager to refine templates, workflows, and SOPs as the function matures.
Benefits
- Salary range of $125–145K and performance-based bonuses.
- Early stage employee equity.
- Exceptional health, dental, and vision insurance.
- 401(k) eligibility after 6 months.
- Flexible PTO policy.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
