Preconstruction Executive

CMC Development & Construction•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Preconstruction Executive provides overall leadership, accountability, and strategic direction for CMC’s preconstruction function. This role is responsible for building and leading the department while remaining actively involved in estimating, pursuits, and preconstruction execution. The Preconstruction Executive oversees projects from initial opportunity through turnover to Operations, ensuring estimates are accurate, risks are identified, pursuit strategies are competitive, and preconstruction commitments align with CMC’s operational capabilities and financial goals. As the department grows, this role will recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing preconstruction team while establishing consistent processes and standards across all CMC regions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in preconstruction, estimating, or construction management.
Demonstrated ability to independently lead estimates and complex pursuits from initial opportunity through final proposal and project turnover.
Experience building, leading, or developing preconstruction and estimating teams.
Strong knowledge of commercial construction estimating, conceptual budgeting, subcontractor scope development, procurement, scheduling, and constructability.
Demonstrated experience with hard bid, CSP/RFP, CMAR, Design-Build, JOC, and negotiated delivery methods.
Strong understanding of subcontractor markets, cost trends, bid leveling, scope gap analysis, and construction risk.
Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, presentation, and organizational skills.
Ability to operate as a hands-on preconstruction leader while simultaneously developing departmental systems, processes, and staff.
Proficiency with platforms such as BuildingConnected, OST Estimating, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, or equivalent construction estimating and collaboration platforms.

Nice To Haves

LEED AP, DBIA, AACE, ASPE, or other relevant industry certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership and accountability for CMC’s preconstruction and estimating functions across all regions.
Establish and continuously improve departmental standards, estimating procedures, workflows, templates, and quality-control processes.
Develop the organizational structure and staffing plan necessary to support CMC’s growth and pursuit volume.
Recruit, mentor, and develop estimators and preconstruction professionals as the department expands.
Manage department workload, pursuit assignments, deadlines, and resources to ensure timely and accurate deliverables.
Establish and monitor departmental KPIs, including estimating accuracy, pursuit volume, hit rate, subcontractor participation, and preconstruction performance.
Maintain and develop historical cost data, estimating benchmarks, and lessons learned to improve future pricing accuracy.
Personally lead estimates, hard bids, CSP/RFP pursuits, CMAR proposals, Design-Build pursuits, JOC opportunities, and negotiated projects as required.
Lead conceptual estimating, budgeting, design-phase estimating, GMP development, and final pricing.
Review drawings, specifications, scopes, and other contract documents to identify project requirements, risks, exclusions, and opportunities.
Lead estimate reviews and ensure pricing is complete, competitive, properly scoped, and consistent with CMC standards prior to submission.
Develop value engineering alternatives and cost-saving strategies without compromising project quality or owner requirements.
Lead constructability reviews, logistics planning, phasing evaluations, and preconstruction scheduling.
Evaluate project risks related to scope, schedule, pricing, market conditions, subcontractor coverage, and contract requirements.
Present final estimates and recommendations to executive leadership for review and approval.
Collaborate with Procurement and Operations to develop project-specific procurement, bid packaging, and buyout strategies.
Lead subcontractor outreach and market engagement to ensure adequate and competitive bid coverage.
Develop and maintain relationships with key subcontractors, suppliers, and trade partners across CMC’s markets.
Review subcontractor proposals, scope coverage, qualifications, exclusions, and pricing to ensure complete and accurate comparisons.
Identify long-lead materials, escalation risks, and early procurement opportunities during preconstruction.
Support the transition from estimating to project buyout following award.
Partner with Business Development and executive leadership to evaluate opportunities and support go/no-go decisions.
Provide early project intelligence related to budget, schedule, delivery method, competition, subcontractor market conditions, and overall pursuit risk.
Participate in client interviews, presentations, proposal development, and pursuit strategy meetings.
Develop preconstruction strategies that differentiate CMC and strengthen the company’s competitive position.
Support relationship development with owners, architects, consultants, subcontractors, and other industry partners.
Lead comprehensive preconstruction-to-operations handoff meetings following project award.
Ensure Operations understands the estimate, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, alternates, subcontractor coverage, schedule considerations, and identified project risks.
Coordinate with Operations during scope development, buyout, and project startup to maintain continuity between the estimate and execution plan.
Participate in post-project reviews to compare estimated versus actual costs and incorporate lessons learned into future estimates.
Maintain accountability for the quality and completeness of preconstruction information transferred to the project team.
Serve as CMC’s senior preconstruction representative with owners, architects, consultants, and other project stakeholders.
Lead client presentations, design meetings, budgeting discussions, value engineering sessions, and preconstruction workshops.
Communicate cost, schedule, constructability, and procurement considerations clearly to clients and design teams.
Build trust with clients by providing timely, transparent, and solution-oriented preconstruction services.
Represent CMC professionally throughout the pursuit and preconstruction process.