Preconstruction Planning Manager - Cedar Rapids, IA

Location: Onsite / Regional Project Support

Employment Type: Direct Hire

Travel: Regional travel required, approximately eight trips per year, with local project site visits as needed

Innovar Group is seeking a Preconstruction Planning Manager to lead the planning process for complex industrial construction projects. This role is responsible for making sure projects are properly prepared before major field execution begins, with a focus on constructability, sequencing, prefabrication opportunities, BIM/VDC coordination, layout strategy, and project team alignment.

This is a great opportunity for a construction leader who enjoys solving problems before they hit the field. The ideal candidate understands how strong planning improves safety, productivity, cost control, and schedule performance across large construction projects.

This role is approximately 65–70% office-based planning and coordination, with about 30–35% field involvement through local site visits and regional project travel.

• Lead and manage the preconstruction and pre-job planning process for assigned regional projects.
• Partner with project managers, superintendents, foremen, area leadership, and project executives to prepare projects for successful execution.
• Review project scopes, drawings, schedules, manpower needs, logistics, and constructability considerations.
• Identify prefabrication opportunities and help teams understand how prefabrication can improve safety, productivity, quality, and schedule performance.
• Oversee and support planning for projects generally greater than $1 million and more than 6,000 labor hours.
• Coordinate with BIM/VDC leadership to support shop drawings, layout, coordination, field survey needs, and project planning.
• Supervise planning-related team members, which may include layout, prefabrication, VDC, and total station resources.
• Shepherd the planning process across multiple project teams and ensure planning milestones are being completed.
• Follow up regularly with project managers, superintendents, foremen, and field leaders to track status, remove roadblocks, and coach teams through the planning process.
• Help create consistency in how projects are planned, documented, coordinated, and transitioned to field execution.
• Support internal planning processes even when client BIM or VDC requirements vary by project.
• Work with leadership to evaluate project readiness, resource needs, schedule risks, and execution strategy.
• Promote a collaborative, proactive planning culture across project and field teams.

• Strong background in industrial, mechanical, electrical, construction, or related field operations.
• Experience supporting preconstruction, project planning, field planning, construction execution, or project management on complex construction projects.
• Strong understanding of how field work is sequenced, coordinated, and executed.
• Working knowledge of prefabrication capabilities and how prefabrication can support project delivery.
• Practical understanding of BIM/VDC uses in construction, including coordination, shop drawings, layout, and field execution support.
• Ability to supervise and coach planning-related team members.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with project managers, superintendents, foremen, executives, and technical teams.
• Ability to manage multiple project teams or planning efforts at the same time.
• Comfortable spending time both in the office and on active project sites.
• Willingness to travel regionally as needed.

• Experience leading or supporting planning efforts for large industrial projects.
• Experience with projects over $1 million and 6,000+ labor hours.
• Background working with mechanical, plumbing,…