Preconstruction Director

Balfour Beatty US is an industry-leading provider of general contracting, at-risk construction management and design-build services for public and private sector clients across the nation. Performing heavy civil and vertical construction, our teams build the unique structures and infrastructure that play an important role in how people live, work, learn and play in our communities. Our teammates have an instinctive passion for innovating that is fueled by a relentless curiosity, a drive to employ lean practices and processes and the determination to find a better way.

Through Zero Harm®, we are challenging the construction industry’s assumptions about safety. We believe that no level of harm should come to anyone as a result of our business.

Consistently ranked among the nation’s largest building contractors by Engineering News-Record, our US business is a subsidiary of London-based Balfour Beatty plc (LSE: BBY).

• Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee Referral Bonus
• And more!

Balfour Beatty is seeking an experienced, strategic Director of Preconstruction to lead, mentor, and scale our regional preconstruction department and estimating team based out of Charlotte, NC
. In this leadership role, you will have direct operational oversight of the Charlotte team, managing the full preconstruction lifecycle from initial conceptual estimating and target value design through final GMP execution for a diverse commercial portfolio across both North and South Carolina ranging from $10 million to $400 million
. Serving as the critical bridge between design and operations, you will drive advanced preconstruction workflows, lead risk mitigation and value engineering efforts, and partner closely with business development to secure new work. This position requires a collaborative leader with a proven track record in complex commercial construction, strong team-building and mentorship capabilities, and the ability to travel occasionally (10-15%) to regional offices and project locations throughout the Carolinas, including Raleigh, NC, and Charleston, SC.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with extensive commercial construction experience, strong conceptual estimating skills, and the ability to guide teams while building lasting client relationships. This position is based in Charlotte and requires occasional travel throughout the Carolinas, including Charleston, Raleigh, and other regional offices and project locations as needed.

• Lead multiple preconstruction efforts simultaneously from conceptual design through final pricing and turnover to operations.
• Oversee projects ranging from $10M to $400M across all phases of design.
• Direct and mentor Preconstruction Managers, Estimators, and support staff throughout the preconstruction process.
• Develop conceptual budgets, detailed estimates, general conditions, and bid packages.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through constructability reviews and value engineering.
• Track project budgets and proactively mitigate cost overruns while maintaining design intent.
• Review project documents and establish appropriate assumptions where design information is incomplete.
• Prepare client presentation materials, estimate deliverables, qualifications, clarifications, and bid assumptions.
• Maintain thorough documentation and audit trails for all preconstruction activities and client communications.

• Serve as the primary liaison between preconstruction and operations through project turnover and early construction.
• Assist operations teams with procurement strategies, purchasing processes, and subcontractor engagement.
• Analyze subcontractor bids and participate in post-bid reviews and negotiations.
• Support change order pricing after GMP establishment.
• Monitor local market conditions, labor trends, and material pricing to maintain accurate cost forecasting.
• Assist with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation planning and reporting as required.

• Build trusted relationships with owners, architects, engineers,…