Director of Preconstruction

Director of Preconstruction

The Director of Preconstruction leads all design‑assist and early‑stage project development activities for the company's large project and mission‑critical portfolio. This senior preconstruction leader drives MMC’s win strategy, owns the estimate‑to‑contract handoff, and builds the organizational capability (people, tools, and process). This position enables the company to compete and win in complex mechanical scopes including healthcare, industrial, large commercial construction, and hyperscale data centers.

The Director partners closely with Estimating, Operations, BIM/VDC, Procurement, and executive leadership to ensure that preconstruction deliverables are accurate, competitive, and position the project team for a profitable, buildable outcome.

• Direct bid and proposal activity for many large, complex, and design‑assist mechanical scopes from initial RFP through GMP or lump‑sum award.
• Establish and enforce estimating standards: labor productivity benchmarks, material pricing strategy, escalation assumptions, and scope coverage checklists.
• Coordinate directly with Chief Estimator to assign and review work product of estimating staff on concurrent bids.
• Own the proposal evaluation process, ensuring resource commitment aligns with win probability and strategic fit.

• Manage design‑assist and design‑build engagements from owner/GC relationship through construction documents, including scope coordination with MEP engineers, VDC teams, and trade partners.
• Lead or supervise the development of design‑assist proposals, budgets, and value engineering recommendations that advance project design while protecting company margin.
• Coordinate with the BIM/VDC team to ensure constructability, prefabrication strategy, and system‑level design decisions are incorporated into preconstruction deliverables.
• Develop and present owner and GC‑facing technical proposals, including project approach narratives, schedule assumptions, qualifications, and staffing plans.
• Review and provide input on subcontract terms, scope of work, and commercial structures during preconstruction; identify exposure items and recommend protective language before execution.
• Collaborate with operations leadership on project kickoff, ensuring estimate assumptions and scope inclusions/exclusions are clearly communicated to the project team.
• Develop and maintain standard qualifications, clarifications, and exclusion language for proposals across project types and delivery methods (lump sum, GMP, T&M, unit price).

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with general contractors, owners, developers, and design teams in the company's target markets, with an emphasis on mission‑critical, hyperscale, and large commercial segments.
• Represent the company at industry events, client meetings, and pre‑bid interviews; serve as a senior technical voice during owner presentations and GC selection processes.
• Maintain awareness of market pipeline, competitor positioning, labor market trends, and material cost drivers to inform pricing strategy and business development planning.
• Provide leadership input on target accounts, pursuit prioritization, and strategic partnership opportunities.
• Establish performance expectations, conduct regular reviews, and actively develop staff through mentorship, training, and stretch assignments.
• Partner with HR and executive leadership on recruiting, headcount planning, and compensation benchmarking for the preconstruction function.
• Promote a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement across all preconstruction activities.

• 7–10+ years of experience in mechanical contracting, with at least 5 years in a senior estimating or preconstruction leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience estimating large, complex mechanical scopes ($20M+) including HVAC, plumbing, process piping, and/or hydronic/chilled water systems.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical systems design and construction methods applicable to data centers, healthcare, or large commercial facilities.
• Proficiency with industry estimating tools and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Proven…