Pre-Construction Design Manager

DAWSON is a Native Hawaiian global business enterprise serving the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal government clients while benefiting the Native Hawaiian community.

Aloha (sharing of life, embodying humility and respect) is one of DAWSON's core values. Aloha is the common spirit that bonds our 'ohana together, guiding us as we treat our employees, families, clients, and partners with trust, understanding, and compassion. We strive to live aloha every day, and we are committed to sharing aloha across the globe.

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Salary Range: $140,000-$180,000

As a Pre-Construction Design Manager, you will play a critical role in shaping project success by leading design coordination, constructability analysis, cost planning, and schedule development during the pre-award and early execution phases of construction projects. Leveraging deep knowledge of design-build and design-bid-build delivery methods, you will collaborate closely with owners, designers, estimators, and operations teams to ensure projects are strategically planned, accurately priced, and positioned for efficient execution.

Your ability to integrate design intent with construction means and methods will be central to mitigating risk, controlling cost, and achieving client objectives.

Pre-Construction Planning and Strategy:

• Assume a lead role in defining project scope, design intent, and pre-construction objectives in alignment with client requirements and organizational strategy.
• Direct pre-construction planning efforts, including design development milestones, cost modeling, and schedule sequencing.
• Evaluate delivery methods (Design-Build, Design-Bid-Build, CM-at-Risk) and recommend optimal approaches based on project constraints.
• Identify technical, schedule, and cost risks early and develop mitigation strategies to support successful project outcomes.
• Establish pre-construction benchmarks, performance metrics, and deliverables to guide project development.

Design Management and Coordination:

• Serve as the primary liaison between design consultants, estimating teams, and construction operations during pre-construction.
• Lead design reviews to ensure alignment with constructability, phasing, safety, and lifecycle cost considerations.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary coordination meetings to resolve design conflicts and ensure completeness of contract documents.
• Ensure design packages comply with applicable codes, standards, client requirements, and federal contracting criteria.
• Oversee value engineering and alternatives analysis to optimize cost, schedule, and performance without compromising quality.

Cost Estimating and Schedule Development:

• Collaborate with estimating teams to develop conceptual, schematic, and detailed cost estimates throughout design progression.
• Validate quantities, assumptions, and pricing strategies to ensure accuracy and competitiveness.
• Lead development of pre-construction schedules, including phasing plans, long-lead procurement, and milestone tracking.
• Support proposal development, including technical narratives, pricing assumptions, and risk registers.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Cultivate strong working relationships with clients, designers, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders.
• Clearly communicate design status, cost impacts, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership and clients.
• Prepare and deliver pre-construction reports, presentations, and briefings to support informed decision-making.
• Proactively manage stakeholder expectations throughout the design and pre-construction lifecycle.

Transition to Construction:

• Support seamless transition from pre-construction to execution by coordinating handoff of design intent, estimates, schedules, and risk…