Director of Preconstruction

At Benson wood, we strive to uphold the core values of quality, work ethic, teamwork, inclusivity, humility, and continuous improvement in everything we do . As a design-build company located in Walpole, NH, we are seeking an experienced, strategic Director of Preconstruction to lead our preconstruction management function and join our leadership team .

Benson wood combines heritage craftsmanship with next generation technology, creating homes and commercial structures that are better for people and the planet . We specialize in customizable standards-based architecture and offer customizable and fully custom design/build services for projects requiring the highest levels of energy efficiency and minimal on-site building time .

Our commitment to sustainability is at the core of everything we do . We prioritize the use of bio-based non-toxic and low embodied energy materials and take every opportunity to minimize waste - because we believe that the needs of today's generation should never come at the expense of tomorrow's .

The Director of Preconstruction is responsible for leading and managing the company's preconstruction function, ensuring projects successfully advance from initial sales handoff through execution of the Build Contract. Overseeing Preconstruction Leads, Estimators, and Preconstruction Engineers, this role provides strategic direction, resource management, process oversight, and team development.

Reporting to senior leadership, the Director serves as the primary champion for preconstruction excellence by establishing standards, metrics, and workflows that guide projects efficiently to Build Contract while ensuring seamless handoffs. The Director collaborates closely with Sales, Design, Engineering, Procurement, Production, and Project Management to maximize project conversion rates, maintain financial performance, and drive continuous improvement.

Departmental Leadership & Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Preconstruction Leads, Estimators, and Preconstruction Engineers. Establish clear performance expectations, roles, and metrics. Conduct regular coaching, quarterly reviews, and performance evaluations. Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning.

Management & Executive Participation: Attend weekly leadership meetings, commit to company goals, enforce SOPs, and resolve operational issues. Communicate vision and leadership decisions clearly to the team, ensure effective delegation, and foster a collaborative, accountable culture.

Preconstruction Operations & Oversight: Oversee all active preconstruction projects to ensure progression toward Build Contracts. Monitor workload distribution, team capacity, and resource utilization. Standardize workflows, deliverables, estimating, budgeting, and scope development across all projects.

Strategic Risk & Project Management: Provide high-level oversight of project budgets, schedules, design development, and engineering coordination. Lead risk assessment efforts to mitigate technical/financial risks and ensure opportunities align with company capabilities and profitability targets.

Sales Collaboration & Client Engagement: Partner with Sales on project pursuit strategies, proposal development, contract negotiations, and preconstruction service offerings to increase conversion rates. Serve as an executive-level client contact during preconstruction phases.

Financial Management & Metrics Tracking: Manage departmental budgets, staffing forecasts, direct labor performance, and key performance indicators—including Build Contract conversion rates, conversion pace, budget accuracy, team utilization, and preconstruction revenue.

Process Improvement & Cross-Functional Alignment: Continuously evaluate and optimize preconstruction systems, SOPs, and technology tools. Develop reporting dashboards and collaborate with Sales, Design, Engineering, Procurement, Production, and Project Management to enhance handoffs and customer outcomes.

Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in construction, design-build, preconstruction, estimating, or project management.

Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing technical and client-facing teams.

Demonstrated expertise in estimating, budgeting, construction methods, project planning, and risk management.

Deep understanding of design-build project delivery systems.

Strong financial acumen,…