Director of Preconstruction - Saint Louis, Missouri

MissionHires is hiring a Director of Preconstruction for a leading design-and-delivery partner serving financial institutions, healthcare providers, and corporations. This senior leader will own all preconstruction activities—budgeting, conceptual estimating, scheduling, vendor strategy, and startup readiness—while mentoring a high-performing team and ensuring a seamless handoff to project execution. The ideal candidate brings deep construction operations knowledge, outstanding client communication, and a track record of delivering accurate estimates and value engineering from concept through contract.

Responsibilities

• Lead all preconstruction activities, including budgeting, conceptual estimating, and construction scheduling across all design phases
• Oversee purchasing strategy, material pricing, and vendor selection to secure competitive rates and maintain quality standards
• Conduct monthly pricing reviews for key commodities and negotiate with multiple vendors to optimize cost
• Collaborate closely with the Vice President of Build to align purchasing and cost strategies with company financial goals
• Maintain and continuously improve cost databases to ensure accurate pricing for projects, allowances, and design alternates
• Develop and implement value engineering strategies to reduce costs without compromising quality
• Create, manage, and drive the preconstruction schedule to ensure on-time, seamless handoff to production
• Lead weekly estimate schedules and ensure readiness for client presentation meetings
• Ensure complete startup packages (geotechnical reports, design documents, detailed estimates, site plans, permits) prior to breaking ground
• Drive continuous process improvement to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies in preconstruction
• Serve as key liaison among clients, design teams, and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and collaboration
• Provide strategic oversight from conceptual design through final contract execution
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of preconstruction professionals, ensuring accuracy and comprehensiveness of estimates
• Facilitate high-quality communication, run effective meetings, and manage cross-department collaboration
• Ensure alignment of preconstruction deliverables with project execution needs and client expectations

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of related experience in design and construction managing multiple complex projects
• Proven leadership experience delivering projects on budget and on schedule
• Strong understanding of construction operations and logistical planning
• Demonstrated expertise in conceptual and detailed estimating, scheduling, and vendor/commodity management
• Experience with financial management of projects, including budgets, contracts, cashflow, and reporting
• Proficiency with estimating software, current construction cost data, and material procurement data (e.g., BIM, Procore, Acumatica)
• Exceptional client-service orientation with strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to lead meetings, manage workload proactively, and drive cross-functional collaboration
• Commitment to innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence

Benefits

• Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Retirement savings plan
• Sabbatical program
• Hybrid work schedule
• Employee referral bonuses