Director of Preconstruction (Irvine)

Director of Preconstruction - Industrial Construction

Irvine, CA

A well-established, employee-owned national Design-Build General Contractor is hiring a Director of Preconstruction to lead its Western Region estimating function, based in Irvine, CA.

Headquartered in the Midwest and operating nationally for over 20 years, this contractor has expanded across multiple U.S. markets and delivers projects in industrial, cold storage, commercial, healthcare, residential, adaptive reuse, and office sectors. The business is known for a people-first culture, long-term growth strategy, and employee ownership model that rewards team success.

This position will take ownership of preconstruction across the Western Region, supporting operations in Southern California, Northern California, Nevada, and Arizona.

The immediate focus is industrial construction, with responsibility to grow the regional estimating capability over time.

You will inherit a lean local team consisting of a Senior Estimator and Estimating Coordinator, while also partnering with a larger national preconstruction group based at HQ.

This is a genuine leadership role, but the company wants someone who still enjoys the technical side of estimating and wants to stay close to the work - and not just manage.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading all preconstruction and estimating activity across the Western Region
• Preparing conceptual budgets, GMPs, detailed estimates, and bid proposals
• Reviewing drawings, specifications, RFPs, and bid packages for scope and risk
• Managing subcontractor outreach, bid leveling, scope analysis, and negotiations
• Supporting presentations, client pursuits, and early-stage business development efforts
• Partnering with operations teams for seamless handover from preconstruction to delivery
• Hiring, mentoring, and developing future regional estimating talent
• Helping scale the Western Region team in line with company growth plans
• Collaborating with the national preconstruction division on strategy, resources, and best practice
• Driving value engineering and cost planning solutions for clients
• Hiring, training and scaling the division
• Travel is minimal, limited to occasional job walks, client meetings, or short overnight trips. No extensive project travel

What we’re looking for:

• Minimum 10 years experience in construction estimating / preconstruction with a California based General Contractor
• Ability to lead teams while remaining hands-on technically
• Strong subcontractor market knowledge across Southern California and/or Western U.S.
• Experience pricing ground-up industrial, logistics, warehouse, manufacturing, or similar projects
• Strong commercial acumen with excellent communication and presentation skills
• Stable career history with leadership credibility
• Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or similar preferred
• Experience working at a Director level is preferred
• Experience working for a Top 200 ENR GC is required

Compensation & benefits:

• Competitive base salary based on experience
• Performance bonus structure
• Full healthcare benefits
• 401(k)
• PTO package
• Employee ownership / wealth-building opportunity
• Long-term progression within a growing national platform

Why this opportunity:

• Lead a full region rather than just a single office
• High-visibility role with direct impact on regional growth
• Backed by an established national contractor with strong resources
• Lean team environment with autonomy and no bureaucracy
• Hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys estimating, not just managing
• Minimal travel compared to many industrial GC roles
• Opportunity to build and shape the Western Region preconstruction team over time

If you are interested, please apply directly with a bid list and resume.