Early Preconstruction Manager

Job Description

We are looking for a dedicated Early Preconstruction Manager to join our talented team at any of our U.S. offices (MA, NJ, PA, MD, NC, KS, CA).

In this role, you will lead all activities before the start of physical construction, establishing a proactive framework to ensure the project is fully scoped, accurately budgeted, properly scheduled, legally permitted, and operationally ready. This role aligns stakeholders, mitigates risk, and drives decision-making from project initiation through contract execution and construction readiness. You will also facilitate the handoff of all items to the execution team.

Additional Responsibilities

Project Initiation & Governance

• Facilitate cross-functional kickoff meetings; define project communications, roles, and escalation paths.
• Implement governance structure, approval workflows, and decision-making hierarchy.
• Stand up project management tools and document control systems; train project teams.
• Develop the initial risk register and stakeholder map; integrate into planning tools.
• Develop the preconstruction execution plan and the construction execution plan.
• Oversees completion of all preconstruction-related activities supporting project startup.

Design Coordination

• Participate in milestone reviews (Concept, BOD, Detailed Design); Assist with tracking comments and resolution logs.
• Conduct constructability reviews at all phases, generate a log, issue to the team, and follow up on the closure of items.
• Facilitate value engineering (VE) workshops; maintain VE logs and coordinate cost impact estimates with estimators.
• Assist with coordinating design iterations across disciplines; review documents to ensure updates and issue resolution are documented.
• Validate evolving design against current budget and schedule; generate & publish alignment and impact reports.
• Engage with estimators for assessments of identified changes to include in reporting.
• Work with the design team on construction logistics plans that will result in a design conducive to the phasing of the project, equipment move-in paths, staging areas, safe construction, etc.
• On projects utilizing TVD, lead the TVD effort to ensure the design team is designing to a budget.
• Present all construction-related updates to the team and client as required.
• Help sell the construction phase of the project on design-only projects.
• Challenge materials of construction and other design aspects where there are potential cost savings.

Estimate Development

• Submit an estimate request to the estimating team for getting on the department schedule.
• Coordinate with design and estimating team to produce progressively detailed cost estimates (ROM, Concept, BOD,
• Detailed Design (RFP Response), including assumptions, allowances, contingencies, escalation, and market pricing validation.
• Generate the construction management staffing plan and general requirements estimate, which is aligned with the project schedule and logistics plan.
• Participate in the presentation of the estimate to the client, which will be led by the estimator.
• Review the estimate and BOE before publication to the client and make all changes necessary
• Support all estimate review follow-ups, bridging, justifications, adjustments, etc., in support of client approvals.
• Facilitate benchmarking feedback loop to the estimating team for as-bought costs in detail.

Cost Control

• Works with Cost Manager through the budget and estimate development phases to support updates leading to baselining the budget at construction kickoff.
• Initiates and oversees setup of the change management process, collaborating with the client, design, contracts, PM, and controls.
• Works with Controls and Accounting to initiate PNR/BRRs and review cost coding for accuracy.
• Works with Cost Manager to perform commitment and spend plan development, analysis, and reporting up to handover to cost control at construction kickoff.

Schedule Development

• Lead and work with the scheduler to develop all details and establish the baseline master schedule spanning design, permitting, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, and validation.
• Author the basis of the schedule narrative with input from the scheduler.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with design, construction, CQV, and client teams is of critical importance to being successful in this role.
• Facilitate interactive planning sessions with all project team members from design, procurement, construction, trade partners, equipment vendors, CQV, and clients.
• Identify long-lead items; integrate procurement timelines and vendor coordination plans.
• Perform commitment and spend plan development, analysis, and reporting.
• Ensure adherence to standard IPS WBS and customizations as needed to align with client WBS when necessary.
• Ability to develop and generate schedules in Microsoft Project and/or Oracle P6

Risk Management

• Facilitate risk workshops; categorize and prioritize risks (financial, schedule, design, environmental, regulatory).
• Utilize the standard IPS Risk log and maintain a dynamic risk register with scoring criteria and dashboards; assign risk owners and mitigation strategies.
• Integrate risk-based contingencies into budget and schedule; track usage and update forecasts.
• Monitor external risks (regulatory changes, market volatility, escalation, etc.) and communicate to pertinent team members for their use.

Permitting & Approvals

• Develop a comprehensive permit list and jurisdictional requirements summary.
• Build a permitting matrix with timelines, responsibilities, and status tracking; integrate into the master schedule.
• Coordinate with AHJs; maintain contact logs, meeting minutes, and code compliance summaries.
• Ensure full turnover to the execution team as soon as possible.

Procurement Planning

• Define procurement strategy aligned to delivery method (DBB, CMAR, DB, IPD), risk profile, and schedule.
• Work with the Procurement Team to generate the Project Procurement Plan
• Work with the Procurement Team to pre-qualify subcontractors as early as possible
• Convert estimate line items into Bid Package budgets to incorporate into the Project Procurement Plan and utilize for scope development for each.
• Validate budget against market conditions; maintain escalation analysis.
• Generate detailed scopes of work, schedule of values breakdowns, list of drawings & specifications, and all other detailed elements of each bid package.
• Coordinate with Procurement Team to prequalify subcontractors/vendors; maintain approved bidder lists and risk assessments.
• Coordinate & lead Procurement Team to issue RFQs/RFPs, conduct pre-bid meetings, RFI/addendum logs, generate bid leveling worksheet, manage and final award of subcontracts & purchase orders
• Ensures the Procurement buyout schedule is completed and meets the construction schedule.

Construction Readiness

• Lead the development of the construction execution plan.
• Develop site logistics and mobilization plans; schedule temporary utilities and laydown areas.
• Ensure that site-specific safety plans and emergency response procedures have been developed, reviewed by all pertinent parties, and approved.
• Lead the preconstruction conference with all trades
• Supervise the team of personnel to ensure adherence to the SOPs for the management of RFIs, submittals, change orders, and all other elements of Project Management-related tasks.
• Utilize the Construction Mobilization Readiness Checklist to coordinate all prerequisites for beginning construction activities.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in the field of Engineering, Construction management, or related discipline, OR 5 years of experience in a related field.
  5+ years of experience in project delivery related to preconstruction activities for the various levels.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to stand, sit, and walk for prolonged periods.
• Must possess the ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl as required.
• Must be able to lift and move objects weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Must be able to climb ladders as necessary.

Work Environment

• Must be able to work in both indoor and outdoor environments, which may include exposure to varying working conditions.
• Must be able to adhere to strict cleanroom gowning protocol.

Travel

• This position will have 50% travel, or as required by the assigned project.
• You may be assigned to the client site for an extended period.
• Overnight travel or staying in the city of the Client's location is possible, depending on the assignment.
• Please review the IPS Travel Policy.
• You will visit construction sites and will be required to take site safety training and adhere to site safety rules.
• Must have access to reliable transportation.
• Must have the ability to travel and commute on a daily or routine basis.

Safety

• This position is a safety-sensitive position.
• The employee is designated for field work and attends activities at client sites where they work in construction, process, packaging, manufacturing, research, or other "non-administrative" areas.

All interviews are conducted either in person or virtually, with video required.

The salary offered for this role is between $104,000 and $160,000, but the actual salary offered is dependent on experience, skill set, and education.

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