Preconstruction Manager

Horizon Contracting Group

• $125K — $155K *
Real Estate & Construction
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of progressive experience in construction, estimating, commercial or business development.
  • Proven leadership skills in coaching and developing team members.
  • In-depth knowledge of construction estimating, including pricing and risk.
  • Strong understanding of business acumen, balancing risk and operational realities.
  • Experience in enhancing estimating systems and processes.
  • Confident in making go/no-go decisions and negotiations.
  • Exceptional communication abilities for building relationships.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and develop the Estimating team with clear goals and regular feedback.
  • Manage workload and pursuit assignments across multiple regions.
  • Continuously improve estimating standards and processes.
  • Oversee estimate quality and pricing, ensuring thorough bid strategy review.
  • Collaborate with senior leaders to manage the project pipeline.
  • Negotiate with clients to forge long-term partnerships while achieving sound outcomes.
  • Enhance estimating accuracy by utilizing feedback and historical data.

Benefits

  • 20 days of paid time off, with both vacation and sick days included.
  • Comprehensive extended health, dental, and vision coverage.
  • RRSP enrollment after one year of service.
  • Eligibility for an annual company bonus.
  • Provided with a laptop and company cell phone.
  • Mileage reimbursement for work-related travel.
  • Initially, a requirement of working 4 days in the office with travel involved.
Full Job Description


We're looking for a Preconstruction Manager to lead our pursuit efforts, from identifying the right opportunities and optimizing our estimating team and processes to securing work, strengthening client relationships and building a healthy pipeline for future growth. This is a key leadership role for someone who understands how strong client relationships, thoughtful pursuit decisions, accurate estimating and operational insight come together to create successful projects.

You'll lead a team of Estimators, strengthen how we evaluate and pursue opportunities, and work closely with our Business Development, Regional and Operations leaders across Horizon.

If you can see the big picture while still understanding the details that make an estimate accurate and executable, this could be your next opportunity.

What You'll Be Doing:

You'll lead Horizon's estimating function while helping shape how we identify, evaluate and pursue work across our regions and service lines.

You will:

  • Lead, coach and develop the Estimating team through clear expectations, regular feedback and meaningful development opportunities.
  • Manage estimating capacity, workload and pursuit assignments across Horizon's regions and service lines.
  • Build and continuously improve estimating standards, processes, tools and technology.
  • Oversee estimate quality, pricing, risk review, bid strategy and senior-level bid leveling.
  • Partner with Business Development, Regional and Operations leaders to manage the pipeline and determine which opportunities Horizon should pursue.
  • Lead client negotiations and pursuit discussions to achieve commercially sound outcomes while strengthening long-term relationships.
  • Use feedback, win-loss results, historical costs and production-rate benchmarks to improve estimating accuracy and pursuit strategy.
  • Ensure successful opportunities move into Operations through a clear, complete and coordinated project handoff.

Some days you'll be coaching the team and reviewing complex estimates. Others, you'll be working with senior leaders on pipeline priorities, travelling to meet with clients or improving the systems that support Horizon's continued growth.

What You Bring:

  • 8+ years of progressive construction, estimating, commercial or business development experience.
  • Demonstrated experience leading, coaching and developing people.
  • Strong construction estimating knowledge, including scope, pricing, risk, bid strategy and project delivery.
  • Strong business and commercial acumen, with the ability to balance opportunity, risk, client needs and operational realities.
  • Experience building or improving estimating systems, standards and processes.
  • Sound judgement and confidence leading go/no-go decisions, negotiations and complex pursuit discussions.
  • Strong communication and relationship-building skills across clients, Operations and senior leadership.
  • Post-secondary education in construction management, estimating, business or a related field, or equivalent industry and leadership experience.

Why Horizon?

Because your work here matters, and so do you.

Horizon is growing across regions, service lines and markets. This role will have a meaningful voice in how we pursue work, support our clients, develop our people and build an estimating function that can scale with the company.

We value collaboration because better decisions happen when Business Development, Estimating and Operations work together from the beginning.

Here's what you can expect:

  • Competitive salary: $125,000 - $155,000, based on experience
  • 20 days of paid time off, including 15 vacation days and 5 sick days
  • Extended health, dental and vision coverage
  • RRSP enrollment after one year
  • Annual company bonus eligibility
  • Laptop and company cell phone
  • Mileage reimbursement
  • 4 days in office per week to start, with travel required.

If you're ready to build a strong team, improve how opportunities move from pipeline to project and help shape Horizon's next stage of growth, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help us build what's next.

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