Brief Description
Director of Preconstruction
Bobbitt Construction
- Full-Time
- Exempt, Salaried
- Reports to VP of Construction Operations??
About Bobbitt Construction
At Bobbitt, we do more than build projects. We help shape communities, solve complex challenges, and bring ideas to life and every successful project starts long before construction begins. With operations across North Carolina, Bobbitt is one of the Southeast's most trusted commercial construction firms, known for Design-Build expertise, integrated in-house capabilities, and a relentless commitment to client relationships.
About The Role
The Director of Preconstruction is one of Bobbitt's most visible and strategically important leaders. This role is the bridge between business development and construction operations, responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary preconstruction team across estimating, in-house civil/site design, permitting, and architecture and engineering (A&E). This person is equally at home building a conceptual budget from a napkin sketch and presenting to a C-suite client at a competitive interview. They are known in the market, trusted by clients, and relentless about winning the right work at the right margin. At Bobbitt's revenue scale, this role carries significant P&L influence and is a key driver of the company's strategic growth.
Who You Are
You are a seller and a doer. Your phone rings because clients want you on their team. You walk into a presentation room and command it. You understand construction deeply not just the numbers, but the sequencing, the logistics, the risk, and the gaps that others miss. You are fast, sharp, and relentless about accuracy. You build relationships the way Bobbitt builds buildings: with care, precision, and a long-term view.
Departments Oversight
The Director of Preconstruction provides direct leadership and accountability across four integrated departments:
Estimating Department
- Leads and develops a team of estimators across all project types including hard bid, GC, Design-Build, corporate interiors, and specialty
- Establishes estimating standards, scope discipline, and bid strategy across the team
- Ensures zero scope gaps and no estimating misses from conceptual design through construction documents
- Develops estimators to descope subcontractors effectively and protect Bobbitt's cost position on every bid
Civil / Site Design Department
- Oversees Bobbitt's in-house civil and site design team, this is a key differentiator in Design-Build pursuits
- Ensures civil deliverables align with project schedules, permit timelines, and client expectations
- Leverages in-house civil capabilities to accelerate preconstruction timelines and reduce external consultant dependency
- Holds the site/civil department leader accountable for quality, turnaround speed, and integration with estimating and A&E
Permitting Department
- Oversees Bobbitt's permitting team which is responsible for expediting approvals across multiple jurisdictions in North Carolina
- Ensures permit timelines are integrated into master project schedules from the earliest stage of preconstruction
- Builds and maintains strong relationships with local jurisdictions, plan reviewers, and inspection departments
- Holds the permitting department leader accountable for zero permit delays that are within Bobbitt's control
Architecture & Engineering (A&E) Department
- Leads Bobbitt's in-house architectural and design team which is integral to the company's Design-Build platform and competitive differentiation
- Ensures A&E deliverables are aligned with client vision, project budget, and constructability requirements at every design phase
- Fosters tight integration between A&E, estimating, civil design and operations to accelerate Design-Build preconstruction cycles
- Holds the A&E department leader accountable for design quality, schedule adherence, and client satisfaction
Core Responsibilities
Preconstruction Leadership & Proposal Excellence
- Lead the full preconstruction process from initial client inquiry through stipulated sum, GMP or lump sum delivery, driving competitive, accurate, and margin-protective proposals
- Deliver ROMs and conceptual budgets within 1 to 2 days from limited design information; demonstrating speed, construction knowledge, and market intelligence
- Produce conceptual estimates within 1 week and full standard proposals within 2 weeks; complex proposals within 3 weeks
- Develop multiple estimate scenarios and margin strategies presenting options that are compelling to clients without exposing Bobbitt to unnecessary risk
- Oversee and personally contribute to high-profile or complex estimates where experience and judgment add the greatest value
- Ensure Division 1 and General Conditions costs are accurately scoped, competitively priced, and clearly presented in every proposal
- Manage proposal delivery quality across all locations establishing consistent standards for Cary, Wilmington, and the Triad
Business Development & Market Presence
- Serve as one of Bobbitt's most recognizable faces in the market; known, sought-after, and trusted by owners, developers, brokers, architects, and repeat clients
- Maintain a strong personal backlog of client relationships that generates consistent proposal opportunities for Bobbitt
- Lead and win competitive interviews and presentations commanding the room with confidence, technical credibility, and client focus
- Collaborate closely with the all department leaders to align pursuit strategy with Bobbitt's growth targets
- Actively build Bobbitt's market presence across North Carolina; expanding subcontractor, client, and consultant networks in each regional office
- Identify and prioritize the right projects to pursue protecting Bobbitt's estimating resources and win rate by going after winnable, profitable work
Estimating Accuracy & Margin Protection
- Hold the team accountable to a 5% accuracy standard at conceptual/schematic phase and 3% from design development through construction documents
- Drive zero scope gaps and zero estimating misses ensuring that what Bobbitt bids is exactly what it builds
- Validate that final project execution margins align within 2%??? of final estimates creating a direct line of accountability from pre-con to field performance
- Train and coach estimators on how to identify missing scope, challenge subcontractor bids, and protect margin through disciplined descoping
- Review and approve all major estimates before submission ensuring accuracy, completeness, and strategic alignment
Subcontractor Relationships & Partner Outreach
- Build and maintain Bobbitt's subcontractor network, create deep relationships across all trades in the core markets, expanding into Wilmington and the Triad
- Establish a structured partner outreach program ensuring Bobbitt maintains preferred contractor status with top-performing subs in each market
- Train the estimating team on how to effectively descope subcontractors, compare bids critically, and close scope gaps before award
- Leverage subcontractor relationships to gain market intelligence, pricing insight, and early awareness of project opportunities
- Maintain a qualified subcontractor database across all trades and markets regularly updated and stratified by performance and capacity
Team Leadership, Development & Hiring
- Lead, coach, and develop all department leaders and their teams across estimating, civil, permitting, and A&E setting clear expectations and holding each accountable to performance
- Conduct regular one-on-ones with direct reports providing structured feedback, development planning, and performance management
- Build Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for all estimators and department leaders creating clear growth pathways and building long-term bench strength
- Lead the hiring and interviewing process for all preconstruction roles seeking candidates who are technically sharp, client-ready, and aligned with Bobbitt's culture
- Identify underperformers early and implement structured improvement plans; recognize and advance high performers
- Build a preconstruction team that is cohesive, fast, accurate, and proud of the work they produce
Strategic Planning, Technology & Continuous Improvement
- Drive Bobbitt's preconstruction strategy identifying markets, project types, and client segments to pursue to maximize growth and margin
- Champion technology adoption across the preconstruction team including AI-assisted estimating, digital takeoff tools, scheduling platforms, and proposal generation technology for efficiency
- Establish and continuously refine preconstruction processes, standards, and playbooks across all three markets
- Partner with the VP of Construction Operations to ensure seamless handoff from preconstruction to field execution aligning estimates with field realities
- Report regularly to the executive leadership team on pipeline health, win rates, team performance, and strategic recommendations
Qualifications & Competencies
- Minimum 15 years of commercial construction experience, with at least 10 years in estimating and preconstruction leadership
- Proven track record managing projects across a wide range of types: hard bid, GC, Design-Build, corporate interiors, and specialty construction
- Deep expertise in Integrated Design-Build delivery from initial concept through construction documents and delivery development
- Demonstrated ability to produce accurate conceptual estimates from early narratives and limited design information
- Strong understanding of Division 1, general conditions, subcontractor descoping, and margin protection strategies
- Extensive subcontractor relationships in the Cary/Raleigh market with demonstrated ability to expand into Wilmington and the Triad
- Highly external-facing energetic, polished, and fluent in front of clients, developers, architects, and executives
- Proven ability to lead and win competitive interviews and presentations
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to present complex information clearly and compellingly
- Strong interviewing skills, proven ability to identify, evaluate, and hire top preconstruction talent
- Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams including estimators, designers, civil engineers, and permitting specialists
- Proficiency with estimating software, Procore, Destini, scheduling tools, and emerging AI-assisted preconstruction platforms
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field preferred
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Performance will be evaluated monthly, quarterly, and annually across the following metrics, calibrated to Bobbitt's revenue scale:
Category
KPI Metric
Target
Reviewed
Pipeline
Proposal win rate
= 33% of submitted proposals awarded
Quarterly
Pipeline
Repeat client win rate
= 60% of repeat client proposals awarded
Quarterly
Pipeline
Referral-based project capture
= 25% of annual pipeline from referrals
Annual
Speed
ROM / rough order of magnitude turnaround
1–2 business days from request
Per Deliverable
Speed
Conceptual budget turnaround
Within 1 week from request
Per Deliverable
Speed
Standard proposal turnaround
Within 2 weeks from kickoff
Per Deliverable
Speed
Complex proposal turnaround
Within 3 weeks from kickoff
Per Deliverable
Accuracy
Conceptual/schematic estimate accuracy
Within 5% of design development budget
Per Project
Accuracy
DD to CD estimate accuracy
Within 3% variance from design development to construction documents
Per Project
Accuracy
Final execution vs. estimate variance
Within 2% — zero scope gaps, zero estimating misses
Per Project
Margin
Aggregate margin realization
Portfolio margin within 3% of pre-con targets
Monthly
Margin
Subcontractor descoping value captured
3–5% cost savings vs. initial sub bids across portfolio
Quarterly
Team
Estimator retention rate
=85% voluntary retention year-over-year
Annual
Team
Estimator utilization rate
85–90% billable/productive hours across team
Monthly
Team
Estimator productivity
4–6 complex estimates per FTE per month
Monthly
Team
IDP completion rate
100% of direct reports have active development plans
Quarterly
Team
Open role fill time
All preconstruction roles filled within 45 days
Per Hire
Departments
Civil group deliverable on-time rate
= 95% of civil deliverables on schedule
Monthly
Departments
Permit approval timeline adherence
Zero Bobbitt-caused permit delays across portfolio
Monthly
Departments
A&E design schedule adherence
= 90% of A&E milestones met on time
Monthly
Departments
Department KPI attainment (Civil, Permitting, A&E)
= 90% KPI attainment across all departments
Quarterly
Client
Client satisfaction — proposal quality
= 4.5/5.0 post-proposal client feedback
Per Proposal
Client
Interview / presentation win rate
= 40% of competitive interviews awarded
Quarterly
Market
Top 10 target account proposal coverage
= 80% of target accounts receive a Bobbitt proposal annually
Annual
Market
Subcontractor network expansion
= 5 new qualified subs added per market per year
Annual
Strategic
Proposal cost as % of pre-con revenue
= 8% of non-reimbursable pre-con revenue spent on proposal production
Quarterly
Strategic
Technology adoption
= 80% team utilization of required platforms
Quarterly
Strategic
Pre-con to operations handoff quality
Zero field-identified scope gaps traced to pre-con errors
Per Project
What Success Looks Like
First 90 Days
- Complete a full audit of all active proposals, estimates in progress, and department performance across estimating, civil, permitting, and A&E
- Build relationships with all department leaders and key estimators earn trust through presence, listening, and follow-through
- Conduct a structured review of Bobbitt's current subcontractor network identify gaps and build a 90-day outreach plan
- Review the top 10 target client accounts and identify immediate pursuit opportunities
- Assess current technology stack and recommend improvements to estimating speed and accuracy
Year One
- Achieve a proposal win rate of = 33% across all submitted proposals
- Deliver estimate accuracy within 5% at conceptual phase and within 2% from DD through execution on all major projects
- Build IDPs for all direct reports and department leaders with measurable progress milestones
- Launch a structured subcontractor partner outreach program in Cary, Wilmington, and the Triad
- Establish cohesive preconstruction standards and playbooks across all three Bobbitt markets
- Win at least one major marquee project through a competitive interview where this Director's market reputation was a deciding factor
Bobbitt Construction is built on trust, relationships, and the belief that the best projects start with the best preconstruction. The Director of Preconstruction is the person who makes that true — every proposal, every presentation, every estimate, every day. If you are ready to lead at this level, we would like to connect.
