Preconstruction Manager

Willmott Dixon is looking for a Preconstruction Manager to join our East Midlands leadership team, based from our Nottingham office.

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for bringing together and leading an experienced pre-construction team across a number of technical disciplines, including Estimating, Planning, Design, Preconstruction Project Management and wider specialist functions.

Reporting to the Senior Preconstruction Manager, you will play a key role in shaping how we approach new opportunities, leading the team to develop winning, commercially robust and deliverable solutions across a strong and varied pipeline of projects.

You can expect to provide leadership across the preconstruction function, working closely with senior colleagues from Operations, Commercial, Design, Planning, Building Services and Work Winning while maintaining clear ownership of the overall preconstruction strategy. Therefore, this role is for someone who can see the bigger picture.

You’ll balance commercial considerations, customer requirements, technical challenges, risk and deliverability, while making sure the right people are brought together at the right time to give us the strongest possible chance of securing the right projects. This position involves significant interaction with customers, consultants, supply chain partners and senior leaders across the business.

Responsibilities

• Lead the project teams across multiple technical disciplines throughout the bid process.
• Line management of up to three Preconstruction Project Managers.
• Provide direction and support to senior managers.
• Set clear priorities and ensure the team is focused on the right opportunities.
• Lead major bids and preconstruction activity from early engagement through to contract award.
• Develop clear bid strategies and ensure technical, commercial and operational teams are fully aligned.
• Challenge risk, design, methodology, programme, logistics and procurement strategies.
• Ensure bids are competitive, commercially robust, and deliverable.
• Build strong relationships with customers and key external stakeholders.
• Work closely with operational teams to ensure a smooth transition from preconstruction into delivery.
• Develop people, improve processes and continue to raise the standard of our preconstruction capability.

Essential Criteria

• Strong experience in preconstruction within a main contracting environment with a track record of leading complex bids and multidisciplinary teams.
• History of leading and people management of experienced professionals rather than simply managing a process.
• An exceptional understanding of the full preconstruction process with experience of successful bid, tender, and PCSA delivery.
• Good commercial awareness and understanding of project risk.
• The ability to bring together multiple technical disciplines around a clear strategy.
• Strong customer and stakeholder management skills.
• The confidence to influence at senior level.
• Experience of developing and leading high-performing teams.
• Valid driving license.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working on Frameworks and knowledge of requirements.
• Relevant construction qualification or professional membership such as MCIOB, RICS, or MAPM would be beneficial but is not essential where the right experience can be demonstrated.