The Weitz Company is looking for an experienced Preconstruction Director to join our team in Des Moines, Iowa. The Preconstruction Director is responsible for ensuring outstanding customer service is delivered through our preconstruction services on all of our projects. They provide leadership and direction to the entire preconstruction department by providing oversight on all preconstruction efforts on all projects and providing strategic direction for the future. They are charged with making assignments and developing staff to meet the needs of the business. They also work closely and coordinate with Business Development in procuring work. The Preconstruction Director is responsible for meeting all preconstruction needs of the General Manager for the Business Unit that they are assigned to. The Preconstruction Director reports to the Vice President of Preconstruction and Estimating.
The Weitz Company has been Building a Better Way since 1855. We are a full-service construction company, general contractor, design-builder, and construction manager with office locations throughout the United States. We believe our employees to be our most valuable asset and we are committed to growing a diverse and inclusive culture that inspires, motivates, and continuously improves.
Responsibilities:
Safety: • Meet with operations staff to identify safety concerns • Communicate safety requirements to potential subcontractors • When estimating, continually ask "How are we going to do this safely?" • Verify there is adequate budget for required safety equipment • Verify subcontractors are able to meet prequalification requirements before using their number
Business Development: • Respects the efforts required to develop, nurture, and maintain relationships • Supports Business Development in the RFP process by developing schedules, GCs scope of work, etc. • Assists with interview preparation • Provides superior service to each owner to cultivate positive relationships and repeat business • Provides superior service to the design team to retain a recommendation for future projects • Develops and presents sales materials on our preconstruction services in a competent manner • Experienced in formal sales presentations, having taken the lead in the closing of successful projects • Consistently supports Business Development personnel with information necessary to positively influence and strengthen the relationship with potential new clients • Develops captured data from projects that can be used to prove the value of preconstruction services and continually reinforces the value of our preconstruction services to our clients • Ensures all staff confidently presents information to others both internally and externally
Customer Service: • Conducts all business in alignment with the companys core values • Manages the preconstruction process efficiently with a keen awareness and understanding of the needs of the clients as well as the goals of the company and the timely completion of the preconstruction process • Provides credible cost comparisons on different building systems • Understands local market logistics, subcontractor, and supplier market and how each impacts total work volume and project costs • Coordinates the participation of all required staff, accounting, legal, marketing, operations, estimating, field operations, etc., in order to assure timely and accurate contribution to the process • Understands BIM, LEED, LEAN, and how they can be used to service the customers • Has established Key Account relationships through superior customer service and the project results • Attends occasional owner meetings on projects assigned to other Preconstruction Managers to ensure consistency of customer service
Preconstruction Management: • Provides the most professional and appropriate estimating and documentation techniques relative to the owners needs, teams expectations, acceptable risk, and time constraints throughout the preconstruction period • Documents and communicates with the team the progress during the preconstruction phase, especially at the formal conclusion of schematic design development and construction document phases • Monitors design documents for compliance with scope and value analysis incorporation • Analyzes, assists, and provides suggestions for appropriate contract language that protects the company • Exhibits a professional understanding of cost, market impacts, governing authority, constructability, scheduling, design, and value • Reviews and provides reliable and timely feedback on all estimates, schedules, and other necessary documents throughout the design phase of assigned projects • Demonstrates consistent and creative evaluation of plans and specifications for best value and compliance with the project goals • Identifies and assists with the development of strategies and correspondence required for successful fast-tracking opportunities • Comfortably speaks with authority on a variety of building systems • Takes the lead role in preconstruction team meetings when appropriate and demonstrates the value of incorporated communications and information-sharing throughout the process • Accepts responsibility for accuracy of all estimating, scheduling strategies, and communications documents throughout the preconstruction period • Demonstrates the ability to competently perform multiple assignments with subordinates without sacrificing the integrity of our service • Stays abreast of new technology, techniques, concepts, regulations, and materials in order to assure best value to the project and team and shares them with department and staff • Capable of successfully managing preconstruction on larger and more complex projects • Ensures contracts are negotiated successfully • Capable of managing the most difficult and sophisticated architects and clients • Ensures consistency of products delivered to clients • Invests and/or aligns preconstruction products to meet the varying needs of the clients • Ensures Weitz preconstruction products are recognized as best in the marketplace
Estimating: • Performs conceptual estimates and actively participates in the development and evaluation of owner feasibility studies as requested or required • Provides the most professional and appropriate estimating and documentation techniques relative to the owners needs, teams expectations, acceptable risk, and time constraints throughout the preconstruction period • Reviews all estimates for accuracy, appropriate level of detail, and high standard of expectations • Retains a thorough understanding of the project estimate and how it was developed • Ensures that preconstruction communication, estimates, schedules, narratives, etc., reflect the agreed-upon logistics plan and applicable company procedures • Ensures adequate and appropriate subcontractor and supplier solicitation and utilization is pursued on assigned projects • When assigned to manage the estimating services, the Director shall also fulfill the role of Chief Estimator as it applies to their role
Scheduling: • Prepares a detailed schedule identifying the preconstruction tasks and activities • Reviews weekly preconstruction progress to ensure the progress is maintained on schedule • Initiates changes to keep the project on schedule • Advises the Project Executive of issues that pose a potential cost or schedule impact, including issues with subs, designers, or owners • Prepares the initial project construction schedule, Preconstruction Project Schedule, with or without assistance from the Director or assigned operations staff • Understands this schedule and provides information to the owner, designer, or project team of impacts based on decisions made during preconstruction • Meets with assigned Operations staff to create buy-in of the schedule approach and modifies as necessary to meet the overall objectives of the project • Schedules preconstruction and estimating when assigned staff to balance skills and workloads • Ensures all preconstruction schedules are complete and realistic
Preconstruction Operations Interface: • Solicits input from the Director of Preconstruction or Operations staff on budget, schedule, and constructability during all phases of the preconstruction process • Manages the process of transitioning a project to operations, ensuring a seamless flow from preconstruction staff to operations staff • Coordinates with Operations capturing the project for historization upon its completion • Assists the construction team in developing an adequate project plan, inclusive of the information and expertise gathered during the design period • Attends regularly scheduled Operations meetings • Takes part in monthly reporting meetings with CM and assigned PM quarterly • Ensures preconstruction managers transfer relationships and information effectively to operations • Ensures schedule history of completed operations is captured for future use
Risk Management: • Understands risks associated within the industry, sub-defaults, schedule delays, general liability exposure, builders risk, staffing, jobsite safety requirements, and project financing • Prepares a risk mitigation plan as necessary • Understands the construction contract, including the general conditions, to ensure the project risks are accounted for in the estimates and scope of work • Advises and makes recommendations to the project team on potential problems, including issues with subcontractors, designers, and owners • Identifies, minimizes, or eliminates high-risk scope items • Obtains quotations from other departments for specialty items, such as payroll taxes, city tax liability, insurance, builders risk permits, and performance bond premiums • Ensures the prequalification process of subcontractors and vendors is utilized for all projects • Communicates the contractual preconstruction services requirements to the assigned staff
Staff Development and Human Resource Management: • Takes advantage of all pertinent training opportunities and takes responsibility for their own self-development • Provides feedback on staff performance to subordinates and to supervisor • Mentors less experienced staff and works with subordinates on development plans • Assists in recruiting employees • Makes recommendations for job assignments and promotions • Makes recommendations regarding staff development needs • Makes recommendations regarding staff disciplinary actions, if warranted • Completes performance appraisals for assigned staff • Ensures all personnel have development plans in place • Outlines departmental succession plans to executive management • Makes appropriate staffing decisions and assignments based on current and foreseeable workload • Understands and discusses role profiles with direct reports
What Were Looking For: