Preconstruction Estimator

For over 100 years, Maguire has been a leader in the construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of water storage tanks and elevated water towers. As communities continue to invest in critical water infrastructure, Maguire is investing in the next generation of preconstruction professionals who help shape project success long before construction begins.

Maguire is seeking a highly driven Preconstruction Estimator to lead the planning, estimating, risk evaluation, and preconstruction efforts for municipal and industrial water storage tank projects across North America.

As Maguire transitions from a traditional estimating department to a strategic Preconstruction Department, this role will play a critical role in how projects are pursued, priced, planned, and ultimately executed. The successful candidate will work alongside operations, project management, sales, business development, engineering firms, subcontractors, and customers to ensure every project begins with a solid foundation.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex challenges, influencing project strategy, identifying risk before it becomes costly, and leveraging innovative technology and AI-powered tools to drive better decisions.

The Future of Preconstruction at Maguire

At Maguire, we believe successful projects are won and planned before they are built.

Our Preconstruction Department exists to provide certainty, accuracy, and confidence throughout the project development process. We combine industry expertise, historical cost data, construction knowledge, and AI-powered estimating technology to deliver smarter project planning and stronger project outcomes.

The Preconstruction Estimator serves as the bridge between business development, engineering, operations, and project management, helping ensure that every project is:

• Properly scoped
• Accurately priced
• Carefully planned
• Fully understood
• Strategically positioned for execution

Essential Responsibilities:

Preconstruction Leadership

• Lead all preconstruction activities for new water storage tank construction opportunities.
• Develop complete and competitive project estimates from bid inception through project handoff.
• Review plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, site conditions, contracts, and bid documentation.
• Identify project risks, constructability concerns, scope gaps, schedule challenges, and pricing exposures.
• Develop estimating strategies that support profitability, quality, safety, customer satisfaction, and successful project execution.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, site visits, customer meetings, and internal strategy sessions.
• Challenge engineers, owners, and stakeholders when project requirements appear unclear, incomplete, inconsistent, or unnecessarily risky.

Cost Estimating & Project Planning

• Perform quantity takeoffs, labor analyses, equipment evaluations, material estimates, and subcontractor scope reviews.
• Develop cost models that accurately reflect project requirements and market conditions.
• Utilize historical project data and production information to improve estimating accuracy.
• Prepare estimate summaries, bid reviews, risk assessments, schedules, and executive recommendations.
• Analyze actual project performance data to continuously refine future estimating assumptions.

AI-Enabled Preconstruction

Maguire is actively investing in artificial intelligence to strengthen and accelerate the preconstruction process.

The Preconstruction Estimator will leverage AI-powered estimating agents that assist with:

• Specification analysis
• Drawing review
• Quantity validation
• Bid compliance verification
• Risk identification
• Scope comparisons
• Historical project analysis
• Proposal development
• Subcontractor quote evaluation
• Preconstruction documentation

These tools allow our preconstruction professionals to spend less time on administrative review and more time on strategic decision-making, risk management, customer engagement, and project planning.

While AI enhances the process, the Preconstruction Estimator maintains full ownership and accountability for the accuracy, completeness, and execution readiness of every estimate.

Subcontractor & Vendor Management

• Solicit, evaluate, level, and negotiate subcontractor and supplier proposals.
• Identify and develop relationships with new subcontractors and vendors.
• Ensure scopes are complete, competitive, and properly aligned with project requirements.
• Compare subcontractor pricing and qualifications to ensure best-value selections.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Sales, Operations, Project Management, Safety, Quality, Engineering, and Executive Leadership.
• Assist project teams with constructability reviews and execution planning.
• Develop comprehensive project handoff packages that clearly communicate assumptions, risks, exclusions, schedules, subcontractor commitments, and project strategy.
• Support continuous improvement efforts throughout the preconstruction and project delivery process.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of team members. May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• Five or more years of experience in estimating, preconstruction, project management, construction operations, or related fields.
• Experience with industrial, municipal, steel, concrete, infrastructure, or water-related construction projects preferred.
• Strong understanding of construction means and methods.
• Experience reviewing technical drawings, specifications, contracts, and bid documents.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and construction technology platforms.
• Comfortable adopting and utilizing AI-enabled business tools.

Characteristics of Success

The ideal candidate is:

• Strategic
• Competitive
• Detail-oriented
• Curious
• Accountable
• Technologically minded
• Relationship-focused
• Continuously seeking improvement

The ideal candidate must have a working knowledge of all job-specific operating procedures, be extremely quality-conscious and detail-oriented, accept responsibility and accountability for their own actions, be able to work independently with minimal supervision, be able to build solid relationships with internal and external customers, be dependable and trustworthy, and have advanced computer skills.

Work Environment:

• Majority of the time is spent in an office environment.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Why Join Maguire?

Joining Maguire means becoming part of a company with more than a century of success and a commitment to innovation. Our investment in technology, AI-powered preconstruction tools, and process improvement is creating one of the most forward-thinking preconstruction organizations in the water infrastructure industry.

As a Preconstruction Estimator, you will have the opportunity to:

• Influence major infrastructure projects.
• Work directly with industry-leading professionals.
• Utilize cutting-edge AI-powered estimating tools.
• Help shape the future of Maguires growing Preconstruction Department.
• Play a critical role in the companys continued growth and success.

This is more than an estimating role. It is an opportunity to help build the projects, systems, and strategies that drive Maguire forward.

Maguire is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Maguire complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding hiring and employment. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.