Steel Preconstruction Manager: Job Description

Role details

Job title	Steel Preconstruction Manager
Division	EZARC Corporate
Department	Preconstruction
Reports to	Vice President
Direct reports	None at this time
Location	Utah, with up to 10% travel
FLSA status	Exempt, salaried
Employment type	Full-time
Pay range	To be confirmed

Position summary

The Steel Preconstruction Manager works with Sales and Estimating to pursue and win projects. Once a project is awarded, this role leads the planning that turns a contract into a buildable steel package. The Preconstruction Manager manages the design teams, leads early BIM and VDC coordination, and brings each project to the point where it is ready to release to the shops.

Why this role matters. Most cost and schedule problems in steel are created before the first piece is cut. Missed scope, late design answers, and unclear connections show up later as shop rework, field fixes, and change orders. This role catches those problems early. It gives the construction team one clear, complete plan instead of a set of loose ends.

Reporting structure and decision rights

• Reports to: Vice President
• Works closely with: Sales, Estimating, BIM/VDC, Detailing, Engineering, Project Managers, Fabrication leadership, Field Operations, the outside design team, customer design teams, and trade partners, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
• Does not manage: the BIM/VDC or Estimating teams. This role works closely with but does not oversee their work. Estimating owns the estimate. BIM/VDC owns the models.

Owns

• The preconstruction plan for each awarded project
• Coordination of the outside design team: structural engineers, erection engineers, shipping engineers, and steel detailers, plus the engineer of record
• The scope, risk, and constructability review before release to the shops
• The handoff package to the construction team

Escalates the same day

• Scope gaps or conflicts between the estimate and the contract documents
• Design delays that put the shop or field schedule at risk
• Changes that affect cost, schedule, or contract terms
• Any safety or erection concern found during planning

Job responsibilities

Support work and estimating

• Partner with Sales and Estimating on pursuits, without taking over the estimate
• Review bid documents and identify scope, risk, and constructability issues
• Provide fabrication and erection input and value engineering options to Estimating
• Track steel market conditions, mill lead times, and price trends that affect bids
• Help define scope, inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions in proposals
• Support customer presentations, interviews, and pre-bid meetings
• Build relationships with general contractors, owners, and design teams

Lead preconstruction after award

• Review the contract, plans, and specifications against the estimate and flag gaps
• Build the preconstruction plan: design path, detailing schedule, material strategy, and fabrication and erection approach
• Manage the outside design team: structural engineers, erection engineers, shipping engineers, and steel detailers
• Coordinate delegated connection design and design questions with the engineer of record
• Lead the RFI and submittal process during design and detailing
• Identify long-lead materials and coordinate early procurement

Plan cost, schedule, and risk

• Build the preconstruction schedule with design, detailing, approval, procurement, and fabrication milestones
• Track design changes and their cost and schedule impact during preconstruction
• Keep a project risk register and review it with the project team
• Prequalify and coordinate outside partners, including design firms, steel detailers, erectors, and coating vendors
• Support budget reviews and buyout planning with Estimating and Project Management
• Bring safety and quality planning in early, including erection safety

Lead BIM and VDC coordination

• Work with the BIM/VDC team to set model requirements at project start, without performing the modeling
• Lead model coordination and clash resolution with the customer and trade partners, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
• Use the model to plan sequencing, piece marks, and shipping

Plan for the shop and the field

• Review constructability with Fabrication and Field Operations before release
• Plan erection sequence and logistics with the field team, using input from the erection and shipping engineers
• Coordinate interfaces with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trade partners, including supports, openings, embeds, and installation sequence, and confirm drawings are approved, complete, and coordinated before release to the shops

Hand off to the construction team

• Deliver a complete preconstruction handoff package to the Project Manager and shops
• Lead the internal kickoff and walk the team through scope, risks, and open items
• Stay available to support the team through early fabrication
• Monitor details with project team throughout the project to ensure compliance of the plan

Improve how we plan

• Capture lessons learned from each project and feed them back into estimating and planning
• Help build EZARC's standard preconstruction process and tools
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required

• 10 or more years of construction experience
• Construction management experience on commercial or industrial projects
• Strong understanding of structural steel fabrication and erection
• Able to read and interpret structural, architectural, and steel shop and erection drawings and specifications
• Experience coordinating design teams, detailers, or engineers
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
• Able to lead coordination meetings with internal teams and customers

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, civil or structural engineering, or a related field
• Professional Engineer (PE) license
• Background in steel detailing or structural engineering
• Preconstruction or estimating experience with a steel fabricator-erector or general contractor
• Experience on semiconductors, data center, or large industrial projects
• Working knowledge of the AISC Code of Standard Practice and delegated connection design
• Experience with Tekla Structures, Tekla PowerFab, Navisworks, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Bluebeam, or Procore

Physical requirements

Must be able to perform these essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Work at a computer for extended periods reviewing drawings, models, and documents
• Walk shop floors and active jobsites, including uneven surfaces, stairs, and ladders
• Wear required PPE in the shop and on jobsites
• Lift up to 50 pounds occasionally

Work environment

• Office-based, with regular time in the fabrication shops and on Utah jobsites
• Customer and design team meetings in person and online

Schedule

• Full-time position
• Extended hours may be needed around bid deadlines and project starts
• Travel up to 10%

Performance expectations

The Preconstruction Manager is measured on one main result: a complete preconstruction plan, built to the plans and specifications, delivered to the construction team.

Measure	What good looks like
Complete handoff	The Project Manager and shops accept the handoff package without major open items.
Built to plans and specs	Drawings released to the shops match the contract documents. Few revisions after release.
Scope caught early	Scope gaps and conflicts are found in preconstruction, not in the shop or field.
Design teams coordinated	Design questions are answered before they hold up detailing or fabrication.
Trusted partner	Sales, Estimating, BIM/VDC, and the construction team see this role as the place projects get clear.

Compensation and benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications
• Health and retirement benefits
• Paid time off and holidays
• Long-term advancement opportunities, including a path to lead a preconstruction team as EZARC grows

Compliance requirements

Applicants must successfully complete:

• Drug and alcohol screening
• Background screening
• Customer-required orientation and training programs
• Any applicable site access or badging requirements

Equal Employment Opportunity

EZARC, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.