PreCon Project Director

Location: Greater St. Louis Area (Missouri / Illinois Metro Area)

Position Title: Preconstruction Project Director

The Opportunity:
This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced mechanical construction professional who thrives at the intersection of business development, technical expertise, client engagement, and project strategy. The Preconstruction Project Director serves as the driving force behind major project pursuits, acting as a trusted advisor to clients while coordinating internal teams to develop innovative, value-driven solutions.

The individual who takes this role will have a direct impact on the organization's growth by identifying opportunities, cultivating relationships, leading complex pursuits, and helping secure some of the most challenging and rewarding projects in the industry. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys influencing projects long before construction begins and wants to leverage both technical knowledge and relationship-building skills to shape project outcomes.

The role offers exposure to large-scale projects across advanced manufacturing, data centers, healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial, education, and mission-critical facilities. Success in this position means becoming the quarterback of the pursuit process, collaborating with engineering, estimating, operations, and executive leadership teams to develop solutions that differentiate the organization in a highly competitive marketplace.

Professionals who thrive in entrepreneurial environments and enjoy solving complex challenges will find significant opportunity for career growth while working alongside experienced technical and operational teams.

The Company:
Our client is a growing employee-owned mechanical construction and industrial services organization serving clients throughout the United States. The company specializes in complex mechanical systems, including piping, HVAC, process systems, fabrication, and industrial construction solutions.

The organization has built a reputation for delivering innovative solutions on technically complex projects across multiple industries. Its employee-focused culture encourages collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement while providing team members with the resources and support needed to succeed.

Continued growth has created new leadership opportunities throughout the organization, making this an ideal environment for ambitious professionals seeking long-term career development and advancement.

The Boss:
This position reports to senior preconstruction leadership within a collaborative and highly experienced management team.

Leadership fosters a culture centered on teamwork, professional growth, innovation, and accountability. Team members are encouraged to develop creative solutions, build strong relationships, and take ownership of projects while receiving support and mentorship from experienced industry professionals.

The leadership team values open communication, continuous learning, and providing employees with opportunities to expand their skills and advance their careers.

The Position:
The Preconstruction Project Director serves as the primary client-facing leader responsible for cultivating relationships, identifying opportunities, leading project pursuits, coordinating internal resources, and helping secure profitable business.

This individual will manage the pursuit process from opportunity identification through contract execution while serving as the central point of communication between clients and internal teams. The role requires balancing strong technical expertise with exceptional relationship-building skills and commercial awareness.

Success comes from the ability to develop trust with clients, lead multidisciplinary teams, understand complex mechanical systems, and create innovative solutions that position the organization as the preferred partner for challenging projects.

Essential Functions (Other duties may be assigned):

• Lead complex mechanical construction pursuits from opportunity identification through contract execution.
• Develop and maintain relationships with owners, developers, engineers, and general contractors.
• Serve as the primary client liaison throughout the preconstruction process.
• Coordinate engineering, estimating, operations, procurement, marketing, and project management resources.
• Lead proposal development, presentations, scope reviews, and contract negotiations.
• Evaluate project risks, constructability challenges, and cost implications.
• Develop innovative and value-engineered solutions for clients.
• Collaborate with operations teams to align project strategy with execution.
• Facilitate contract negotiations and project planning activities.
• Travel as required to support client relationships, project pursuits, and market development activities.

Qualifications:

• Proven success in mechanical construction, project management, operations, estimating, engineering, or preconstruction leadership.
• Strong client-facing presence and relationship management abilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Deep understanding of mechanical systems and construction delivery methods.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through complex pursuits.
• Strong commercial, financial, and operational awareness.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for winning work.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and priorities simultaneously.

Education and Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in mechanical construction, project management, operations, estimating, engineering, preconstruction, or related fields.
• Experience with design-build project delivery.
• Strong technical understanding of piping, HVAC, and industrial mechanical systems.
• Experience in advanced manufacturing, industrial construction, healthcare, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, mission-critical, or data center environments preferred.
• Prior experience as a Senior Project Manager, Operations Manager, Construction Manager, or Preconstruction Leader is highly desirable.

Work Environment:
The work environment is collaborative, dynamic, and highly team-oriented. Preconstruction Project Directors work closely with engineering, estimating, operations, procurement, and executive leadership teams while maintaining regular interaction with clients and project stakeholders.

Travel is required and varies based on project pursuits and client needs. The organization places significant emphasis on training, professional development, leadership growth, and creating an engaging workplace where individuals can build long-term careers while working on complex and innovative projects.