Preconstruction Manager Complex Infrastructure Projects

Schneider Electric · United States

Join us as a Preconstruction Manager of Complex Infastructure Projects and take ownership of high-impact initiatives that shape our business. You'll lead the preconstruction process for assigned projects from early concept and design development through subcontractor evaluation and selection, construction readiness, and formal turnover to the delivery team. This role integrates design, constructability, cost, schedule, procurement, site logistics, risk, and contractor-market input into a coordinated plan that can be successfully executed in the field.

What will you do?

Preconstruction Leadership and Project Strategy

• Lead the preconstruction process and establish the project-specific plan, milestones, responsibilities, decision requirements, and level of effort needed to move the project from development into construction.
• Evaluate project requirements, delivery method, design maturity, contract approach, site conditions, permitting, occupied or operating-facility constraints, market capacity, schedule pressure, and commercial exposure.
• Coordinate closely with the Solution Architect, Engineering, Operations, Project Management, Procurement, Estimating, Scheduling, field leadership, clients, consultants, contractors, and vendors to maintain alignment and timely decision-making.

Constructability and Design Integration

• Provide the construction and field-execution perspective throughout project development, including input on construction means and methods, access, phasing, site logistics, temporary works, equipment installation, shutdowns or outages, testing, startup, commissioning, safety, quality, and maintainability.
• Perform constructability reviews to identify missing or incomplete design information, scope interfaces, access limitations, installation challenges, temporary requirements, and other conditions that could affect cost, schedule, safety, quality, or execution. Coordinate findings with Engineering and the project team for evaluation and resolution.
• Participate in value-engineering and design-to-budget discussions by evaluating proposed alternatives from a construction cost, schedule, constructability, logistics, commissioning, operational, lifecycle, and project-risk perspective.

Estimating, Procurement, and Trade Partner Coordination

• Develop the estimating and bid-package strategy, including scope breakdown, trade coverage, project assumptions, allowances, general conditions, temporary requirements, logistics, and execution risks.
• Partner with the estimating resource and Procurement to develop bid packages, identify qualified bidders, obtain market input, conduct scope reviews, level proposals, identify gaps or overlaps, and support subcontractor and vendor recommendations.
• Review conceptual budgets, estimates, pricing assumptions, contingencies, escalation, and scope coverage for alignment with the design and intended construction approach. Detailed takeoffs, pricing, and estimate production remain with the estimating resource.
• Support final estimate reconciliation, scope leveling, value engineering, and cost-risk recommendations before subcontractor selection or project authorization.

Scheduling and Construction Planning

• Develop the construction sequence, phasing, work-area strategy, logistics approach, major milestones, permitting needs, procurement need dates, shutdown or outage windows, equipment deliveries, testing, startup, and commissioning logic. Partner with the dedicated scheduler to translate this plan into the detailed CPM schedule and critically review logic, durations, constraints, interfaces, and milestone assumptions; schedule development, updates, analysis, and reporting remain with the scheduler.
• Coordinate with contractors, vendors, and internal teams to confirm that the proposed sequence is practical, properly resourced, and supported by design, procurement, access, and site-readiness requirements.

Risk Management, Communication, and Project Turnover

• Maintain the preconstruction risk and opportunity register, assumption log, decision log, and action list; ensure material issues are reflected in the project plan, estimate, schedule, procurement strategy, contracts, or contingency.
• Lead preconstruction meetings and present project approach, constructability findings, budget status, schedule strategy, procurement recommendations, risks, options, and required decisions to clients, leadership, and project stakeholders.
• Establish construction-readiness criteria and lead formal turnover to the Construction Project Manager and field team, including the approved scope, design status, estimate basis, schedule assumptions, logistics, procurement status, risks, commitments, decisions, and open actions.
• Provide continuity during early project execution, capture lessons learned, and improve preconstruction standards, templates, checklists, and planning practices before transitioning full ownership to the project-delivery team.

What are the key skills we are looking for?

• Project Management Methodologies — advanced level; applying frameworks to structure and deliver complex initiatives
• Project Management Software — advanced level; using tools to track progress, manage resources, and report status
• Project Planning — advanced level; developing detailed plans that define scope, objectives, timelines, and dependencies
• Accountability — advanced level; owning outcomes and ensuring commitments are met across all project phases
• Adaptability — advanced level; adjusting plans and approaches in response to changing priorities and ambiguity
• Budgeting — intermediate level; managing project finances and ensuring delivery within budget constraints
• Risk Management — intermediate level; identifying potential issues early and implementing mitigation strategies
• Stakeholder Management — intermediate level; building trust and maintaining alignment with diverse project partners

What qualifications will make you successful?

• B achelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related discipline from an accredited university, or an equivalent combination of education and significant construction experience.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in general contracting, design-build, EPC, construction management, project management, field operations, estimating, or preconstruction, including direct responsibility for planning or delivering complex construction projects.
• Demonstrate strong construction judgment and the ability to lead constructability reviews, provide field input during design development, develop scopes, coordinate trade partners, validate cost and schedule assumptions, manage risk, and lead project turnover.
• Strong understanding of the general contractor preconstruction process from concept development through subcontractor selection and turnover to the construction team.
• Strong knowledge of construction means and methods, sequencing, phasing, site logistics, temporary works, subcontractor coordination, safety, quality, testing, startup, and commissioning.
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, contracts, estimates, schedules, equipment documents, technical reports, and site information and translate them into clear construction requirements.
• Working knowledge of conceptual estimating, scope development, bid leveling, value engineering, allowances, contingencies, and cost-risk analysis sufficient to guide the estimating process and critically review results.
• Working knowledge of CPM scheduling and the ability to develop and evaluate construction sequencing, phasing, milestone logic, procurement dependencies, and schedule assumptions without serving as the detailed project scheduler.
• Proven ability to lead through credibility and influence, build trust across functions, facilitate difficult decisions, communicate clearly with clients and executives, and maintain strong relationships with contractors, vendors, designers, and field teams.
• Experience with Public Sector, performance contracting, facility modernization, commercial construction, infrastructure, heavy civil, utilities, industrial/process facilities, mission-critical environments, or occupied and operating-facility retrofit work is beneficial. Water and wastewater experience is a preferred but is not required.
• Experience with Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, EPC/EPCM, CMAR, Procore, Bluebeam, P6, Microsoft Project, and estimating systems is preferred.

What's in it for me?

• Lead meaningful projects with high visibility and direct impact on organizational success
• Career growth opportunities with access to training, mentorship, and professional development
• Collaborative, inclusive culture that values diverse perspectives and innovative thinking
• Flexible work arrangements that support your well-being and work-life balance

Bring your project leadership expertise to a team that's ready to welcome you — apply today!

At Schneider, we believe that every employee is a talent who deserves equal opportunities. This means you matter. Every individual needs to feel valued, supported, and treated fairly to do their best work.

Our Total Rewards is our way of saying: “We see you. We value you”. It’s more than just pay and benefits- it’s a meaningful investment in you. It is designed for you to perform, grow, feel safe, and elevate your potential to shine as an impact maker.

For this U.S. based position, the expected pay range is USD 117,600 - USD 176,400 per year. This pay range includes base pay and short-term incentives. The compensation range for this full-time position applies to candidates located within the United States. Our pay ranges are determined by reviewing roles of similar responsibility and level. Within the pay range, individual pay is determined by several factors including performance, knowledge, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Schneider Electric is there when it matters most to you

Our Total Rewards package outlines all the benefits and support you’ll enjoy as part of the Schneider Electric team:

Care for Yourself and Your Family. We ensure you feel secure with benefits that help you and your family thrive: medical (with member reward points), dental, vision, and basic life insurance, Benefit Bucks, flexible work arrangements, paid family leaves, well-being programs, 12 holidays per year, and 15 days of paid time off per year.

Invest and Plan Your Future. We help you plan and invest for the future with competitive pay and programs including base salary, incentives, company share ownership, and 401(k) with match.

Grow Your Skills and Career. We support development through performance discussions, global opportunities, the Schneider Career Hub, and learning platforms like Coursera.

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IMPACT is also your invitation to join Schneider Electric where you can contribute to turning sustainability ambition into actions, no matter what role you play. It is a call to connect your career with the ambition of achieving a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable world.

We are looking for IMPACT Makers; exceptional people who turn sustainability ambitions into actions at the intersection of automation, electrification, and digitization. We celebrate IMPACT Makers and believe everyone has the potential to be one.

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