Pre-Construction Manager

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Pre-Construction Manager

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Luton, UK

Full Tome, Permanent

Salary: £65,000 – £80,000 plus car allowance £5,000

We are recruiting for an experienced Pre-Construction Manager to join our head office team in Luton. Reporting to the Senior Management Team, you will lead and develop our estimating team and take a central role in winning work, overseeing the end-to-end pre-construction and bid process across public sector frameworks, commercial tenders and opportunities within high security and the blue light community. You will ensure that every submission is commercially sound, technically robust, fully compliant and compelling, and that projects are handed over to the delivery teams with a clear, well-priced and buildable basis for success.

Pre-construction and estimating leadership:

• Lead, manage and develop the estimating team, setting priorities, allocating tenders and reviewing all estimates for accuracy, completeness and commercial risk

• Chair Bid Launch and Strategy meetings

• Oversee the preparation of cost plans, estimates and tender prices across both divisions, from Small Works & Frameworks through to Main Contracts projects up to £15,000,000

• Lead tender settlement/adjudication meetings with the Senior Management Team, presenting pricing, risk, opportunity and margin positions

• Drive buildability, value engineering and alternative solutions in conjunction with the design, commercial and operational teams

• Manage the subcontractor and supply chain enquiry process, ensuring competitive, compliant and like-for-like quotations are obtained

• Develop pre-construction risk registers to support submissions

• Ensure a structured, documented handover of successful tenders to the project delivery and commercial teams

Bid management and submission:

• Lead the end-to-end bid and tender process for public sector frameworks, commercial tenders and blue light sector opportunities

• Review and analyse tender documentation, scoring matrices and evaluation criteria to identify requirements, risks, compliance obligations and opportunities, and to shape responses

• Develop bid plans, response structures and win themes tailored to client requirements

• Write, edit and review clear, persuasive and compliant quality responses, working alongside the bid team and subject matter experts

• Coordinate input from subject matter experts and senior stakeholders across the business

• Ensure all submissions meet framework, regulatory, quality and security requirements

• Manage submission deadlines, formatting requirements and electronic tender portals

• Support post-submission activities including clarifications, interviews/presentations and feedback reviews

• Strategically review feedback from unsuccessful bids and implement continuous improvement

Pipeline, systems and continuous improvement:

• Monitor framework opportunities and pipeline activity, and advise management on bid/no-bid decisions

• Maintain the pipeline database on Union Square

• Maintain and develop cost data, bid libraries, case studies, CVs and standard response content

• Leverage digital and AI tools to maximise efficiency across estimating and bid production

• Support continuous improvement of pre-construction processes, quality and content

• Assist with one-off business projects either solely or as part of a team

Role

Experience and Attributes

• Proven experience in a pre-construction, senior estimating or bid management role with a main contractor

• Experience of leading and developing an estimating and/or bid team

• Demonstrable experience of public sector frameworks and commercial tenders, including quality/price evaluated submissions

• Experience of projects up to £15m in value across the commercial, education, industrial, heritage or leisure sectors

• Experience supporting bids for emergency services, defence, policing or the wider blue light community (desirable)

• Strong commercial awareness, with a sound understanding of construction costs, risk and margin

• Working knowledge of NEC3/4 and JCT forms of contract, and of CDM 2015 and the Building Safety Act

• Exceptional written English with strong editing and proofreading skills, and high levels of accuracy and attention to detail

• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines

• Experience using Microsoft Office packages, Conquest estimating software, InDesign and electronic tender portals

• A confident communicator, able to collaborate with and influence stakeholders at all levels

Qualifications:

You must hold an appropriate, in-date CSCS card for your role/grade, supported by a relevant recognised qualification (e.g. NVQ, HNC/HND or degree, or equivalent) as evidence of competence. Cards held under CSCS ‘grandfather rights’ (i.e. without an underpinning qualification) will not be accepted.

• HNC/HND or degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Commercial Management or a related discipline (or equivalent experience)

• Appropriate grade, current CSCS card (see Security & Vetting below)

• MRICS, MCIOB or APMP accreditation (desirable)

• Full, clean UK driving licence

• Minimum 5 years’ estimating, pre-construction or bid management experience with a main contractor

Security, Vetting and Right to Work:

Many of our projects are delivered for clients operating in highly regulated and security-sensitive sectors, including policing, airports/aviation and central and local government. Security vetting is therefore a strong requirement for this role. You will need to:

• Have a full right to work in the UK

• Have been continuously resident in the UK for a minimum of the last 5 years

• Be willing and able to undergo DBS, BPSS and/or other client-led security vetting or clearance checks, which may be required at any point depending on project, site or client requirements

• Be willing to disclose, and openly discuss at interview, any previous convictions, cautions or other matters that could affect the outcome of a vetting or clearance application

• Please note that failure to meet, or subsequently maintain, the security vetting requirements of a project may affect your ability to be deployed to certain sites or contracts.

Package

Job Type and Hours

Office based at our Luton Head Office, with travel to sites, tender visits and client offices across our operating area. Some hybrid working opportunities are available if required. Standard hours of work are 8.30am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, although some flexibility will be required around tender deadlines.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary dependent on experience

• Car allowance

• 33 days a year inclusive of bank holidays

• Contributory pension

• Non-contributory life cover

• Free parking on site (Head Office)

• Adjacent to Leagrave mainline railway station

• Some hybrid working opportunities if required

• Provision of PPE for site and tender visits

• Continued professional development as part of our Group Lifelong Learning Programme

Apply Now

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER AND MEMBERS OF THE EQUALITY REGISTER,  “COMMITTED 2 EQUALITY”