Senior Preconstruction Manager

Company Description

With nearly 80 employees, over 100 projects completed or under development, and an award-winning track record of innovation and implementation, Sun Tribe is one of the fastest growing clean energy companies in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Thanks to an experienced, in-house team of development, engineering, financial, regulatory, procurement, and construction experts, Sun Tribe serves as a comprehensive energy advisory and delivery company for our client-partners. 

Whether building the first solar array to sit on an abandoned coal mine in Virginia’s history, powering the first 100 percent solar school district East of the Mississippi, installing solar on flagship state government buildings, or working with Fortune 200 companies to help meet their sustainability goals, Sun Tribe specializes in creating a brighter energy future through long-lasting, sustainable partnerships. 

Job Summary

The Senior Preconstruction Manager is a position within the Preconstruction functional group within Sun Tribe Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) and reports directly to the Vice President of Preconstruction.

Sun Tribe EPC’s Preconstruction Team’s mission is to Develop Quality Business Opportunities that enable efficient delivery in a predictable manner. In Developing Quality Business Opportunities, the Senior Preconstruction Manager acts as the quarterback to Identify, Qualify, Advance, Bid, Win, and Mature those Business Opportunities and Projects.  As a senior manager level role, this position will be required to create coordinated, streamlined, and repeatable workflows and processes that govern the work of Preconstruction Management.

In conjunction with the Vice President of Preconstruction, the Senior Preconstruction Manager Identifies potential opportunities, qualifies them as potential targets, and advances those opportunities through information gathering, relationship building, and preliminary work to decide if Sun Tribe will bid, and if we do, the strategy we will employ.

The Senior Preconstruction Manager leads the bid process through internal interactions with Project Engineering and Supply Chain, but also external interaction including new and existing subcontractors, the project owner, and the developer.

Maturing the project includes the Senior Project Manager creating initial budgets and schedules, guiding the project during early development, and deliberate handover to the Project Manager.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• With the VP of Preconstruction, identifies opportunities and sources of new opportunities.  Creates systems to quickly Identify and Qualify opportunities.
• Maintains relationships with existing asset owners and develops relationships with new asset owners.
• Maintains and builds on existing processes to decide on bids and bid strategy.
• Maintains and builds on processes of collecting information on opportunities, jurisdictions, and regulation.

• Creates project cost estimates and builds the bids which answer incoming RFP opportunities.
• Uses industry knowledge and internal assets to estimate site work, electrical installation, and mechanical installation costs; Recommends additional tools, if required, to produce accurate project cost estimates.
• Works closely with the Civil Estimator to incorporate their civil estimates into the overall cost estimates.
• Maintains relationships with existing subcontractors and develop relationships with new subcontractors who can bid and/or validate estimates.
• Maintains the database of historical bids and information.
• Compares as built costs with project estimates for perpetual improvement opportunities.
• Creates project costing metrics that serve as leading indicators to understand estimate at completion (EAC) movement and implications between bid and execution of the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Agreement (EPCA). 

• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to create, maintain, and improve project schedules through bidding and maturing phases.
• Clearly capture stages of engineering, material procurement, contract deliverables milestones, construction sequencing, and commissioning work in templated project schedule.
• Compares as built project schedules with initial schedule for perpetual improvement opportunities.
• Creates templated project schedules corresponding to the different project types.
• Creates and maintains at minimum a level 2 schedule; works with the Project Manager to advance the schedule.

• Builds the cost estimates for the bid; maintains and tracks changes in the cost stack from award through possible Limited Notice to Proceed (LNTP) and through the EPCA.
• Converts project cost estimates to project budgets at EPCA execution; work with Project Management and Finance to prepare an Initial Project Budget and cash flow for executive approval.

• Ensures efficient delivery in a predictable manner by utilizing and improving a deliberate process to hand over the project from Preconstruction to Project Management.
• Provides Project Manager a set of recommended prequalified subcontractors; initiates the prequalification process for those not prequalified.
• Develops tools and artifacts that become the basis for project management execution plans.

• Bachelor's Degree is required; Degree in Construction Management, Project Management or related field is preferred
• A minimum six years of combined experience in Project Management and Project Estimating is required, with a minimum of three years in ground mounted solar is required

• A Professional Certificate in Construction Estimating and/or PMI Project Management Certificate is advantageous
• A high competence in MS Excel and MS Project is required
• Experience in Procore or other construction management software is advantageous

• Demonstration of company core values; Community, Safety, Perpetual Improvement, Nature, Joy, and Respect
• Ability to work & thrive in a generally fast-paced office environment
• Some evening and weekend work is required

• This position is eligible for a hybrid position in Charlottesville, VA.

Review of Applications will continue until the position is filled.

If you don't check every box, don't let that stop you. We prioritize talent, passion, and drive over what looks good on paper. If you're on the fence, we encourage you to hit the apply button and highlight what draws you to Sun Tribe.

Sun Tribe is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, family medical or genetic information, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Sun Tribe is a drug-free workplace.

Learn more about Sun Tribe at www.suntribesolar.com.