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Commercial General Contracting & Construction Management Firm

Riddle Recruitment has partnered directly with a well-established, highly respected commercial general contractor in Southern California to find their next Chief Estimator / Preconstruction Manager. This is a confidential, direct-hire search - not a contract or agency role - and our client's name will be shared with qualified candidates as the process moves forward.

About Our Client

Our client is known throughout the region for consistency, reliability, and delivering high-quality, profitable projects on time and within budget across Healthcare, Commercial, Laboratory/Technical, Industrial, Educational, Automotive, Corporate Office, and Tenant Improvement construction.

The Opportunity

This leadership role owns the estimating and preconstruction process end-to-end; from conceptual budgeting and value engineering through final bid submission and contract award - while mentoring estimating staff, strengthening subcontractor and client relationships, and helping pursue new business. We're looking for a collaborative, hands-on leader with sharp technical skills, strong business acumen, and a passion for profitable, high-quality projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop the estimating team through coaching, training, and performance feedback, with a collaborative leadership style.
• Establish estimating standards, procedures, and quality-control measures; assign workload and priorities across multiple concurrent pursuits to meet critical bid deadlines.
• Conduct estimate review meetings and give final approval on all estimates prior to submission.
• Continuously improve estimating processes, cost databases, historical cost information, and subcontractor relationships to enhance efficiency and competitiveness.
• Lead the complete estimating process - conceptual, schematic, design-development, GMP, and lump-sum estimates - reviewing drawings, specs, and contract documents to interpret scope and identify risk.
• Develop comprehensive cost estimates and detailed quantity take-offs using ProEst, Bluebeam, Building Connected, Excel, and other industry-standard tools.
• Develop competitive, profitable bid strategies; lead constructability reviews and value-engineering analyses to find cost savings without compromising quality.
• Evaluate project risks, recommend contingencies, identify pricing opportunities, and assist with early procurement planning for long-lead materials.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings and job walks; create CSI bid-package scoping documents; issue and manage RFIs to resolve plan discrepancies and scheduling issues.

Subcontractor & Client Relations

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, architects, engineers, owners, and consultants.
• Solicit, evaluate, and negotiate proposals for the best overall value; review scopes, qualifications, and exclusions to ensure complete bid coverage and quickly diagnose errors.
• Participate in client interviews, project presentations, preconstruction meetings, and industry events, clarifying project requirements, budgets, and expectations along the way.
• Collaborate with Project Managers, Operations, Marketing, and Executive Leadership on RFQs, RFPs, design-build, negotiated, and hard-bid pursuits.
• Support post-bid buyouts and a seamless project turnover to operations, and analyze completed-project costs to sharpen future estimating accuracy.

Financial & Risk Management

• Ensure all estimates align with company profitability goals; monitor market trends, labor rates, and material pricing.
• Evaluate contract terms, insurance, and bonding requirements; support change-order pricing and budget updates throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable codes, regulations, and company standards.

What You Bring

• Minimum 10 years of commercial construction estimating experience, including at least 5 years in a senior estimating leadership role.
• Extensive experience estimating Healthcare, Commercial, Laboratory, Educational, Corporate Office, Tenant Improvement, and other commercial construction projects.
• Expert knowledge of blueprint reading, specifications, quantity take-offs, constructability reviews, and commercial construction means and methods.
• Advanced proficiency with ProEst, Bluebeam, Building Connected, and Microsoft Excel; experience with Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud is a plus.
• Strong understanding of conceptual estimating, GMP development, negotiated work, design-build delivery, and hard-bid procurement, with a proven track record of winning bid strategies and managing multiple high-value pursuits at once.
• Demonstrated success in cost control, value engineering, budgeting, pricing strategy, and risk analysis, backed by excellent negotiation, leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build lasting relationships with clients, design teams, subcontractors, and internal teams, with exceptional attention to detail, strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, and the composure to perform under tight deadlines.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred (or equivalent industry experience).

Location & Work Arrangement

This position is based on-site in San Clemente, CA and is a full-time, in-office role.

Why This Role & About Riddle Recruitment

This is a chance to lead an experienced estimating team, shape company strategy, and help deliver landmark Healthcare, Commercial, Laboratory, and Educational projects across Southern California. Riddle Recruitment is managing this confidential search on our client's behalf and will be your point of contact throughout the process. If you're ready to lead as a Chief Estimator with a growing, respected general contractor, we'd love to hear from you.