Senior Pre-construction Manager
Cityscape Recruitment
Sector: Commercial Office Interiors / Design & Build
Reporting to: Head of Pre-Contracts
Salary: Up to £120,000 depending on experience
The Opportunity A leading London-based commercial workplace design and build business is seeking an experienced Pre-Contract Manager to join its growing pre-contracts function.
This is a confidential opportunity with an established and highly regarded organisation delivering fast-track commercial office fit-out and refurbishment projects for a diverse client base.
The successful candidate will play a key role from initial opportunity through to project approval and handover, working closely with the sales, design, estimating and contracts teams to ensure projects are commercially viable, accurately priced and set up for successful delivery.
The role would suit an experienced pre-contracts professional with a strong background in commercial office interiors, construction project management and estimating, combined with the confidence to engage with clients and senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate structured and documented project brief-taking from the initial opportunity stage.
- Develop and coordinate strategies designed to successfully secure new projects.
- Work closely with Sales and Project Directors throughout pitches, negotiations and pre-contract discussions.
- Ensure project programmes, pitch timetables and key pre-contract milestones are effectively managed.
- Assess commercial risk, project viability, programme requirements and budget considerations.
- Establish and manage pre- and post-tender timescales, ensuring these are clearly communicated and controlled.
- Identify potential Health & Safety and CDM requirements at an early stage and ensure the appropriate planning resources are allocated.
- Work collaboratively with Design teams to ensure buildability, value engineering and client approval of drawings and specifications.
- Coordinate with clients and their professional advisers, including landlords, solicitors and agents, where required to facilitate project delivery.
- Monitor costs as designs develop and ensure a complete design and specification package is prepared for the Contracts team.
- Agree appropriate design freeze stages.
- Coordinate input from specialist internal teams, including M&E, IT/Voice & Data and furniture.
- Develop detailed specifications that enable subcontractors and suppliers to provide accurate and competitive pricing.
- Obtain and manage back-to-back quotations across project packages, particularly specialist areas such as joinery, acoustic works and complex external works.
- Support the negotiation and agreement of commercially appropriate client contractual terms and payment arrangements.
- Ensure drawings, specifications and contract documentation are fully signed off prior to project handover.
- Produce detailed itemised cost plans and estimates to provide a robust basis for financial control.
- Work closely with the Contract Manager to agree the final cost plan before project approval.
- Maintain accurate project information within the CRM and ensure all pre-contract activities are completed at each project milestone.
- Ensure the Contracts team is fully briefed and onboarded ahead of project approval and support the transition from pre-contract to delivery.
- Work collaboratively with the Contracts and Projects teams to improve estimating accuracy and maximise planned commercial outcomes.
- Provide post-contract support where required, particularly around value engineering and maintaining agreed cost plans.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of pre-contract processes and commercial performance.
- 5+ years' experience within construction project management, pre-contracts and/or estimating.
- Strong experience within the commercial office interiors, fit-out or design & build sector.
- A strong understanding of construction costs, specifications, procurement and commercial risk.
- Experience supporting or leading client pitches and senior/board-level presentations.
- The ability to manage multiple fast-paced projects and competing deadlines.
- Strong commercial awareness and attention to detail.
- The confidence to challenge, influence and make commercially sound decisions.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
- Commercially minded and solutions focused.
- A strong team player with natural leadership capability.
- An excellent communicator and relationship builder.
- Comfortable challenging existing processes and ways of working.
- Flexible and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
- Committed to continuous learning and improvement.
- Confident working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Focused on delivering accurate, commercially robust outcomes.
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