The Opportunity
Our client, a national M&E contractor operating from their Warrington base, is looking for a Pre-Construction Manager to lead the tendering and estimating process across their live bids.
The whole tender, not a slice of one. Enquiry through to submission and award, with a £350 million hospital in front of you from day one.
Pricing this portfolio is a more demanding exercise than a standard commercial scheme. Access protocols, security clearance requirements, listed building constraints and live healthcare shutdown windows all have to be dealt with from the earliest stage of a bid, rather than discovered halfway through one.
This is a permanent role in Warrington, £55,000 to £70,000 depending on experience, plus a full benefits package.
About the Business
Main contractor relationships measured in decades change what bidding is like. The business is usually pricing into established, well-understood partnerships rather than proving itself on one-off jobs, which for a pre-construction manager means more reliable information going into an estimate and a more collaborative environment when something needs clarifying.
In-house design matters more in pre-construction than almost anywhere else. Being able to develop a proposal with the design team while the bid is live, rather than pricing to someone else’s drawings and hoping, is most of the difference between a substantiated submission and an optimistic one.
What You'll Be Doing
Supporting pre-construction on the initial £350 million hospital project
Leading the pre-construction process from receipt of enquiry through to tender submission and award
Reviewing and pricing M&E packages across mechanical and electrical scopes
Pricing and planning work across a varied portfolio, including heritage, healthcare, defence and custodial projects, each with their own access, security or compliance constraints
Working closely with the in-house design team to develop technically robust, properly substantiated proposals
Driving value engineering and buildability reviews during the tender process
Reviewing contract terms and identifying commercial risk ahead of submission
Managing subcontractor and supplier enquiries to build competitive, well-substantiated pricing
Developing relationships with clients, consultants and main contractors at bid stage
Supporting post-tender negotiation and handover into delivery on secured work
What We're Looking For
A strong M&E pre-construction or estimating background, comfortable leading tenders independently from enquiry through to award
Confident producing accurate, well-substantiated M&E estimates across mechanical and electrical packages
Strong on value engineering, risk identification and commercial review at pre-contract stage
Sound knowledge of NEC and/or JCT contract forms
Credible with clients, consultants and internal teams at senior level
Full UK driving licence
Experience pricing across a varied portfolio, and in regulated, secure or otherwise constrained environments, is a strong advantage though not essential.
•Ownership of the tender from receipt of enquiry through to award
•Pricing work in regulated, secure and access-constrained environments
•Developing proposals with the in-house design team, not around them
•The commercial and technical judgement on what goes into a bid
•A pure estimating seat with the strategy set elsewhere
•Standard commercial schemes with standard constraints
•Pricing to drawings someone else has already fixed
•Handing over at submission and never seeing the outcome
What's on Offer
A prestigious and technically varied portfolio, spanning sectors most M&E contractors cannot access
The backing of a national business with scale, a deep supply chain and long-standing client relationships
A stable, long-established contractor with a serious approach to delivery standards and safety
How to Apply
Apply using the button below, or contact Mike Halliwell directly for a discreet conversation.