Pre-Construction Manager (California)

Job Summary

Bureau Veritas is seeking an experienced Pre-Construction Project Manager to support the development and delivery of ground-up, multi-site commercial projects throughout California, with a focus on automotive service, retail, and other customer-facing facilities. This is a REMOTE role.

This is a pre-construction-focused position for a project manager who understands how to move a project from initial planning through design, permitting, bidding, and construction readiness.

The ideal candidate has significant experience with new-build projects and a strong working knowledge of how California jurisdictions operate, including local permitting processes, plan review, building departments, municipal requirements, and agency coordination.

You will work closely with clients, architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and local jurisdictions to identify issues early, keep projects moving, and ensure each project is fully prepared for construction.

Division Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead pre-construction activities for ground-up commercial and retail projects throughout California.
  • Manage projects from early planning through design coordination, permitting, bidding, contractor procurement, and construction readiness.
  • Coordinate architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, vendors, and client stakeholders throughout the pre-construction process.
  • Review construction documents, drawings, specifications, site plans, and project requirements to identify issues before construction begins.
  • Manage and track permits, plan reviews, entitlements, agency approvals, and jurisdictional requirements.
  • Navigate varying California jurisdictional processes and proactively identify permitting and approval challenges.
  • Develop and maintain project schedules, milestones, budgets, and pre-construction action plans.
  • Coordinate estimating, bid solicitation, contractor selection, scope review, and bid leveling.
  • Evaluate scope, constructability, costs, schedules, and project risks and develop solutions before construction begins.
  • Identify long-lead items, design conflicts, site constraints, permitting issues, and other factors that could affect cost or schedule.
  • Lead project meetings and maintain clear communication among clients, design teams, contractors, consultants, and regulatory agencies.
  • Track project documentation, approvals, action items, and critical decisions.
  • Provide regular updates on project status, schedule, budget, permitting, risks, and construction readiness.
  • Support the transition from pre-construction into construction by ensuring required approvals, documents, contracts, and project information are in place.
  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining accountability for deadlines, quality, and client expectations.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job does not have specific supervisory responsibilities.

Education, Certifications, and Experience

• 5+ years of project management and/or pre-construction experience, preferably with significant ground-up commercial construction experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing new-build projects from early planning through construction readiness.
• Strong knowledge of pre-construction processes, including design coordination, permitting, estimating, bidding, scheduling, and contractor procurement.
• Strong working knowledge of California permitting and jurisdictional processes.
• Experience working directly with California municipalities, building departments, planning departments, and other regulatory agencies.
• Ability to read and understand architectural and engineering drawings, specifications, site plans, and construction documents.
• Strong understanding of construction costs, schedules, constructability, and project risk.
• Experience coordinating multiple consultants, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, architecture, business, or related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• PMP certification strongly preferred.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record required

Preferred Experience

Experience with any of the following is highly desirable:

• Ground-up commercial construction
• Automotive service facilities
• Retail or quick-service facilities
• Multi-site or rollout construction programs
• Site development and civil coordination
• California development and permitting
• Municipal plan review and approvals
• Contractor bidding and procurement
• Design development and construction document review
• Project estimating and budgeting
• Entitlements and jurisdictional approvals

Skills

• Language Ability: Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and standard operating procedures. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from clients, peers, and technical field staff.

• Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.  Professional discretion and the ability to clearly communicate the aforementioned both externally and internally are paramount to this role. 

• Technology Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be proficient in operating a computer, having knowledge of word processing software, spreadsheet software, and web-based project management software. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to operate an electronic tablet in the field for live data collection.

Physical and Environmental Conditions

While performing the onsite/field duties, the employee is required to:

• Walk (material part of an 8-hour workday, up to 3 to 4 continuous hours at one time.)
• Stand (material part of an 8-hour workday, up to 3 to 4 continuous hours at one time. )
• Sit, Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl to observe basement and grade-level crawl spaces, and/or to read equipment data plates when necessary (at least once for each building assessed)
• Climb and balance Stairs (at least once for each building assessed)
• Climb and balance various types of ladders to access flat roofs/hatch access (at least once for each building assessed)
• Repetitive use of hands/fingers for keyboard interaction (frequently)
• Reach with hands and arms
• Talk and hear (communicate with onsite contact)
• Vision (close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus)
• Lift and or move (occasionally up to 40 pounds)
• Operate an electronic tablet in the field for live data collection.
• Operate a computer (up to 100% of workweek)
• Operating a motor vehicle
• Travel by Plane, Motor Vehicle, Train to client sites across the U.S. 
• Onsite visits can occur up to one continuous week at a time. As a general expectation, for approximately 2 to 3 days of the workweek, travel and onsite work is anticipated and expected. Overnight stays away from home may be required.
• Work Environment: The employee is regularly exposed to outdoor weather conditions, moving mechanical components and assemblies, frequently exposed to work near energized electrical components and assemblies. The employee is occasionally exposed to work in high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, extreme cold, extreme heat, inclement weather conditions, and risk of electrical shock. The noise level at the project site is usually moderate.

While performing the office/offsite duties of this job:

• Operate a computer (up to 100% of workweek)
• Regularly required to use hands.
• Repetitive use of hands/fingers for keyboard interaction (frequently)
• Talk and hear
• Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• The noise level in the home or company office environment is usually quiet.
• Ability to successfully work from remote location.

Travel Requirements

Travel by Plane, Motor Vehicle, Train to client/project sites across the U.S. as indicated in the essential duties and responsibilities section.

Benefits

At Bureau Veritas, we are dedicated to ensuring our employees receive fair and competitive pay, accompanied by comprehensive health and wellness benefits.

Here's a breakdown of what we provide:

Salary range: $85 - $105k

Annual Incentive Bonus Plan
Base Pay is adjusted based on job-related knowledge, skills,  experience, and market location.

Our Health and Welfare Benefits are designed to meet your needs, eligible on your first day of employment:

Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
Company-matched Retirement plan
Generous Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
Life Insurance and AD&D coverage
Short-Term Disability (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD)
Tuition Assistance, along with optional life and pet insurance
Access to Corporate Discounts

This information is transparently provided in adherence to several state and local Equal Pay and Pay Transparency Laws, with our base pay determined by market location.

Join us at Bureau Veritas, where your well-being and professional growth are our top priorities.

#IND1