Pre-Construction Manager in Warrington

Are you ready to shape the future of major civil engineering projects across the Northwest? Balfour Beatty’s Regional Civils division is expanding, and we’re looking for a driven Pre‑Construction Manager to play a pivotal role in securing and developing the next wave of infrastructure schemes that keep our communities moving. Based out of our Warrington office, you’ll lead the early‑stage development of a diverse portfolio of regional civils projects—bringing together technical expertise, commercial insight, and collaborative leadership to turn opportunities into deliverable, high‑quality solutions. This is your chance to influence strategy, strengthen client relationships, and help deliver work that leaves a lasting legacy across the region. If you thrive in a fast‑paced environment, enjoy shaping winning proposals, and want to be part of a team that takes pride in delivering essential infrastructure, we’d love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead two‑stage pre‑construction and tender activities, ensuring all work aligns with health and safety requirements, budget expectations, and customer drivers.
• Formulate and implement the pre‑construction strategy for each project, guiding it from initial development through to conversion into a construction contract.
• Ensure all pre‑construction and tender deliverables—including designs, programmes, cost plans, and written submissions—are produced in a timely, accurate, and effective manner.
• Manage the completion of contract governance, ensuring all internal approvals, risk reviews, and commercial checks are completed to the highest standard.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, bringing together estimators, planners, designers, commercial specialists, and operational leads to develop competitive and deliverable solutions.
• Complete written responses to tender questions, producing clear, compelling, and customer‑focused content as part of bids and pre‑construction submissions.
• Assess the commercial attractiveness of opportunities, identifying risks, opportunities, and value drivers, and reporting conclusions early to senior management.
• Engage directly with clients and stakeholders, meeting customers regularly, responding to queries, and building strong, collaborative relationships.
• Oversee design development, ensuring technical solutions are safe, sustainable, buildable, and aligned with Balfour Beatty’s standards and innovation ambitions.
• Drive programme and cost certainty, challenging assumptions and ensuring all pre‑construction outputs are robust, compliant, and aligned with project objectives.
• Support bid strategy and tender presentations, contributing to win themes, documentation, and client interviews.
• Ensure seamless handover to delivery teams, providing clarity, continuity, and confidence as projects transition into construction.

Who we're looking for:

• Previous experience within the civil engineering or construction industry—ideally within a Tier 1 contractor or major infrastructure environment.
• A proven track record leading pre‑construction activities, including tender development, buildability reviews, methodology planning, and programme input.
• Experience managing multiple bids and teams simultaneously, each with differing priorities, deadlines, and levels of complexity.
• Strong commercial awareness, with a results‑driven approach and a solid understanding of risk management, cost drivers, and profit.
• Confidence working with clients, designers, supply chain partners, and internal stakeholders to shape compelling, deliverable solutions.
• Familiarity with NEC contracts, frameworks, and early contractor involvement (ECI) processes.

Qualifications & Skills:

• A degree or equivalent qualification in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Chartered status (CEng, MICE or similar) or working towards it—highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build strong working relationships.
• A strong negotiator who can secure value, manage expectations, and support positive commercial outcomes.
• A team‑focused mindset, encouraging high standards, collaboration, and a quality‑driven culture.
• A flexible, proactive approach, ensuring deadlines are met without compromising accuracy or integrity.
• Customer‑focused thinking, with the ability to identify and articulate value opportunities throughout the pre‑construction process.
• Proficiency with digital tools used in planning, estimating, BIM, and collaborative data environments.
• The ability to travel within the Region and nationally as required.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain Security Clearance.

Why work for us:

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Benefits:

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata).
• Family friendly policies including 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave.
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About Us:

With a strong track record of delivery, our civils teams connect communities through infrastructure projects in the highways, public realm, rail, flood and coastal defence, and industrial sectors across England and Wales.

Diversity and inclusion:

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background.