Chief Estimator & Preconstruction Lead at Prairie Landworks

McPherson, Kansas, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

31 Jul, 26

Salary

130000.0

Posted On

02 May, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Heavy civil estimating, Preconstruction, Bid management, Project scheduling, Value engineering, Team leadership, Mentoring, Business development, HeavyBid, Takeoffs, Subcontractor coordination, Risk review, Production planning, Client relationship management, Budgeting, Construction management

Industry

Construction

Description

Real variety, autonomy, influence, and work that stays close to home. About Prairie Landworks We’re a small but growing company, which means you’ll get to make a real impact. Since 2012, we’ve grown with a simple belief: do meaningful work, do it with character and integrity, and create a safe, rewarding place for good people to build a career. We self-perform key parts of our work and take pride in building projects the way we’d want them built for our own families and communities. And just as important, we work hard to keep our projects close enough to home that our team can get back to their families at night. How You’ll Contribute This is estimating-first, but not just assembling bids. You'll also have a real voice in preconstruction, pursuit strategy, systems, client relationships, and team development, with direct access to the people making decisions. You'll help shape the direction of planned growth to $25M+, strengthen business development capability, improve estimating systems and consistency, develop next-generation talent internally, and protect continuity while leveling up performance. What You’ll Get To Do Protect margin and support the right kind of growth, leading estimating for $500K-$7M heavy civil, concrete, utility, earthwork, foundation, process piping, and commercial/municipal building projects. Help decide what work is worth pursuing by bringing estimating judgment, project fit, production reality, and client relationships into the conversation early. Win work on more than price by explaining jobs, risks, approach, and value better than a traditional business development handoff can. Build accurate, competitive estimates by leading bid reviews, takeoffs, subcontractor and supplier coordination, site visits, risk review, and timely proposal submission. Keep self-perform estimating grounded in real production, with pricing decisions that turn into real projects you can see moving quickly. Strengthen preconstruction by supporting planning, design coordination, preliminary scheduling, value engineering, and project readiness before work hits the field. Develop the estimating team by mentoring younger talent, building structure, and helping determine when and how the team should grow. Shape better systems by helping build HeavyBid, integrate it with other systems, and refine the estimating processes and workflows around it. Who You Are You have strong heavy civil and industrial estimating experience and know how to lead estimates, not just participate in them. You’re comfortable in a visible, outward-facing role where estimating judgment, client and partner relationships, leadership, accountability, and ownership all help drive growth. You know the numbers matter, but you also know the job is won, planned, and built through people. You bring calm judgment to decisions that still have a few unknowns. You’re senior enough to lead the function, but still willing to do detailed reviews, takeoffs, and real estimating work yourself. You know your way around HCSS HeavyBid or a similar estimating system. You’re willing to help build the estimating system, integrate it, and refine workflows while actively bidding. Even Better, But Not Required Experience across civil, GC, and industrial self-performance work. Exposure to design-build or preconstruction. Familiarity with Acumatica or other ERP systems. Experience helping implement or refine estimating systems. Local or regional knowledge in central Kansas. Typical Schedule This is not a remote role. Collaboration matters here. Most weeks are 45–50 hours. Busy seasons and bid pushes can spike above that, and weekends are rare but possible during major bids. Work is office-based, with some jobsite visits and occasional client or partner meetings. PLi intentionally focuses on a roughly 60–90 mile radius of McPherson, Kansas, primarily central Kansas, so this role should be home all the time with only rare overnight exceptions for a trusted client outside the normal radius. Some flexibility is available once established. What’s In It For You Role-Specific Base salary of $105K–$130K Performance-based bonus opportunity tied to company success and individual contribution. Take-home company vehicle. Leadership role in a growing company with high autonomy and direct access to owner and leaders. Real influence on what work PLi pursues and how it gets executed. Ability to shape estimating systems, tools, and processes. Opportunity to build and lead a team. Support Estimating team of 3 right now, including owner. Strong office support team. Collaborative culture between PM and Superintendent. Late-model equipment. Variety Work across commercial, municipal, and industrial building projects, not repetitive subdivision or tenant-finish-only work. Balance Target 45–50 hour work week. Early Fridays. 3 weeks PTO plus 7.5 paid holidays, plus your birthday off after 1 year. 90-mile service radius, home nightly with rare exceptions. Compensation & Benefits Medical, Dental, Vision, minimum 60% company paid. 401K / Roth with 4% match. Boot allowance after 1 year. Supplemental voluntary benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider applicants for employment based on qualifications and merit, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.

Responsibilities

Lead the estimating and preconstruction process for heavy civil and industrial projects while mentoring junior staff. Drive business growth by managing bid reviews, client relationships, and the refinement of estimating systems and workflows.