Director of Preconstruction – Lead Commercial Retail Rollouts for KZ Miller Construction, Inc.
Job Overview
- Company: KZ Miller Construction, Inc.
- Salary/Pay Rate: $145,000 - $175,000 per year (plus Project Completion and Annual Bonuses).
- Location: San Diego, CA (3180 University Ave; Onsite with ~20% travel).
- Job/Employment Type: Full Time.
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Project Scope:Specialized technical commercial construction projects, including restaurants, gas stations, car washes, groceries stores, medical facilities, prevailing wage, public sector , etc.
- Mandatory Licences & Certifications: None Required.
The Opportunity
KZ Miller Construction is seeking a senior construction professional who can lead estimating and project management while helping expand the company’s medical construction business. This is a leadership opportunity for someone with strong preconstruction experience, project management familiarity, and a track record in commercial construction.
You will work closely with company leadership to learn current procedures, systems, and project workflows. From there, you’ll help pursue medical construction opportunities, strengthen the subcontractor network, and support the company’s growth in this market.
How You Will Make an Impact
- Estimating and Preconstruction
- Prepare conceptual budgets, detailed estimates, quantity takeoffs, and bid proposals for medical and other commercial construction projects.
- Review drawings, specifications, site conditions, and client requirements to identify scope gaps, constructability concerns, and financial or schedule risks.
- Develop scopes for sitework, utilities, building systems, interiors, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work.
- Coordinate subcontractor coverage, level bids, clarify exclusions, and support procurement and buyout.
- Identify differences between plans and project-specific requirements before they affect cost or schedule.
- Recommend value engineering options and maintain historical cost information to improve future estimates.
- Support projects from early planning and preconstruction through award and project launch.
- Project Management and Financial Accountability
- Apply project management experience to support projects from preconstruction through turnover and financial closeout.
- Help establish and maintain project budgets, schedules, procurement plans, and cost-to-complete forecasts.
- Coordinate with superintendents to support safe field execution, quality control, and subcontractor performance.
- Manage or support contracts, RFIs, submittals, change orders, billing, and project documentation.
- Anticipate long-lead equipment, utility connections, inspections, and other dependencies affecting completion.
- Coordinate work in active or specialized facilities, including medical environments, with attention to existing systems and client operations.
- Team Leadership and Company Growth
- Partner with company leadership to understand current procedures, decision-making, and project delivery standards.
- Help identify and pursue opportunities to grow KZ Miller’s medical construction business.
- Bring established subcontractor relationships and help build a qualified subcontractor network for medical and commercial projects.
- Support the onboarding of subcontractors to company processes, project requirements, and communication standards.
- Mentor and guide project managers, estimators, and project coordinators.
- Improve estimating procedures, project controls, reporting, and coordination between office and field teams.
- Build relationships with owners, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers.
- Help leadership evaluate new opportunities against available resources, project risks, and financial objectives.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of experience estimating commercial projects such as restaurants, gas stations, car washes, grocery stores, and medical facilities.
- Demonstrated estimating and preconstruction experience, with familiarity managing projects or working closely with project management teams.
- Direct experience with medical construction projects or facilities, such as compounding pharmacies, urgent care centers, or similar healthcare environments.
- Experience estimating and coordinating commercial construction scopes, including sitework, utilities, building systems, interiors, and MEP.
- Familiarity with subcontractor bidding, bid leveling, scope review, and buyout.
- Established subcontractor relationships and the ability to help expand and onboard a qualified subcontractor network.
- Familiarity with Sage 100, Procore, GCPay, and BidMail or comparable estimating and bidding platforms.
- Ability to work closely with company leadership and learn established procedures and project workflows.
- Ability to travel up to 20% to support project and client needs.
Preferred Qualifications & Experience
- Experience leading or mentoring estimating or project management teams.
- Experience with prevailing wage projects.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or a related discipline.
- Experience developing estimating databases, historical unit pricing, project controls, or standard operating procedures.
- Experience with tenant improvements or construction in occupied, operational facilities.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive base salary of $145,000 to $175,000 per year.
- Incentive earnings via Annual Bonuses and Project Completion / Pay-Per-Performance programs.
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance packages.
- Offer a Simple IRA with a 3% employer match that is fully vested.
- Generous paid time off package covering holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
- Paid parental leave covering maternity and paternity needs.
- Dedicated travel compensation including per diem coverage and car allowance.
- Company-sponsored training and professional certifications (OSHA, Fall Protection, Equipment Lifts).
- Annual company trips, team outings, and employee referral bonus program.
About Us
KZ Miller Construction, Inc. is a premier commercial general contractor specializing in prototype-driven freestanding retail rollouts, corporate tenant improvements, and modern medical facility enhancements. We partner with elite national brands and Fortune 100 clients to turn complex design prototypes into high-performing commercial spaces across the region.
Learn more at http://www.kzcompanies.com/.
KZ Miller Construction, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or any other status protected by law or regulations. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.
