Opportunity: 

The Pederson Group has been retained by Wright Construction to conduct a search for a Pursuit & Design Manager!

Wright has been a leader in the construction industry for over a century and is the longest-operating construction company in Saskatchewan! Since opening shop in 1905, Wright Construction has developed a reputation as a trusted industry leader within the commercial, institutional, mixed-use and industrial spaces across Canada and has successfully performed numerous general contracting, design-build, public-private partnerships (P3s) and construction management projects ranging from British Columbia to Ontario. Wright and its predecessor companies were involved in monumental structures in Saskatoon, such as the Delta Bessborough Hotel, United Church on Third Avenue, and several original U of S Buildings. Wright has been awarded Butler “Builder of the Year” and “Top Volume Builder” in Canada many times over the last decade.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Pursuit & Design Manager will be responsible for Wright’s pursuits and will manage the designs, scopes, schedules, and budgets for multiple projects of varying complexity. The Pursuit and Design Manager will prioritize building successful teams for proposal development and delivery, planning for execution, as well as bridging the communications between the client and the project execution team to create an environment for successful project delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Manage all phases of feasibility and design of potential projects within Canada.

• Oversee the proposal development process and coordinate the design consultants, engineering consultants, and estimating staff.

• Use competitor knowledge to develop and implement effective strategies in winning project pursuits.

• Participate in the estimating/budgeting process for competitive proposals while considering project-specific challenges and risks.

• Maintain a level of ownership on each project to ensure the day-to-day operations are effectively transitioned from pre-construction to project managers.

• Identify new market trends, including architectural design, geographic, economic, etc.

• Provide leadership and business judgment on all financial and profitability aspects of new projects.

• Establish required profit margins with the chief estimator and partners at the beginning of the project and mentor the team (project managers) on how to increase profit levels.

• Lead the development and production of qualifications, proposal requests, and presentation efforts.

• Demonstrate interest and understanding of company priorities with a reasonable level of business judgment.

• Maintain relationships with contracting agencies and executive management to anticipate project needs with sufficient lead time to avoid production delays.

• Facilitate field site visits to conduct due diligence related to constructability, design, utility servicing, and cost.

• Provide site reports and preliminary sketches as needed.

• Pursue, build, and maintain strong relationships in the industry to enable effective communication/ties to the local market.

• Review site related project documents to assess construction viability.

• Work closely with business development to pursue potential client/project opportunities.

Experience and Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree is an asset, preferably in a relevant field such as construction management, engineering, or architecture.

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a project, pursuit, or design manager capacity.

• Experience working on large multimillion-dollar projects, with preference given to individuals who have worked on projects exceeding $100 million.

• Knowledge of construction procedures, trade practices, building codes, project scheduling, project cost control, and safety procedures. 

• Proven experience in estimating, defining scopes of work and pricing labour and material during the negotiation/bid process.

• Thorough understanding of construction administration processes, including contracts, budgets, construction documents, change orders, schedules, RFIs, submittals, and material procurement.

• Proficient in utilizing technology to assist in database management, proposal creation and other business development processes.

• Ability to develop project estimates, budgets and manage resources.

• Ability to understand client requirements and to produce highly professional proposals and presentations.

• Entrepreneurial spirit with a positive attitude. 

• Ability to drive goals and results while maintaining quality and attention to critical details.

• Experience in strategic planning and execution. 

• Knowledge of contracting, negotiating, and change management.

• Ability to travel across Canada as necessary.

• Skilled in reading, understanding and redlining design drawings with a clear understanding of the cost implications of construction design options and the ability to provide cost-efficient recommendations.

• Aptitude in communicating and building relationships with property owners, local jurisdictions, utility companies and other stakeholders throughout the project cycle.

• Ability to identify the critical path tasks in a project timeline and accelerate project completion.

What The Company Offers You:

• Be part of a leading construction company while investing in your career.

• Competitive compensation package.

• Industry-leading employer-paid pension program.

• Company-paid benefit program.

• Employee and Family Assistance Program.

• Commitment to learning—courses, resources and tools provided to all employees.

• Professional and career development opportunities.

Apply or Learn More: 

Interested in this opportunity? Apply now by submitting your application above. 

To learn more about the opportunity, contact Justis Pederson at + 1 204-414-0754 or [email protected]! 

We are looking forward to hearing from you!