Pre-Construction Manager, GES NA, Design and Construction

As a Preconstruction Manager within Global Engineering Services (GES) North America (NA) Design & Construction (D&C), you are Amazon's owner's representative during the preconstruction phase — responsible for independently managing difficult, cross-functional industrial building projects from site selection through design completion, permitting, and contract execution across your assigned region. Preconstruction services refers to the planning of a construction project before actual construction begins. You will partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure scope, budget, and schedule definition are established, including timely receipt of building and site permits. You are responsible as the project manager to lead planning, design, and preconstruction projects — including new built-to-suit industrial buildings, tenant improvements, extensions of existing facilities, and renovation projects — supporting Amazon's logistics network infrastructure. You work independently within your assigned region, using your knowledge of construction and project management concepts to decide which actions to take to complete projects, and seeking guidance as needed on strategic components. You are tactical with some strategic components, utilizing well-defined processes and best practices to facilitate delivery of high-quality results. You make trade-offs between time, quality, and resources to keep projects on track. Key competencies of this position include ensuring that contracted resources deliver work product in support of project durations, permitting, key performance indicators (KPIs), and quality documentation; managing project teams (developers, design engineers, professional consultants); influencing internal teams (Design Engineering, Amazon Robotics); contract management governance; conceptual estimating and budget oversight; and managing multiple large industrial projects in various locations simultaneously. Translating technical documents and information into clear, concise narratives with detailed risk analysis for leaders and customers is essential. This opportunity combines construction engineering, planning, project management, real estate development, design validation, site visits, understanding of local building and fire code issues, utilities, sustainability, multi-disciplinary design management, and contract management. The Preconstruction Manager is responsible for the planning and design of scope, budget, and schedule prior to handing off to the Construction Manager — focusing on taking ownership to resolve upstream issues and supporting the construction team throughout the process. This role requires approximately 60% regional travel within North America, with potential travel to all North America locations based on business needs. Key job responsibilities Safety & Compliance - Supervise the implementation and management of Amazon's safety programs and standards across all internal and external project teams during the planning and preconstruction phases of a project - Interface and coordinate with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to ensure regulatory compliance, smooth permitting execution, and timely approvals - Review noise, traffic, and environmental studies; understand zoning, planning, fire code, and building code requirements for assigned projects Preconstruction & Project Management - Independently manage difficult, cross-functional industrial preconstruction projects from site selection through design completion, permitting, and contract execution - Lead site selection and validation, scope development, and design management — coordinating with design teams to develop site plans and composite floor plans in compliance with Amazon's design standards and operational requirements - Manage multiple concurrent large industrial projects across various locations simultaneously - Keep scope under control and accelerate progress by driving crisp, timely decisions, identifying and clearing blockers, and escalating appropriately - Identify and resolve upstream issues proactively to support a clean handoff to the Construction Manager; remain a key support resource for the construction team throughout the project lifecycle - Assess project performance through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for safety, quality, cost, schedule, and sustainability - Minimize disruptions and proactively mitigate risks; plan ahead to prevent problems before they happen Budget, Schedule & Contract Management - Develop and manage project budgets and costs; own comprehensive schedule management and cashflow forecasting across assigned preconstruction projects - Perform conceptual estimating and pricing reviews for scope inclusions and exclusions; negotiate the cost of work with developers, general contractors, and design consultants - Contribute to the selection of external vendor partners and manage vendor procurement; oversee professional service providers to ensure their skills and competencies meet project requirements - Review and analyze design and construction contracts, related exhibits, and lease agreements; provide detailed analysis of technical matters and site-specific deal structures and terms - Partner with the Transaction team and developers to optimize schedule and strategy for entitlements and long-lead procurement - Identify and solve factors that may impede a successful permitted project handover to Amazon stakeholders; make trade-offs between time, quality, and resources Stakeholder & Vendor Management - Work with internal and external teams — including Real Estate, Design Engineering, Entitlements, Construction, Finance, Launch/Startup, architects, engineers, permitting agencies, developers, and landlords — to secure resources, scope infrastructure builds, set priorities and milestones, and drive delivery to meet deadlines - Drive results through communicating, weighing risks, making decisions, leading, and influencing; competently represent project and tech