Director Of Pre-Construction

The Lawen Group | DEXEL | Paramount is deeply rooted in community values with a shared vision that each property shapes the future of Halifax for generations to come. We offer a cohesive team of more than 75 members providing design, construction, and property management services across Halifax, Nova Scotia.
DEXEL is the design-build arm of Lawen Group, a family-founded real estate group building in Halifax since 1972. DEXEL Developments builds, DEXEL Architecture designs in-house, and our sister company Paramount Management manages our portfolio of about 2,000 homes and growing.
We design, build, own and manage our buildings, so quality is not a slogan. We keep what we build, which is why we build it right.
Our CultureOurs is a collaborative team that focuses on quality of work and community vibe, where professionalism meets passion. We pride ourselves on being a family firm that operates exclusively in Halifax, for over 50 years. We believe in continual learning, fostering a tight-knit work family, pushing to our potential, embracing humility, honoring our community, and getting the job done.
Ocean at your door, a real community, a short commute, and home ownership still within reach compared with Toronto or Vancouver. Halifax passed 515,000 people in 2025, and your work will help shape its skyline.
The OpportunityYou will own the number. You prepare every estimate yourself, Class D through Class A, from first concept to final buyout, and keep it tied to the pro forma. There is no estimator below this role. What you price is what we build.
This is a working leader’s role, one of two directors reporting to the President and CEO. You run preconstruction from start to finish, and you lead DEXEL Architecture, our in-house design team, through its Production Manager. Your team includes a BIM Lead, and our consultants deliver Revit models. Two 30-storey towers are underway on Spring Garden Road, and heritage buildings are being restored on Carlton Street. You will shape how the next ones are drawn, priced and bought.
What You Will Own
Every estimate and cost plan, Class D through Class A, kept tied to the budget and pro forma
Tendering and procurement until every trade package is bought, including long-lead and overseas supply
Design direction for DEXEL Architecture and our consultants, so drawings go out for tender or construction only when they are complete and coordinated
Constructability reviews and value engineering
The preconstruction schedule, permits and readiness for construction start
A complete handover to Construction: coordinated drawings, a priced budget, a schedule and most trade packages bought
Design support through the build: RFI answers, consultant coordination and design changes, plus the BIM, estimating and procurement standards behind every project
What You Bring
Ten or more years leading preconstruction, estimating or design delivery on multi-residential work, including high-rise
Estimates you prepared yourself on projects of $50 million or more, and the buyout that proved them
Trade package procurement: scoping, tendering, bid levelling, qualifying bidders and awarding
The design judgment to hold a drawing set back until it is ready
BIM as a working tool for coordination and quantity takeoff, not just a deliverable
A quality obsession, because we keep what we build, and a teacher’s instinct: you build people and systems, not just budgets
Nice to Have
A degree or diploma in construction management, architecture, engineering or a related field
P.Eng., registered architect, CET or PQS designation
Overseas procurement or offshore supply-chain experience
If you meet most of these, we would still like to hear from you.
What We Offer
A base salary of $170,000 to $200,000, plus a performance bonus of 15 to 25 percent tied to estimate accuracy, buyout and drawing quality
Full benefits
Direct work with a President and CEO who is a practising P.Eng.
Relocation support for the right candidate
Mostly office and design-studio based in Halifax, with regular time on site and occasional evening or weekend work around tenders.
While we do appreciate all applicants, only those selected to move on to the interview process will be contacted.
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