Sr Pre-Construction Manager, GES NA, Design and Construction

As a Senior Preconstruction Manager within Global Engineering Services (GES) North America (NA) Design & Construction (D&C), you are Amazon's senior owner's representative during the preconstruction phase — responsible for autonomously managing complex, 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 senior 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 — serving major business customers within your region.

You execute deliverables with limited oversight, using advanced professional concepts to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways. You deliver a mix of tactical and strategic initiatives (60% tactical / 40% strategic) that impact multiple teams and/or geographies in support of significant business objectives. You own project budgets, oversee design management, select external vendor partners, and lead project procurement — and you are accountable for the full performance of your external project teams. You show outstanding judgment when driving project escalations and make difficult trade-off decisions between short-term and long-term needs, defending those decisions to internal stakeholders.

Beyond project delivery, you guide preconstruction managers in best practices in stakeholder management and project delivery, contribute to developing Amazon's internal and external construction networks, and are learning to force multiply — elevating the performance of the teams and partners around you. You write effective narratives and present complex decisions and trade-offs to Directors and VPs. You actively recruit, mentor, and develop other preconstruction managers.

This role requires 60% regional travel on a yearly basis. When not traveling, you must have availability to work from a corporate office. Candidates should either live near or be willing to relocate within a reasonable commuting distance of one of the corporate office locations listed. Relocation assistance may be provided.

• Key job responsibilities
• Safety & Compliance
• - Own and enforce Amazon's safety programs and standards across all internal and external project teams during the planning and preconstruction phases; set the standard for safety culture on complex projects
• - Lead coordination with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to ensure regulatory compliance, smooth permitting execution, and timely approvals
• - Review noise, traffic, and environmental studies; understand and apply zoning, planning, fire code, and building code requirements for assigned projects
• - Proactively identify and eliminate compliance risks before they become project roadblocks

• Preconstruction & Project Management
• - Autonomously manage complex, cross-functional industrial preconstruction projects from site selection through design completion, permitting, and contract execution; contribute to significantly complex projects as part of a team
• - Lead site selection and validation, scope development, and design management — overseeing design teams in developing site plans and composite floor plans in compliance with Amazon's design standards and operational requirements
• - Oversee design management end-to-end, including design evaluations, design conformance reviews, and value engineering assessments
• - Manage multiple concurrent large industrial projects across various locations simultaneously, leading a region or program with limited management oversight
• - Keep scope under control and accelerate progress by driving crisp, timely decisions, identifying and clearing blockers, and managing escalations with excellent judgment
• - Identify and resolve upstream issues proactively to support a clean handoff to the Construction Manager; remain a key support resource and authority on project issues for the construction team throughout the project lifecycle
• - Monitor project performance metrics, anticipate roadblocks and risks, manage escalations, and ensure corrective actions are taken
• - Resolve complex issues and find a path forward in difficult situations; make and defend trade-off decisions between short-term and long-term needs
• - Assess project performance through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for safety, quality, cost, schedule, and sustainability; deliver solutions that meet standards for customer satisfaction, efficiency, stability, and operational excellence
• - Maintain a broad perspective — understand how project components drive successful programs, business portfolios, and not just individual projects

• Budget, Schedule & Contract Management
• - Own project budgets and oversee spend approvals across all assigned preconstruction projects
• - Perform conceptual estimating and pricing reviews for scope inclusions and exclusions; lead negotiations on the cost of work with developers, general contractors, and design consultants
• - Lead external partner selection, contract negotiations, and project procurement functions; ensure contracts are fit for purpose, cost-effective, and incorporate appropriate service level agreements
• - Review and analyze design and construction contracts, related exhibits, and lease agreements; provide detailed analysis and approvals of technical matters and site-specific deal structures and terms
• - Review additional reports including noise and traffic studies and environmental assessments
• - 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 short-term and long-term needs

• 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; serve as an authority on project issues across diverse audiences
• - Select external vendor partners and manage delivery from external service partners to drive delivery with efficient use of resources and technology
• - Lead large cross-functional teams to complete preconstruction projects; skillfully motivate and focus people of all levels to deliver complex projects
• - Drive significant communication across departments, from front-line to executive-level managers; achieve high-level alignment and consensus with internal and external stakeholders across diverse teams (legal, regulatory, operations, engineering, finance, external industry groups)
• - Act as the primary escalation point for project team members; own and track issues to ensure they are addressed, documented, and resolved
• - Support crucial relationships and lead negotiations of agreements with customers, suppliers, and external partners
• - Contribute to developing Amazon's internal and external construction networks

• Communication & Reporting
• - Write effective narratives and present complex decisions, trade-offs, and potential solutions to Directors and VPs
• - Translate technical documents and information into end-to-end stories providing detailed risk analysis for leaders and customers
• - Communicate budgets, schedules, project status, and priorities clearly to internal teams and external partners
• - Run preconstruction meetings effe