Laura Schaefer
Manchester,United States
Summary
Energetic leader with a contagious spirit with a proven record of maintaining profit margins, accurate budgets and estimates resulting in strong and loyal client relationships. A passionate team leader who creates a positive workplace culture by demonstrating a "get it done", fostering a collaborative atmosphere. A seasoned professional continually demonstrating 20 years of construction knowledge thru resourceful and creative problem solving.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sr. Preconstruction Manager
Clipper Construction
02.2023 - Current
- Manages new construction, renovation, tenant fit out, and capital renewal projects ranging in cost.
- Reviews program requirements and scope with Client Representatives and end Users to ensure all project needs are delegated.
- Provides conceptual budgets thru hard bid estimates with accuracy and timeliness.
- Accomplished multiple tasks within established timeframes including: budgets, VE Options, Early Release Contracts, etc.
- Managed and motivated employees to be productive and engaged in work by providing training and team building workshops to company team members.
- Cross-trained existing employees to maximize team agility and performance.
- Develops project schedules
- Review and finalize final scope with Design Team and Owners
- Provides constructability reviews and identifies potential areas of challenge in terms of design, schedule, budget and construction methods
- Outlines all Clarifications and Exclusions, highlighting scope which needs to be complete or is not clear
- Receives, tabulates and analyzes bids and proposals
- Reviews and makes recommendation of award for subcontractor awards
- Prepares contracts and purchase orders for projects. Negotiates Owner Contracts and Subcontractor Contracts.
- Establish project deliverable responsibilities
- Coordinates internal and external project reviews
- Works with design team to ensure project budget is met, providing alternate materials, mean and methods.
Estimating & Purchasing Manager
Burkentine Real Estate Group
01.2022 - 02.2023
- Create processes to support major growth and expansion of product types, new business units, and total units completed.
- Deep dive into new software, utilizing its features, functions, and capabilities
- Create and train E&P team and share information company-wide
- Created first Procurement Workflow and Schedule
- Create and establish baseline estimates and cost models
- Review budgets and approve project budgets
- Create Change Order processes for existing and new business units
- Establish Master Subcontract, empowering PMs to demand QC.
- Maintain and strengthen Subcontractor and Vendor relationships through many changes internally and in field, increasing Vendor List by 22%.
- Provide cross-departmental tools and processes to support field
- Provide insight on VE Options, Construction Means, and Methods to help overcome challenges with newer project types
- Write and implement Owner Contracts, including Schedule of Values, Clarifications, Exclusions, etc
- Help liaison with CM's with new Business Units, sharing my experience in Commercial Construction, CM, and Industry Standards therein
- Passionately support and promote Burkentine, in and out of office
- Provide alternative methods of procurement process and approach to meet timelines and needs of organization
- Work with Directors of each unit to understand their challenges, goals, and vision
Sr Preconstruction Manager/Estimator
CAM Construction
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Lead Preconstruction from Conceptual, DD, SDs, and CDs for public and private sector projects
- Incorporate and ensure all MBE goals and requirements
- Understand RFP requirements and coordinate all components for submission
- Provide project support to Project Managers on multiple projects, complete cost estimates for competitive bids and negotiated proposals, budgeting, cost tracking, and forecast support
- Prepare and coordinate cost gathering for ROM and Contract Cost estimates
- Read and interpret floor plans and schematics and scale project tasks accordingly
- Reads and outlines project and proposal specifications
- Review proposal specifications drawings, attend pre-bid meetings, etc
- To determine scope of work and required contents of estimate
- Communicate and interact with contractors to request information
- Manage distribution of plans and specifications to vendors/subcontractors
- Supports vendor/subcontractor pricing/bid solicitation and coordination
- Prepare scopes of work for all trades
- Evaluate and negotiation of Subcontracts
- Create project schedule and logistics plans
- Provide system analysis of building components and assists operations staff on project logistics, staging, phasing plans and coordination
- Review risk to company and ensure fee enhancements are within estimates
- Presents and sells estimates, proposals and participates in project procurement presentations
- Write, distribute, coordinate and track RFI's.
Sr. Estimator
Chesapeake Contracting Group
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Lead new Estimating/Precon Div
- At CCG thru multiple, simultaneous bids while working toward high goals set for this new group
- Complete conceptual budgets based on early schematic drawings, renderings and/or narrative
- Create bid plan based on project documents (including RFP's)
- Ensure a clear, complete and competitive proposal was delivered on time to the client
- Assign and delegate workload based on project requirements, current workload, complexity, competition, and skill level of team members
- Utilize and prioritize resources to accommodate aggressive schedule
- Led hard bids, 'bidgets', competitive GMP's, and negotiated projects as a 'Bid Captain'
- This role maintains full ownership of the project before it is turned over to Operations
- Schedule meetings regarding subcontractor coverage, scope coordination, logistics, scope and takeoff review with the team and each team member
- Work with PX and President or CEO on bid day to review GC's, final bid numbers, etc
- Run Estimate Spreadsheet on Bid Day and shepherd Qualifications for submission
- Prepare turn-over to Operations to ensure information is transferred as necessary to mitigate loss profit and time
- Create templates for scope, budgets, estimates, tracking, Qualifications, etc
- As a new team none of this was in place
- Communicate with the Operations team for feedback regarding subcontractor performance, conflicts with scope at bid vs
- Contracted scope, etc
- Bring this information back to the team to use as learning opportunities
- Continual updates, revisions, changes to processes and forms In place to accommodate the growing team.
Preconstruction Manager
L. F. Jennings, Inc.
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Manage Preconstruction Process, from conception to Executed Contract with Owner, and Subcontract Awards
- Works as liaison for Owner/Client, Design Team Professionals, Tenants (as necessary), current Building Occupants to maintain a transparent, proactive and continual line of communication
- Provide complete take-offs with detailed breakdowns from conception thru each plan revisions
- Create a list of subcontractors specific to the project
- Solicit subcontractors to provide bids
- Create scopes of work for each trade needed, distribute to subcontractors and analyze with their proposals
- Complete Bid Tab Sheets based on analysis
- Compile all proposals, bids, tab sheets, etc
- For presentation to the Owner
- Recommendations for award will be made at post bid meeting with Owner when final price is reviewed and discussed.
Preconstruction, Estimating, & Business Development Regional Manager
Nason Construction, Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2016
- Manage bid submission requirements for public and private bids
- Compile entire estimate for review with COO prior to submission
- Expand subcontractor list while building strong relationships with current subcontractors
- Absolute comprehension & proficiency in generating Effective Overhead & Profit analysis for projects
- Recognize best contract type (GMP, CM Agency, CM at Risk, Design-Build, Design Assist, Lump Sum) for projects
- Explore and give meaning to each type for clients
- Proven ability to create thorough work scopes
- Generate project budgets for all construction projects
- Multi task to quickly 'switch gears'
- Provide assistance for every division, challenge, project as needed to 'get it done'
- Analyze subcontractor bids and proposals to validate cost and scope of work
- Execute all subcontractor buy-out and contract negotiations
- Expand Business Development for Delmarva Division for Nason, utilizing Estimating & Precon Management background & experience
- Proactively develop relationships to expand & strengthen client base
- Identify projects which are mutually beneficial
- Follow private and public bid boards
- Initiate 'win' strategies in competitive bid situations, & expand opportunities for negotiated work
- Provide conceptual budgets, plan overviews, constructability reviews
- Implementation of alternate means & methods (Value Engineering) to achieve budget and schedule project goals
- Understand industries which drive the economy within the region,evolution of the economy & influences within it to expand the volume of work completed with profitable margins & great client satisfaction
- Provide creative problem solving methods to assist with challenging projects in the construction phase
- Liaison for clients, subcontractors, Design professionals and influential
Estimator/Pre-Construction Manager
Herman/Stewart Construction
01.2004 - 01.2009
- Produce accurate conceptual estimates for ground up as well as renovation projects
- Study & analyze blueprints and pertinent construction documents to produce detailed categorized cost estimation of necessary scope & other expenses
- Excellent working knowledge of design, procurement, field processes & their inherent cost performance risks
- Extensive experience in providing comprehensive estimates for both bid and negotiated projects
- Manages projects on both a tactical & detailed level
- Develop itemized scope of work for each division incorporating all construction documents to guarantee all work, materials, equipment, etc
- For project completion is included
- Review blueprints & construction documents identifying problematic areas & resolve these issues during preconstruction using RFI's, addendums, etc
- Work as the liaison for the entire preconstruction team in order to certify all concerns are identified, addressed, & resolved during preconstruction phase
- Provide value engineering means & methods to meet budgetary constraints, requirements, etc
- Review & analyze all proposals received by subcontractors in order to determine which to use in project estimate.
Education
English, Political Science -
Towson University
12.2001
Skills
- Verbal & Written Communication
- Construction Means, Methods, & VE
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Client Relations
- Project Management
- Procore, OST, Microsoft Suite, Timberline, Bluebeam
- Contract Negotiation & Management
- Estimating & Budgeting
- Plan Reading & Constructability Reviews
- Team Building, Leadership & Training
Websites
Certification
ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATORS - Association Professional Estimators
Honors And Awards
Woman in Construction - ABC Chesapeake Shores
Timeline
Sr. Preconstruction Manager
Clipper Construction
02.2023 - Current
Estimating & Purchasing Manager
Burkentine Real Estate Group
01.2022 - 02.2023
Sr Preconstruction Manager/Estimator
CAM Construction
01.2020 - 01.2022
Sr. Estimator
Chesapeake Contracting Group
01.2018 - 01.2020
Preconstruction Manager
L. F. Jennings, Inc.
01.2016 - 01.2018
Preconstruction, Estimating, & Business Development Regional Manager
Nason Construction, Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2016
Estimator/Pre-Construction Manager
Herman/Stewart Construction
01.2004 - 01.2009
English, Political Science -
Towson University
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