Lead / Senior Planning Engineer

Job Title: Lead / Senior Planning Engineer
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Employment Type: Direct Hire

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead / Senior Planning Engineer to join a leading organization in Abu Dhabi. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading project planning, scheduling, progress monitoring, and performance reporting activities for major Oil & Gas EPC projects.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in project controls and planning within the Oil & Gas and EPC sectors, with mandatory ADNOC project experience and ADNOC approval. The role requires strong expertise in schedule development, Earned Value Management (EVM), procurement tracking, and the effective use of Primavera P6 to ensure successful project delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and control integrated project schedules for Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Pre-commissioning, and Commissioning phases of EPC projects.
• Lead planning and scheduling activities throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with project objectives and contractual requirements.
• Establish project baselines, work breakdown structures (WBS), milestones, and critical path schedules.
• Monitor project progress and analyze schedule performance against approved baselines.
• Identify schedule risks, delays, and potential impacts, and recommend corrective and recovery actions.
• Prepare and update detailed look-ahead schedules, recovery plans, and resource-loaded schedules.
• Perform critical path analysis and evaluate schedule variances using appropriate planning methodologies.
• Implement and manage Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques to measure project performance, forecast outcomes, and support management decision-making.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Project Controls teams to ensure accurate progress measurement and reporting.
• Monitor procurement activities, including material delivery schedules, vendor progress, and long-lead items to ensure alignment with project timelines.
• Prepare weekly and monthly progress reports, dashboards, S-curves, manpower histograms, and management presentations.
• Participate in project review meetings, client meetings, and progress discussions to provide planning insights and recommendations.
• Support tendering and proposal teams by preparing baseline schedules, resource plans, and execution strategies during the bidding stage.
• Review subcontractor schedules and ensure integration into the overall project master schedule.
• Ensure planning activities comply with contractual obligations, ADNOC requirements, and company procedures.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior planning engineers and planning team members.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from a recognized university.
• Professional certifications related to Project Management or Planning, such as PMP, PSP, or equivalent, will be considered an advantage.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in project planning and scheduling within the Oil & Gas and EPC industry.
• Proven experience in a Lead Planning Engineer or Senior Planning Engineer capacity on major EPC projects.
• Mandatory ADNOC project experience and valid ADNOC approval.
• Extensive experience managing planning and scheduling activities across engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Demonstrated expertise in implementing Earned Value Management (EVM) methodologies.
• Experience working on both greenfield and brownfield Oil & Gas projects is highly desirable.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6 for schedule development, maintenance, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Project Planning and Scheduling Principles
  • Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
  • Critical Path Method (CPM)
  • Resource Loading and Levelling
  • Schedule Risk Analysis
  • Baseline Development and Control
  • Delay Analysis and Recovery Planning
  • Earned Value Management (EVM)
  • Procurement Planning and Expediting Processes
  • Progress Measurement Systems
• Ability to prepare and interpret:
  • Level 1 to Level 4 Project Schedules
  • S-Curves
  • Cash Flow Forecasts
  • Productivity Reports
  • Manpower Histograms
  • Progress Dashboards and KPI Reports
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with project control systems and reporting tools.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent leadership and team coordination skills.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
• High attention to detail and commitment to project objectives.
• Proactive approach to identifying and resolving project issues.

Preferred Requirements

• Previous experience working directly with ADNOC projects and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with ADNOC planning procedures, reporting requirements, and approval processes.
• Experience supporting tendering, project execution, and close-out phases of EPC projects.
• Ability to lead planning teams in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment.

Reporting To

• Project Controls Manager / Project Manager / Engineering Manager (as applicable).

Compensation

An attractive salary package and benefits will be offered commensurate with qualifications, experience, and market standards.