Overview of the role

The Director of Planning serves as the client-side leader, overseeing the planning and execution of large-scale construction projects. This role involves strategic planning, stakeholder coordination, and oversight of design consultants, contractors, and vendors to ensure timely, budget-aligned, and high-quality project delivery. The Director contributes to all project phases, providing detailed input on logistics, milestones, contract packaging, tender reviews, and contractor selection. During construction, they lead a team of planners and consultants, ensuring seamless project delivery through hands-on involvement and regular site visits. The ideal candidate brings a proven track record in delivering major projects and extensive construction planning experience in the Middle East.

What you will do

• Define project objectives, scope, and success criteria in collaboration with organizational leadership.
• Produce and maintain the master project schedule for the sitewide development of all assets and infrastructure.
• Provide guidance and create strategic / high level schedules for all stages of the project, from masterplanning, through design and construction, including phasing and sectional completions. 
• Lead the client’s planning team and be the respective primary point of contact with internal and external stakeholders, contractors and consultants.
• Manage the progress and planning of all project phases, from masterplanning stage, to concept design and through to construction and handover.
• Ensure alignment with the project brief and development timelines.
• Oversee the transition of project schedules to construction managers, ensuring all milestones and dependencies are clearly articulated.
• Ensure programming and schedules accommodate regulatory processes and permitting timelines. 
• Provide outline tender programmes for construction projects and ensure that the tender documents incorporate suitable deliverables and milestones to align with the project objectives. 
• Define Project reporting requirements for planning and progress and manage contractor’s timely delivery of the same. 
• Review contractor’s planning and progress and manage contractor to ensure programme delivery, including mitigation plans.
• Lead high level meetings with the contractors for review of progress and planning.
• Interface and provide directions to the PMC’s planning team.
• Develop and maintain systems to track progress against the program and schedule, reporting deviations and recommending corrective actions.
• Develop Project Plans: Create detailed plans outlining the sequence of construction activities and their timelines.
• Schedule Creation: Develop, update, and manage project schedules using tools like Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or similar software.
• Critical Path Analysis (CPA): Identify critical activities and dependencies to ensure timely project completion.
• Milestone Setting: Define key project milestones and ensure all stakeholders are aligned with these goals.

Skills

Required Skills to be successful

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in major construction projects, with substantial experience in client-side roles.
• Proven expertise in planning and management for the delivery of large-scale and high-value projects.
• Middle East experience of large-scale projects.

What equips you for the role

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management or other construction related field.