Senior Planning Engineer (High-Rise Building Construction)

Location - Dubai, UAE

Job Summary

The Senior Planning Engineer is responsible for leading all planning, scheduling, monitoring, and project controls activities for large-scale high-rise building projects exceeding 50 storeys. The role requires extensive expertise in Primavera P6, critical path analysis, earned value management (EVM), resource planning, delay analysis, recovery planning, and project reporting. The incumbent will work closely with project management, engineering, construction, commercial, procurement, and client teams to ensure timely project delivery while maintaining compliance with contractual obligations.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Scheduling

• Develop detailed baseline programmes, Level 3 and Level 4 construction schedules using Primavera P6.

• Prepare integrated engineering, procurement, construction (EPC), testing & commissioning, authority approvals, and handover schedules.

• Develop Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Activity Coding Structure (ACS), Calendars, Cost Loading, Resource Loading, and Project Baselines.

• Establish project milestones and monitor compliance with contractual completion dates.

• Develop detailed look-ahead schedules (2-week, 4-week, 8-week, and 90-day rolling programmes).

• Prepare procurement, shop drawing, material approval, long-lead item, and authority approval schedules.

Schedule Monitoring & Project Control

• Monitor project progress against the approved baseline programme.

• Perform weekly and monthly schedule updates.

• Identify critical path activities, near-critical activities, schedule float consumption, and project risks.

• Analyse productivity trends and forecast project completion.

• Monitor engineering, procurement, construction, façade, MEP, finishing, testing & commissioning, and authority approval progress.

• Prepare variance analysis comparing planned versus actual performance.

Delay Analysis & Recovery Planning

• Conduct schedule impact analysis for delays.

• Perform Time Impact Analysis (TIA).

• Support Extension of Time (EOT) claims.

• Analyse concurrent delays and disruption events.

• Prepare mitigation and acceleration programmes.

• Develop recovery schedules to regain lost progress.

• Assess impacts arising from design changes, client variations, delayed approvals, procurement delays, labour shortages, weather disruptions, and subcontractor performance.

Resource Planning

• Develop manpower histograms.

• Prepare equipment deployment plans.

• Optimise labour productivity.

• Monitor subcontractor resource mobilisation.

• Forecast manpower requirements for future activities.

• Coordinate resource allocation across multiple work fronts.

Cost & Performance Control

• Support Earned Value Management (EVM).

• Monitor Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI).

• Forecast project completion dates and cash flow.

• Coordinate with Quantity Surveying and Commercial teams regarding variations and claims.

• Analyse cost impacts resulting from schedule changes.

Technical Coordination

• Coordinate with Engineering, Procurement, Construction, QA/QC, HSE, Commercial, BIM, Design, and Client representatives.

• Review subcontractor programmes for compliance.

• Ensure engineering deliverables align with construction priorities.

• Coordinate procurement schedules with site execution requirements.

• Review construction methodologies from a planning perspective.

Reporting

Prepare and present:

• Weekly Progress Reports

• Monthly Progress Reports

• Executive Dashboards

• S-Curves

• KPI Reports

• Critical Path Reports

• Recovery Programme Reports

• Productivity Reports

• Resource Histograms

• Delay Registers

• Look-Ahead Programmes

• Risk Registers

• Executive presentations for senior management and clients

Risk Management

• Identify schedule risks and opportunities.

• Develop mitigation plans.

• Maintain project risk registers.

• Conduct schedule risk assessments.

• Monitor interfaces between structural, architectural, MEP, façade, interiors, infrastructure, and external works.

Contract Administration Support

• Support preparation of Extension of Time (EOT) claims.

• Prepare planning narratives.

• Review contractor and subcontractor programmes.

• Participate in claim defence and negotiation meetings.

• Support dispute resolution through schedule analysis.

• Maintain planning records for contractual compliance.

Project Experience

Mandatory experience in:

• High-rise building projects exceeding 50 storeys

• Mixed-use developments

• Residential towers

• Commercial towers

• Luxury hotels

• Large podium structures

• Deep basement construction

• Structural concrete works

• Steel structures

• Façade and curtain wall systems

• MEP coordination

• Interior fit-out

• Testing & Commissioning

• Authority approvals and project handover

Desired Candidate Profile

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Management.

• PMP certification is preferred.

• Primavera P6 Professional Certification is highly desirable.

• Membership of AACE, PMI, CIOB, or ICE is an advantage.

Experience

• 7–15+ years of planning experience in the construction industry.

• Minimum 7 years on high-rise building projects exceeding 50 storeys.

• Proven experience with leading contractors or developers in the UAE or GCC.

• Strong knowledge of FIDIC contracts, planning standards, and project controls.