Planning Director

Overview

The Planning Director will spearhead strategic guidance for all planning, scheduling, project controls, progress tracking, and programme management across significant civil, building, and high-rise construction projects. This role involves establishing sound planning frameworks, ensuring practical and executable project schedules, early identification of schedule risks, directing recovery and mitigation strategies, and furnishing senior management with accurate, prompt data to aid project execution and commercial decision-making. Candidates must have extensive Tier-1/Main Contractor experience with mega high-rise, mixed-use, residential, commercial, hospitality, or large-scale developments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead planning and project controls functions for multiple major construction endeavors.
• Formulate planning strategies, procedures, reporting standards, KPIs, and project control systems.
• Evaluate and approve tender, baseline, master, recovery, and revised project programmes.
• Align programmes with contractual milestones, construction methods, procurement plans, design outputs, approvals, and resource needs.
• Deliver strategic planning counsel to executive management including CEO, Project Directors, and Commercial teams.
• Oversee portfolio performance and highlight critical schedule risks needing intervention.
• Manage planning activities for complex high-rise and mega-building projects from inception through to completion and handover.
• Scrutinize construction sequencing across various disciplines ensuring programme accuracy, including procurement and commissioning elements.
• Challenge productivity assumptions and construction methodologies; develop scenarios assessing impacts of alternate methodologies.
• Approve detailed Primavera P6-based programmes, ensuring robust WBS, critical path analysis, scheduling logic, constraints, milestones, and resource allocations.
• Monitor progress versus baselines; analyze schedule variances, productivity, and forecast completion.
• Establish look-ahead and short-term recovery programmes; coordinate planning across multiple departments.
• Lead delay analysis and Extension of Time claims, working closely with Contracts and Commercial teams.
• Conduct or supervise delay analyses using established methodologies like Time Impact and Window Analysis.
• Prepare technical narratives supporting contractual claims; review EOT submissions from various parties.
• Detect early project delays; develop corrective recovery actions including acceleration and mitigation plans.
• Lead schedule risk workshops and oversee implementation of recovery plans.
• Prepare executive-level reports and dashboards illustrating progress, risks, delays, and mitigation strategies.
• Maintain standard weekly/monthly reporting protocols and monitor planning KPIs.
• Ensure manpower, equipment, and resource plans align with programme needs; collaborate with Finance on cash flow forecasts.
• Support tender and pre-construction phases by advising on programmes, risks, and methodologies.
• Lead and mentor planning teams, defining roles, performance expectations, and ensuring uniform standards.
• Conduct technical reviews, competency assessments, and assist in recruitment efforts.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering; a Master’s in Construction or Project Management is advantageous.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, PSP, PMI-SP preferred.
• 15–20 years of construction experience with notable expertise in planning and project controls.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership capacity overseeing planning functions.
• Substantial expertise with mega high-rise, mixed-use, luxury residential, hospitality, and commercial projects.
• Experience within Tier-1 Main Contractors and multi-project portfolio management.
• Familiarity with UAE/GCC construction environments preferred.

Technical Expertise

• Mastery of Primavera P6 for scheduling.
• In-depth knowledge of construction sequencing and methodologies for high-rise projects.
• Strong skills in Critical Path Method scheduling, baseline, recovery, and acceleration programmes.
• Expertise in delay analysis and managing EOT claims.
• Understanding of FIDIC and prominent construction contract stipulations.
• Competence in resource allocation, productivity metrics, cash flow forecasting, and progress evaluations.
• Proficiency in advanced data analysis, Excel, and project reporting tools; familiarity with Power BI or similar platforms is a plus.

Leadership Attributes

• Strategic mindset with strong analytical skills.
• Effective leadership and team development capabilities.
• Robust commercial and contractual insight.
• Confident in constructive challenge of senior management and project teams.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills.
• Able to perform under high pressure on complex mega-projects.

Preferred Project Experience

• Experience with high-rise and super high-rise towers.
• Expertise in large mixed-use, luxury residential, hospitality, commercial, and office developments.
• Knowledge of complex multi-tower and mega projects involving diverse technical interfaces.

Additional Information

This role demands a combination of deep technical planning knowledge, solid construction acumen, commercial awareness, claims management ability, and executive leadership track record for successful control and recovery of complex mega-construction programmes.