Planning Engineer (Construction Contractor)

About the Role

We seek a Planning Engineer to join a prominent construction company in Dubai, UAE. The primary responsibility is to prepare, monitor, and update construction schedules to ensure projects meet deadlines, contractual obligations, and organizational goals. This on-site position requires collaboration with various teams including construction, commercial, procurement, health and safety, as well as clients, consultants, and subcontractors. A valid UAE driving license is essential for this position.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or its equivalent.
• Between 3 to 6 years of planning experience in the construction sector.
• Preferably experienced with main contractor projects within the UAE or GCC region.
• Skilled in Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project alongside Microsoft 365 applications like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong knowledge of construction sequencing, methodologies, and planning fundamentals.
• Effective analytical, reporting, communication, and coordination skills.
• Capable of working under direction and meeting assigned deadlines.
• Possession of a valid UAE driving license is mandatory.
• Certifications such as PMP, AACE, CIOB, or formal training in Primavera or planning are considered advantageous.
• Additional knowledge in delay analysis, commercial awareness, and experience with BIM-based planning tools like Navisworks or Synchro is beneficial.
• Desirable experience includes building, infrastructure, mixed-use, large-scale, or fast-track projects.
• Familiarity with ERP systems and document management software like Aconex is a plus.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in developing baseline schedules using Primavera P6 or MS Project including compiling activity lists, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), sequencing, and determining durations.
• Ensure compliance of schedules with project milestones and contractual deadlines.
• Integrate Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) requirements into project timelines and coordinate safe activity sequences with site teams.
• Support preparation of tender schedules, scope review, and sequencing alongside estimation teams while identifying planning risks at tender stages.
• Update project timelines on a weekly or monthly basis, monitor site progress against baseline schedules, and identify delays and critical path tasks.
• Assist in corrective action planning to realign projects with timelines.
• Prepare progress documentation including reports, S-curves, histograms, status summaries, and presentations for management.
• Maintain delay logs and assist with Extension of Time (EOT) claims and other documentation with the commercial team.
• Coordinate with construction, procurement, and engineering teams to align subcontractor plans and participate in progress meetings.
• Support planning for manpower and equipment usage, monitor resource utilization, and flag shortages or inefficiencies.
• Maintain planning records, registers, templates, and digital dashboards.
• Engage in continuous improvement initiatives by documenting lessons learned and helping standardize planning procedures.