Senior Project Planner

About Astek Middle East

Astek Middle East, part of the global engineering and technology consulting group Astek founded in France in 1988, operates across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Jordan. With a workforce of 10,000 employees worldwide and €620 million revenue in 2023, the organization specializes in digital transformation and complex systems engineering services for sectors such as public administration, healthcare, transportation, banking, retail, airlines, and tourism. The group's culture emphasizes entrepreneurship, innovation, and continuous professional growth.

Role Overview

The Senior Project Planner will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and monitoring detailed schedules for projects focused on energy efficiency, sustainability, construction, and infrastructure across Saudi Arabia. This position involves tracking project milestones, analyzing scheduling performance, and providing insightful planning support to enable timely project completion.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and sustain detailed project schedules incorporating Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), critical path analysis, and resource allocations.
• Track project progress versus baseline timelines to pinpoint delays and deviations.
• Generate weekly and monthly planning documentation including reports, S-curves, look-ahead schedules, and milestone tracking.
• Liaise with project managers, engineers, contractors, and stakeholders to collect and verify progress data.
• Analyze schedules to identify bottlenecks and impacts on critical path.
• Assist in schedule recovery planning and delay mitigation strategies.
• Support time-impact analyses and extension-of-time claims as necessary.
• Participate actively in project meetings to provide scheduling expertise.
• Maintain accurate records of planning activities and ensure punctual schedule updates.
• Provide planning data support, forecasts, and schedule-related analyses to project teams.
• Adhere to established project management standards and procedures in planning activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline.

Experience and Skills

• Relevant project planning and scheduling experience of at least 3 years; candidates with over 10 years of experience are encouraged to apply.
• Proven ability in project planning, scheduling, and monitoring progress.
• Professional experience within Saudi Arabia or the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
• Strong collaboration with project management teams and diverse stakeholders.
• Relevant professional accreditation in planning or project management.
• Registration with Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) if applicable.
• Exceptional analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written.

Preferred Competencies

• Advanced skills in Primavera P6, including resource loading and baseline management.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Project and advanced Microsoft Excel features such as data analysis and pivot tables.
• Knowledge of Earned Value Management (EVM), schedule delay and Time-Impact Analysis (TIA).
• Experience with Power BI or comparable reporting/dashboard tools.
• Understanding of WBS, critical path, S-curves, and look-ahead scheduling techniques.
• Certifications such as AACE Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP), PMP, and Primavera P6.
• Experience in contract administration, claims, and project extensions.
• Background working on energy efficiency, construction, infrastructure, or sustainability initiatives.

Candidate Profile

We seek a highly responsible Project Planner capable of independently managing project schedules, identifying and mitigating risks, and collaborating efficiently with project teams and stakeholders. Both candidates with 3+ years of expertise and those with extensive experience are welcome to apply.