About the Role
The Planning Engineer works within the consultant's project controls team, supporting the oversight of contractors' planning and schedule performance on a multi-contract rail programme in the UAE. Reporting to the Senior Planning Engineer or Planning Manager, the role involves the review of contractor programmes and updates, monitoring and verifying progress, keeping the integrated master programme current, and supporting the assessment of schedule variances, delays, and extension of time claims. The role also prepares detailed reporting on programme status, critical path, and schedule risk for the client.
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Key Responsibilities
Contractor Programme Review
- Review contractors' baseline programmes against contract requirements, including key dates, milestones, sectional completion, WBS structure, logic, and constraints, and prepare draft review comments for the Senior Planning Engineer.
- Check EPC schedule logic, float use, critical path, and durations, and flag issues affecting programme realism or suitability for progress monitoring and delay assessment.
- Review contractors' monthly updates, revised programmes, and recovery programmes, identifying unjustified changes, logic alterations, or signs of float manipulation.
- Ensure contractor submissions follow specified planning requirements, such as WBS, coding structure, update procedures, and submission formats.
Integrated Programme Management
- Update and maintain the integrated master programme, incorporating contractor programme updates, design, authority approvals, third-party works, and client-side activities.
- Track interfaces and dependencies between contracts (civil, trackwork, rail systems, stations, depots) and report emerging cross-contract risks.
- Support analysis of how delays on one contract affect other contracts and the overall programme completion date.
Progress Monitoring and Verification
- Verify contractor-reported progress through site visits, measurement records, design deliverable status, and procurement tracking.
- Apply agreed progress measurement methods and rules of credit when checking contractor progress claims.
- Collect and analyse Earned Value Management (EVM) data, including SPI, CPI, earned value, and planned value, and prepare performance trend analysis.
Reporting
- Prepare inputs for weekly and monthly progress reports and presentations to the client, covering status, key issues, critical path movement, and risks.
- Produce and maintain programme dashboards, S-curves, milestone trackers, and look-ahead summaries across all contracts.
- Attend progress meetings, record schedule-related actions, and follow up with contractors on slippage and recovery commitments.
Variance, Delay and Claims Support
- Identify schedule variances, investigate root causes, and report findings with recommended recovery measures.
- Support the review of contractors' extension of time (EOT) claims and time impact analyses (TIAs), including assessing submitted fragnets, logic, and supporting records.
- Carry out initial assessments of the time effect of variations, instructions, and change requests.
- Maintain accurate, independent schedule records, including as-built data, to support the client's position in claims and disputes.
Scope and Change Control
- Ensure that approved changes are reflected in contractor programmes and the integrated master programme.
- Utilize drawings, specifications, and contract documents to verify that contractor programmes reflect the full contracted scope.
Qualifications and Experience
- At least 7+ years of planning and scheduling experience on major infrastructure projects, specifically in rail, metro, or light rail.
- Strong proficiency in Primavera P6.
- Exposure to EOT claims, TIAs, and delay analysis methods.
- Working knowledge of FIDIC contracts, particularly concerning programme, progress, and delay provisions.
- Good understanding of CPM scheduling, WBS, progress measurement, and EVM.
- Experience with UAE or GCC rail projects, such as Etihad Rail, Dubai Metro, or similar programmes.
- Experience working on multi-contract programmes.
- Proficiency in Excel; experience with Power BI reporting is an advantage.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
Additional Information
- All newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an office location as a condition of employment.
Benefits
- The company offers comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of employees, which may include:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Life, AD&D, and disability benefits
- Paid time off and leaves of absence
- Voluntary benefits and perks
- Flexible work options
- Well-being resources and employee assistance programs
- Business travel insurance
- Service recognition awards
- Retirement savings plan
- Employee stock purchase plan
You will be part of a global team that champions your growth and career ambitions. Work on groundbreaking projects that are transforming our industry and shaping the future, and gain access to cutting-edge technology and a network of experts to make a real impact.
Work Location
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- On-site work model.
