Associate Director - Planning & Project Controls

Turner & Townsend; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Dubai seeks an Associate Director - Planning & Project Controls to lead planning and controls for critical projects. The role requires directing the team to ensure schedules, budgets, and quality standards are met, with a focus on excellence and data-driven decision making.

The successful candidate will oversee scheduling using MS Project and Primavera P6, manage budgets and forecasts, apply earned value practices, and drive risk mitigation across complex programmes in the

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in project planning, project controls, or related project management disciplines.
• Proven expertise in project scheduling, budget management, and cost control methodologies.
• Advanced proficiency with MS Project, Primavera P6, and Power BI (or equivalent).
• Strong analytical and forecasting skills with the ability to interpret complex project data.
• Excellent Excel skills and experience with data analysis and visualization tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive project planning strategies, schedules, and controls frameworks aligned with organizational objectives.
• Manage project budgets, forecasts, and cost controls, utilizing Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to track project performance.
• Analyze project data and metrics to identify risks, variances, and opportunities for improvement, providing actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lead and mentor the planning and controls team, fostering a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and professional development.
• Oversee the preparation and maintenance of detailed project schedules using MS Project and Primavera P6.
• Collaborate with project managers, engineers, and other departments to ensure alignment on project objectives, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Establish and enforce project controls policies, procedures, and standards across all active projects.
• Manage stakeholder communications regarding project status, risks, and schedule/budget impacts.

Skills

Project scheduling

Budget management

Cost control

Risk management

Leadership

Data analysis

Excel

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Power BI

Job description

Associate Director - Planning & Project Controls

• Full-time

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives.

Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success. Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.

We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world. Please visit our website:www.turnerandtownsend.com

We’re looking for an experienced Associate Director - Planning & Project Controls to join our organization in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In this strategic role, you will oversee planning and project controls functions, ensuring projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. You will provide leadership and direction to the planning and controls team while maintaining a professional, analytical approach to complex project challenges.

• Develop and implement comprehensive project planning strategies, schedules, and controls frameworks aligned with organizational objectives
• Manage project budgets, forecasts, and cost controls, utilizing Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to track project performance
• Analyze project data and metrics to identify risks, variances, and opportunities for improvement, providing actionable recommendations to senior leadership
• Lead and mentor the planning and controls team, fostering a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and professional development
• Oversee the preparation and maintenance of detailed project schedules using industry-standard software such as MS Project and Primavera P6
• Conduct regular performance reviews and variance analysis, presenting findings to project stakeholders and executive management
• Collaborate with project managers, engineers, and other departments to ensure alignment on project objectives, timelines, and resource allocation
• Establish and enforce project controls policies, procedures, and standards across all active projects
• Manage stakeholder communications regarding project status, risks, and schedule/budget impacts
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance planning accuracy, efficiency, and reporting capabilities
• Support business development efforts by providing planning and controls expertise for proposal development and project estimating

• Minimum 15years of progressive experience in project planning, project controls, or related project management disciplines
• Proven expertise in project scheduling, budget management, and cost control methodologies
• Advanced proficiency with project management software including MS Project, Primavera P6, Power BIor equivalent platforms
• Strong analytical and forecasting skills with the ability to interpret complex project data and metrics
• Excellent Excel skills and experience with data analysis and visualization tools
• Solid understanding of risk management principles and experience implementing risk mitigation strategies
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities with experience supervising and developing project controls professionals
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex information to diverse audiences
• Proficiency in stakeholder management and the ability to build collaborative relationships across organizational levels
• Familiarity with project portfolio management concepts and tools
• Experience working on projects in the Middle East region is required

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property ofTurner & Townsend and arenot subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team,to submit candidates for review.

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It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.

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