Planning Engineer

Zutari; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Zutari in Dubai is seeking a Planning Engineer to support delivery teams on transport and infrastructure projects. The role focuses on planning, scheduling, monitoring, and reporting to track progress against baselines and manage risks. Strong P6 and MS Project skills, plus familiarity with local authorities, are essential for success. The position requires clear communication with clients and multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline.
• 35 years of experience in planning and scheduling on major transport/infrastructure projects.
• Proven expertise in Primavera P6 and MS Project; Power BI knowledge is a plus.
• Strong understanding of FIDIC contracts, programme management, and cost/schedule risk management.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills; proficiency in Excel and schedule dashboards.
• Excellent written and verbal English (Arabic an advantage).
• UAE experience desirable with familiarity with local authorities/clients.

Responsibilities

• Develop, review and maintain detailed project schedules using Primavera P6 (and other planning tools as required).
• Support project managers in preparing baseline schedules, WBS, programme narratives, and resource/cost loading.
• Monitor progress against baseline, identify slippages and critical path impacts, and recommend corrective actions.
• Coordinate with design, procurement, utilities and construction teams for updates and forecasts.
• Prepare weekly/monthly progress reports, dashboards and schedule narratives for reporting.
• Support preparation and review of look-ahead programmes and key milestone trackers.
• Assist with delay analysis, EOT support and delay impact assessments.
• Participate in risk reviews/workshops and maintain schedule risk items and mitigations.
• Ensure planning outputs align with Zutari standards and client requirements, including documentation control and auditability.

Skills

Primavera P6

MS Project

Power BI

Schedule dashboards

Excel

Analytical skills

English communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil engineering

Construction Management or related discipline

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Power BI

Job description

Description

Engineering is more than design and delivery at Zutari; it is the craft of shaping possibility.

As a leading buildings infrastructure engineering and advisory practice with over 90 years of heritage across Africa and the Middle East we work across the full infrastructure lifecycle to deliver innovative digitally enabled solutions. From bridges and dams to energy systems and smart infrastructure our work connects communities and unlocks long-term value.

We are looking for technical minds who see beyond constraints and are driven to engineer solutions that matter today and for generations to come.

Role Overview

We are looking for a skilled Planning Engineer to join our Transport Unit in Dubai. The successful candidate will support project managers and delivery teams in planning scheduling monitoring and reporting on transport and infrastructure projects including roads bridges interchanges and transport‑adjacent works.

This role requires strong project controls capability excellent analytical skills and the ability to communicate progress and schedule risks to stakeholders at all levels including clients contractors and local authorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop review and maintain detailed project schedules using Primavera P6 (and other planning tools as required).
• Support project managers in preparing baseline schedules WBS programme narratives and resource/cost loading (where required).
• Monitor progress against baseline identify slippages and critical path impacts and recommend corrective/recovery actions.
• Coordinate with design procurement utilities and construction teams to obtain accurate updates and maintain realistic forecasts.
• Prepare weekly/monthly progress reports dashboards and schedule narratives for internal and client reporting.
• Support preparation and review of look‑ahead programmes key milestone trackers and interface schedules (utilities diversions traffic management permits/approvals).
• Assist with delay analysis EOT support and delay impact assessments in line with contractual requirements (including FIDIC where applicable).
• Participate in risk reviews/workshops and maintain schedule risk items constraints and mitigations.
• Ensure planning outputs align with Zutari standards and client requirements including documentation control and auditability.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelors degree in civil engineering Construction Management or a related discipline.
• 35 years experience in planning & scheduling on major transport/infrastructure/construction projects.
• Proven expertise in Primavera P6 and MS Project (Power BI knowledge is a plus).
• Solid understanding of FIDIC contracts programme management principles and cost/schedule risk management.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills including proficiency in Excel and schedule dashboards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (Arabic is an advantage).
• Consultancy engineers representative or project management experience preferred.
• UAE experience highly desirable including familiarity with local authorities/clients and their processes (e.g. RTA Dubai Municipality DEWA Etisalat/du NOC processes).

Soft Skills

• Strong organisational and problem‑solving abilities.
• Collaborative team player able to work across multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proactive in identifying risks and recommending practical mitigation strategies.
• We believe that a diverse workforce is a key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills qualifications and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment practices.

We believe that a diverse workforce is a key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills qualifications and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment practices.

Required Experience:

IC