Senior Planning Engineer - MEP

BK Gulf LLC; Dubai; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

BK Gulf LLC, a leading UAE contractor, seeks a Senior Planning Engineer - MEP in Dubai to lead project planning, scheduling, and controls across large-scale MEP works in building and mall projects.

The candidate will develop detailed schedules, monitor progress, manage resources, and produce reports to support decision-making and on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in construction planning for high-rise, infra, or industrial projects.
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical or Civil Engineering.
• Knowledge of WBS, scheduling logic, critical path analysis.
• Experience with Primavera P6 and schedule dashboards.
• Strong data collection and progress tracking capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Level 4 and Level 5 schedules in Primavera P6.
• Decompose Master Schedule into weekly Work Packages for site teams.
• Track progress with Actual Start/Finish, % Complete, and productivity data.
• Produce S-Curves and progress reports against baseline.
• Identify delays, maintain Delay Log, and support Time Impact Analysis (TIA).
• Coordinate with QS to align schedule with VOWD and payments.
• Archive planning data on project server for audits.

Skills

Project planning

Scheduling

Project controls

Primavera P6

Look-ahead scheduling

Progress reporting

Resource loading

Data analysis

Schedule risk management

Excel skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Civil Engineering

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Excel

Job description

BK Gulf is a leading contractor in electrical, mechanical, instrumentation and building services within the UAE & Middle East markets.

It provides integrated engineering solutions which encompass design, procurement, construction, project management, commissioning and facilities management tailored to clients’ requirements.

The highest professional standards of workmanship and service are maintained through BK Gulf’s commitment to efficient planning, the use of highly skilled craftsman and the maintenance of permanent local teams.

BK Gulf has an excellent record in providing value-added engineering, installation and service skills to customers for whom quality, efficiency and reliability are critical.

BK Gulf is a Dutco Group company.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Planning Engineer - MEP to join our team in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The successful candidate will have a proven track record in project planning, scheduling, and project controls, with experience managing and delivering large-scale Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing - MEP works across building and shopping mall projects.

The role involves the detailed development, monitoring, and maintenance of project schedules, translating project requirements into actionable schedule logic, monitoring daily site productivity, and providing accurate data to support progress reporting and project performance analysis. The successful candidate will ensure that project schedules remain a live and effective management tool, supporting informed decision‑making and the successful delivery of projects.

Key Responsibilities:

Detailed Schedule Development:

• Develops and maintains the Level 4 and Level 5 detailed construction schedules in Primavera P6, ensuring all activities are logically linked and resource loaded.
• Decomposes the Master Schedule into manageable Work Packages for site foremen and subcontractors to execute weekly.
• Integrates procurement and engineering submittal milestones into the construction program to ensure a "just-in-time" flow of materials and drawings.

Data Collection & Progress Tracking:

• Conducts daily site visits to verify physical progress and cross‑reference data with site reports from the construction teams.
• Updates the schedule progress (Actual Start/Finish, % Complete) and maintains a detailed database of productivity rates for various trades.
• Produces S-Curves and tabular data to visualise progress trends against the baseline, highlighting any negative variances.

Resource & Constraint Management:

• Manages resource loading within the schedule, generating histograms to identify periods of "over-allocation" or potential labour shortages.
• Tracks "look‑ahead" constraints (e.g., missing permits, material delays, or site access issues) and flags them to the Project Manager before they hit the Critical Path.
• Assists in the preparation of Look‑ahead Schedules (3-week or 6-week) for use in site coordination meetings.

Delay Identification & Documentation:

• Identifies and records specific delay events, maintaining a "Delay Log" with supporting evidence.
• Assists the Planning Manager – Projects in performing Time Impact Analysis (TIA) for small-to-medium scope changes or site disruptions.
• Compares "Planned vs. Actual" performance to identify which subcontractors or departments are underperforming.

Reporting & Coordination:

• Prepares comprehensive Weekly Progress Reports (WPR) and contributes data to the Monthly Progress Report (MPR).
• Coordinates with the Quantity Surveyor (QS) to ensure that the scheduled progress aligns with the monthly Value of Work Done (VOWD) and payment applications.
• Ensures that all planning data and schedule revisions are correctly archived on the project server for audit purposes.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in construction planning, specifically with high-rise buildings, infrastructure, or industrial projects.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Civil Engineering.
• Membership in the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) preferred.
• Knowledge of project planning and scheduling principles, including work breakdown structures, schedule development, logic sequencing, and critical path analysis.
• Knowledge of construction methodologies, sequencing requirements, and interface coordination across engineering, procurement, and construction activities.
• Knowledge of resource planning, productivity measurement, progress tracking techniques, and schedule risk management practices.
• Skills in developing, maintaining, and updating Level 4 and Level 5 project schedules using Primavera P6.
• Skills in analysing project progress, preparing look‑ahead schedules, and generating schedule performance reports, S-curves, and project dashboards.
• Skills in utilising Microsoft Excel and related reporting tools for planning analysis, data management, and performance reporting.
• Ability to collect, validate, and analyse project progress data to support accurate schedule updates and forecasting.
• Ability to identify schedule constraints, delay events, and potential impacts and support the development of mitigation measures and recovery actions.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with project teams, subcontractors, procurement personnel, and other stakeholders to ensure schedule alignment and timely project execution.