Senior Planning Engineer - MEP

BK Gulf LLC; Dubai; On-site; AED 335,000 - 513,000; Full time

Job summary

BK Gulf LLC in Dubai, UAE seeks an experienced Senior Planning Engineer - MEP to lead project planning for large-scale Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing works. You will develop detailed schedules, monitor progress, and coordinate with engineering, procurement, and construction teams to ensure timely delivery.

The role requires a proven track record in schedule development, progress tracking, and resource management on high-rise, infrastructure, or industrial projects, with strong Primavera P6

Qualifications

• 8+ years in construction planning for high-rise/infrastructure projects.
• Strong knowledge of WBS, logic sequencing, and critical path analysis.
• Experience with Primavera P6 scheduling and reporting tools.
• Knowledge of coordination across engineering, procurement, and construction.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains Level 4/5 schedules in Primavera P6 with resource loading.
• Decomposes master schedule into weekly work packages for crews and subcontractors.
• Tracks progress, updates Actual Start/Finish and % complete, maintains productivity data.
• Produces S-curves and dashboards to visualize progress against baseline.
• Manages resource loading and looks ahead for permits, material delays, access issues.
• Prepares look-ahead schedules for site coordination meetings.
• Records delays with evidence and supports Time Impact Analysis.
• Prepares Weekly Progress Reports and coordinates with QS on Value of Work Done.

Skills

Schedule development

Progress tracking

Look-ahead scheduling

Resource management

Stakeholder coordination

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Civil Engineering

Tools

Primavera P6

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.