Senior Planning Engineer - Project Controls

AECOM Middle East Ltd; Dubai; On-site; AED 279,000 - 391,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM in Dubai seeks a Senior Planning Engineer - Project Controls with deep expertise in planning, scheduling, and project controls. You will integrate design, procurement, construction, cost, and risk into reliable schedules, driving reporting and governance for major buildings and infrastructure programs.

The role requires advanced Primavera P6 proficiency, strong contract management knowledge, and experience with extension of time claims, progress measurement, and what-if scenario planning.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional planning/scheduling experience on major building and infrastructure projects.
• Advanced Primavera P6 expertise with ability to integrate design, procurement, construction, cost, and risk into schedules.
• Strong background in EOT evaluation, delay analysis, recovery planning, and reporting to senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated project schedules across design, procurement, construction, testing, and handover.
• Review contractor baseline programmes for contractual compliance and milestone alignment.
• Analyze schedule slippage, identify drivers of delays, and prepare recovery plans.
• Prepare weekly/monthly planning reports and clear schedule narratives for stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Resident Engineer, cost control, and other teams to ensure progress reflects site conditions.
• Evaluate EOT claims and assess impact on contractual milestones.

Skills

Primavera P6

Project scheduling

Project controls

Delay analysis

Schedule recovery

What-if analysis

Progress monitoring

Critical path analysis

Cash flow forecasting

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

Primavera P6

Job description

Senior Planning Engineer - Project Controls Job Snapshot Role: Senior Planning Engineer - Project Controls Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Industry: Civil Engineering Function: Project-Program Management Experience: Minimum 15 years professional experience Job Type: Full-time

Senior Planning Engineer - Project Controls in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a Civil Engineering opportunity with AECOM for an experienced project controls professional specializing in planning, scheduling, progress monitoring, delay analysis, Extension of Time evaluation, and programme recovery across major building and infrastructure projects. The role requires advanced Primavera P6 expertise and the ability to integrate design, procurement, construction, cost, resources, risk, and contractual requirements into reliable project schedules and management reporting.

Country: United Arab Emirates City: Dubai Industry: Civil Engineering Function: Project-Program Management Salary: 25000-35000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer. Gender: Any Candidate Nationality: Any Job Type: Full-time

The Senior Planning Engineer provides the scheduling and performance intelligence required to keep complex projects aligned with contractual milestones and delivery objectives. The position covers baseline programme assessment, schedule updates, progress verification, delay analysis, resource forecasting, performance measurement, and recovery planning. Working closely with the Resident Engineer, supervision team, Project Manager, Construction Manager, Cost Control, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction teams, the planner must ensure that reported progress reflects actual site conditions and that emerging risks are identified early enough for corrective action.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated project schedules covering design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, and handover activities.
• Use Primavera P6 or equivalent planning software to build, update, and analyze detailed project programmes.
• Review contractor baseline programmes for contractual compliance, sequencing logic, activity relationships, durations, resources, and milestone alignment.
• Assess whether programme assumptions and resource allocations are realistic and consistent with project requirements.
• Monitor construction progress against approved schedules and identify variances from planned performance.
• Coordinate with the Resident Engineer and site supervision team to validate actual progress before schedule updates are issued.
• Analyse schedule slippage and identify the activities, interfaces, or constraints driving delays.
• Recommend practical corrective actions and recovery strategies to protect contractual milestones.
• Prepare weekly and monthly planning reports summarizing progress, key milestones, delays, risks, and required interventions.
• Develop clear schedule narratives that explain performance rather than simply presenting activity data.
• Review contractor revised programmes and assess whether proposed recovery measures are achievable.
• Evaluate Extension of Time claims in accordance with contract requirements and approved procedures.
• Review contractor delay analyses and verify the relationship between claimed events and programme impact.
• Assess concurrent delays, critical path changes, and schedule logic where relevant to EOT evaluation.
• Maintain clear records supporting planning assessments, programme reviews, and delay-related recommendations.
• Develop progress measurement systems and performance indicators for project control.
• Establish appropriate methods for measuring physical progress across different work packages.
• Conduct trend analysis to identify emerging schedule risks before they materially affect delivery.
• Prepare what-if scenarios to assess the potential effect of changes, constraints, or mitigation options.
• Model alternative sequencing and recovery approaches where programme performance requires intervention.
• Support preparation of project cash flow forecasts based on planned progress and expenditure profiles.
• Develop resource histograms and manpower projections to support planning and delivery decisions.
• Compare planned resource requirements with actual deployment and identify potential productivity or capacity concerns.
• Coordinate programme information with Cost Control to maintain consistency between schedule and financial reporting.
• Align planning outputs with Engineering and Procurement teams so design and material dependencies are reflected accurately.
• Coordinate with Construction teams to ensure work sequencing reflects real site access and delivery conditions.
• Participate in progress, planning, and coordination meetings with contractors, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Present programme status, critical risks, schedule forecasts, and recovery recommendations clearly.
• Support the Project Manager and Construction Manager with project risk identification and mitigation planning.
• Maintain schedule data integrity and ensure planning records comply with AECOM Project Management and Controls procedures.
• Assist with project controls documentation, reporting standards, and governance requirements.
• Mentor junior planners and site engineers in scheduling, progress measurement, programme analysis, and reporting techniques.
• Review junior planning outputs and provide technical guidance to improve accuracy and consistency.

Ideal Profile

Candidates should hold a Bachelor 's Degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline. Applicants must have at least 15 years of professional experience in building and infrastructure project delivery, with substantial responsibility for project planning, scheduling, and controls. Advanced knowledge of Primavera P6 or comparable planning software is essential. Candidates should have proven consultancy experience supporting private developer projects and working within complex multidisciplinary delivery environments. Strong knowledge of contract management and Extension of Time claim evaluation is required. Experience should include progress monitoring, variance analysis, critical path assessment, recovery planning, delay evaluation, and corrective action development. Candidates must be comfortable preparing detailed progress reports, trend analyses, schedule forecasts, and what-if scenarios for senior stakeholders. Experience integrating planning with cost control, cash flow forecasting, resource histograms, and manpower planning is highly valuable. Professional certification such as PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent is preferred. The successful candidate should demonstrate strong analytical judgement, attention to detail, clear communication, and the ability to challenge unrealistic contractor programmes or recovery proposals with evidence-based reasoning.

Skills Set

Primavera P6 Project scheduling Project planning Project controls Baseline programme review Construction scheduling Design scheduling Procurement scheduling Critical path analysis Progress monitoring Variance analysis Extension of Time evaluation EOT claims Delay analysis Schedule recovery Recovery programmes What-if analysis Trend analysis Progress measurement Performance indicators Weekly progress reporting Monthly progress reporting Cash flow forecasting Resource histograms Manpower projections Cost control integration Risk identification Risk mitigation Programme forecasting Contract management Contractor programme review Project controls governance Schedule data integrity Private developer projects Infrastructure projects Building projects Stakeholder reporting Planning meetings PMP PRINCE2 Planner mentoring

Why Join Us

Dubai continues to deliver major building, transportation, and infrastructure programmes that require experienced planning professionals capable of managing increasingly complex schedules, contractual interfaces, and delivery risks. This role provides senior-level responsibility across programme development, contractor assessment, claims analysis, project controls, and executive reporting. The breadth of the position also offers a strong foundation for progression into Project Controls Manager, Planning Manager, Programme Controls, or broader project and programme management leadership roles within large multidisciplinary developments.

About the Company

AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting and professional services organization delivering engineering, planning, design, environmental, programme, project controls, and construction management expertise. Its multidisciplinary teams support transportation, buildings, water, energy, and infrastructure projects throughout the project lifecycle, helping clients deliver complex programmes through structured planning, technical expertise, and coordinated project management.