Lead Construction Planner - Blacksmith

Fortescue; Western Australia; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortescue is seeking an experienced Lead Planner (Construction) to join the Blacksmith Project team in Perth, leading integrated master schedules, coordinating across engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. You will mentor a team of planners, drive scheduling standards, perform schedule risk analysis, and partner with cost and risk teams to deliver on-time project execution.

Regular site travel is required; strong communication and leadership are essential to influence

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or related discipline, or recognised scheduling certification.
• Minimum 15 years of industry experience, including at least 10 years in planning and scheduling on major construction projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6 with baseline management and critical path analysis.
• Experience delivering planning across major resources, infrastructure or heavy-industry projects.
• Strong knowledge of greenfield and brownfield construction, work packaging and handover.
• Experience with schedule risk analysis, mitigation and recovery planning.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills to influence project teams and contractors.
• Experience with Acumen Fuse or equivalent schedule analytics tools, Power BI is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, integration and maintenance of Level 3 master and Level 4–5 construction schedules using Primavera P6.
• Leading a small team of Planners and Schedulers, driving consistent planning standards and continuous improvement.
• Drive construction sequencing, work packaging and schedule integration across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Review and challenge contractor schedules, progress submissions and resource assumptions to ensure realistic and achievable delivery plans.
• Lead quantity-based progress measurement, Earned Value analysis and schedule performance reporting.
• Maintain schedule baselines, planning assumptions and change control processes in accordance with project requirements.
• Monitor critical paths, schedule variances, productivity trends and milestone performance, identifying emerging risks and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain 90-day look-ahead schedules and three-week execution plans, resolving constraints and resource conflicts.
• Lead schedule risk assessments, scenario modelling and recovery planning to support project delivery confidence.
• Collaborate with Construction, Engineering, Commercial, Cost and Risk teams to deliver integrated project controls and reporting.

Skills

Primavera P6 proficiency

Leadership

Schedule development

Earned Value

Stakeholder engagement

Resource planning

Schedule risk analysis

Education

Engineering/Construction Management degree

Scheduling certification

Tools

Primavera P6

Acumen Fuse

Power BI

Job description

About Us

Fortescue is both a proud West Australian company and a global green solutions business. We are recognised for our culture, innovation and industry-leading development of infrastructure, mining assets and green energy initiatives.

Our Opportunity

Work Location: Perth Office – Fortescue's Perth office is located on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people. Regular site travel required.

Roster: Monday to Friday

We are seeking an experienced Lead Planner (Construction) to join our Blacksmith Project team, providing leadership across construction planning, scheduling and project controls.

In this role, you will lead the integrated master project schedule and development and integration of construction schedules across greenfield and brownfield works, contractor interfaces, commissioning and handover. Working closely with project delivery teams, you will drive schedule performance, identify risks and develop practical recovery strategies to support safe and successful project execution.

This is an opportunity to apply your technical expertise, influence key project decisions and lead planning excellence on a major Fortescue project.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, integration and maintenance of Level 3 master and Level 4–5 construction schedules using Primavera P6.
• Leading a small team of Planners and Schedulers, driving consistent planning standards and continuous improvement.
• Drive construction sequencing, work packaging and schedule integration across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Review and challenge contractor schedules, progress submissions and resource assumptions to ensure realistic and achievable delivery plans.
• Lead quantity-based progress measurement, Earned Value analysis and schedule performance reporting.
• Maintain schedule baselines, planning assumptions and change control processes in accordance with project requirements.
• Monitor critical paths, schedule variances, productivity trends and milestone performance, identifying emerging risks and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain 90-day look-ahead schedules and three-week execution plans, resolving constraints and resource conflicts.
• Lead schedule risk assessments, scenario modelling and recovery planning to support project delivery confidence.
• Collaborate with Construction, Engineering, Commercial, Cost and Risk teams to deliver integrated project controls and reporting.

Qualifications and Experience

• Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related discipline, or recognised project controls/scheduling certification.
• Minimum 15 years' industry experience, including at least 10 years in planning and scheduling, with demonstrated leadership on major construction projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6, including schedule development, integration, baseline management, critical path analysis and change control.
• Demonstrated experience delivering construction planning across major resources, infrastructure or heavy-industry projects.
• Strong knowledge of greenfield and brownfield construction, work packaging, contractor interfaces, shutdowns, commissioning and handover.
• Proven capability in resource planning, quantity-based progress measurement, Earned Value, productivity analysis and schedule forecasting.
• Experience in schedule risk analysis, mitigation strategies, recovery planning and scenario modelling.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, quantities, procurement information and construction methodologies to develop realistic schedules.
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and leadership skills, with the ability to influence project teams and contractors.
• Experience with Acumen Fuse or equivalent schedule analytics tools, Power BI and integrated project controls systems will be highly regarded.

Our Commitment

Fortescue is deeply committed to providing a safe culture that builds respect, fosters inclusiveness, and values diversity. We celebrate individual strengths and team members from all backgrounds are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Our global workforce drives and promotes an inclusive culture, both within our organisation and throughout the communities we interact with across the world. Diverse backgrounds include First Nations Peoples, people with differing abilities, LGBTIQ+ community, gender, neurodiverse, cultural diversity, all age groups, and those with an intersectional or multiple diverse characteristics. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

https://fortescue.com/careers

Fortescue reserves the right to close applications early should a suitable pool of candidates be identified. Fortescue will never contact you to ask for payment of any kind, whether directly or through a third party.