Project Planner Lead

NES Fircroft; Aberdeen City; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

NES Fircroft is seeking a Project Planner Lead in Aberdeen to own the integrated project plan and schedule maintenance using Primavera P6. You will manage planning activities across onshore/offshore commissioning, start-up activities, subsea interfaces, and yard stay phases, ensuring alignment with project objectives.

The role requires a senior planner with 15+ years offshore project planning experience and strong stakeholder management.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 15 years' planning experience on major offshore projects.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior planning position.
• Recent experience working within Southeast Asian/Singapore shipyards is essential.
• Strong understanding of project controls and commercial awareness is advantageous.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for the Integrated Project Plan and Primavera P6 schedule maintenance.
• Manage planning activities for Onshore/Offshore Commissioning, Start-up activities and subsea interfaces, Sea Trials and Vessel Transit, Yard Stay, Post-yard execution phases.
• Establish and migrate schedules from contractor systems into company planning systems.
• Review and monitor contractor schedules and project plans.
• Continuously assess schedule logic and critical path activities.
• Review weekly and monthly contractor progress reports and challenge delays, low progress, and planning assumptions where necessary.
• Develop and maintain Schedule Risk Analysis to support project performance reviews and decision-making.
• Prepare monthly project reports for key stakeholders.
• Review and support contractor run-down curves and forecasting.
• Provide day-to-day planning support and schedule management.
• Assist contractors with schedule development, reporting, and planning best practices.
• Ensure project schedules remain accurate, current, and aligned with project objectives.
• Identify risks and recommend mitigation measures to maintain schedule performance.
• Liaise with the Project Management Team on planning matters and support the development of integrated schedules.
• Support construction contractors in developing and maintaining overall project schedules across multiple stakeholders and interfaces.
• Coordinate project progress reporting and prepare weekly and monthly look-ahead schedules.
• Analyse trends and prepare forecasting information.
• Produce ad hoc planning and schedule reports as required.
• Support schedule optimisation exercises, scenario planning, and "what-if" analyses.
• Promote effective communication, collaboration, and alignment between project and operational teams.

Skills

Scheduling

Stakeholder management

Project controls

English communication

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Office Suite

PIMS

Job description

Project Planner Lead

Location: Aberdeen

Contract Duration: Initially until 31 December 2026, with the possibility of extension from January 2027 to May 2027.

Role Summary The Project Planner Lead reports to the Project Controls Manager and will be an integral part of the Project Development & Execution team, working collaboratively within project systems, procedures, and methods. The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall integrated project plan and schedule maintenance within Primavera P6, ensuring effective planning, monitoring, reporting, and schedule optimisation throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for the Integrated Project Plan and Primavera P6 schedule maintenance.
• Manage planning activities for:
  • Onshore Commissioning
  • Offshore Commissioning
  • Start-up activities and subsea interfaces
  • Sea Trials and Vessel Transit
  • Yard Stay activities
  • Post-yard execution phases
• Establish and migrate schedules from contractor systems into company planning systems.
• Review and monitor contractor schedules and project plans.
• Continuously assess schedule logic and critical path activities.
• Review weekly and monthly contractor progress reports and challenge delays, low progress, and planning assumptions where necessary.
• Develop and maintain Schedule Risk Analysis to support project performance reviews and decision-making.
• Prepare monthly project reports for key stakeholders.
• Review and support contractor run-down curves and forecasting.
• Provide day-to-day planning support and schedule management.
• Assist contractors with schedule development, reporting, and planning best practices.
• Ensure project schedules remain accurate, current, and aligned with project objectives.
• Identify risks and recommend mitigation measures to maintain schedule performance.
• Liaise with the Project Management Team on planning matters and support the development of integrated schedules.
• Support construction contractors in developing and maintaining overall project schedules across multiple stakeholders and interfaces.
• Coordinate project progress reporting and prepare weekly and monthly look-ahead schedules.
• Analyse trends and prepare forecasting information.
• Produce ad hoc planning and schedule reports as required.
• Support schedule optimisation exercises, scenario planning, and "what-if" analyses.
• Promote effective communication, collaboration, and alignment between project and operational teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• Engineering degree or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 15 years' planning experience on major offshore projects.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior planning position.
• Recent experience working within Southeast Asian/Singapore shipyards is essential.
• Strong understanding of project controls and commercial awareness is advantageous.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to project delivery.

Software Requirements

• Primavera P6
• Microsoft Office Suite
• PIMS

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.