Planning Specialist - Scheduling and Controls

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 201,000 - 312,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons Corporation in Riyadh leads construction scheduling and project controls for complex programs. The Planning Specialist develops and maintains detailed schedules, validates contractor baselines, and forecasts completion dates to enable timely decisions.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in planning with Primavera P6, strong Excel/Power BI skills, and excellent communication with project teams and clients. The role requires Saudi nationality and a bachelor’s in engineering or related field.

Qualifications

• Saudi National with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related discipline.
• At least 10 years of planning and scheduling experience in construction projects.
• Strong Primavera P6 skills and ability to develop credible baselines and forecasts.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and analyze detailed project schedules using Primavera P6.
• Establish baselines reflecting milestones, procurement, and execution sequences.
• Review contractor schedules for logic, durations, and dependencies against objectives.
• Monitor schedule performance and identify deviations from baselines.
• Prepare schedule status reports, look-ahead plans, and progress forecasting.

Skills

Primavera P6

Construction scheduling

Project planning

Project controls

Baseline schedule development

Schedule updating

Critical path analysis

Progress measurement

Delay claim analysis

Time-impact analysis

Three-week look-ahead planning

Engineering and procurement sequencing

Power BI

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Client reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

MS Office

Job description

Planning Specialist - Scheduling and Controls Job Snapshot Role: Planning Specialist - Scheduling and Controls Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Industry: Construction Function: Project Management Experience: Minimum 10 years Job Type: Full-time Position Overview Planning Specialist - Scheduling and Controls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a Construction opportunity for an experienced Saudi National with strong expertise in project planning, Primavera P6 scheduling, progress monitoring, delay analysis, and project controls. Parsons is hiring a specialist who can develop reliable construction schedules, evaluate contractor performance, identify schedule risks, and provide project managers and clients with accurate forecasting and decision-ready planning information across complex projects.

Job Details

Country: Saudi Arabia City: Riyadh Industry: Construction Function: Project Management Salary: 18000-28000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer. Gender: Any Candidate Nationality: Saudi National Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Planning Specialist will provide schedule leadership across project development and execution, connecting engineering, procurement, construction, contracts, and site activities through an integrated planning framework. The position supports stronger project control by establishing credible baselines, measuring actual progress, analyzing delays, forecasting completion dates, and highlighting emerging risks before they affect key contractual milestones. Working with project managers, contractors, technical disciplines, and client representatives, the specialist will convert field progress and project data into clear schedule intelligence that supports timely interventions and more predictable delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, monitor, and analyze detailed project schedules using Primavera P6 and supporting planning tools.
• Establish baseline schedules that reflect contractual milestones, construction methodology, procurement requirements, engineering activities, and realistic execution sequences.
• Review contractor schedules for completeness, activity logic, durations, dependencies, resource considerations, and alignment with approved project objectives.
• Monitor schedule performance across office and site activities and identify deviations from approved baseline plans.
• Compare reported contractor progress with Work Inspection Requests, daily reports, site records, and physically completed work.
• Prepare schedule status reports covering milestones, critical paths, float movement, progress trends, delays, and forecast completion dates.
• Develop three-week look-ahead schedules and focused plans for time-critical construction activities.
• Carry out site inspections when required to validate actual progress against contractor submissions and schedule updates.
• Assess potential schedule slippage and recommend practical recovery or mitigation measures to project leadership.
• Review contractor delay claims and undertake time-impact analysis to determine schedule consequences and support client recommendations.
• Support schedule risk assessments, forecasting exercises, scenario evaluation, and project controls analysis.
• Coordinate with engineering, procurement, construction, and contract teams so that schedule logic accurately reflects project execution requirements.
• Verify that contractor progress reporting methodologies remain consistent with approved planning procedures and measurable site achievements.
• Prepare presentations explaining schedule performance, critical activities, emerging risks, recovery actions, and expected project outcomes.
• Provide technical guidance to Parsons personnel and contractor teams on Primavera P6 scheduling, progress measurement, schedule updating, and reporting practices.
• Maintain structured planning records that provide traceability for schedule revisions, progress assessments, delay evaluations, and management decisions.

Ideal Profile

The preferred candidate is a Saudi National with a bachelor 's degree in Engineering or a related discipline from an accredited university and at least 10 years of planning and scheduling experience within construction projects. Strong practical experience developing and controlling schedules for large-scale or technically complex projects is essential. The role requires confidence working independently with Primavera P6 and evaluating contractor schedules rather than simply compiling planning information. Candidates should have hands-on experience in construction progress measurement, performance forecasting, schedule variance analysis, critical path evaluation, and contractor delay claims. An understanding of engineering, procurement, contracting, construction, and startup processes is important for producing realistic integrated schedules. Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Office applications is required. Experience with Power BI would provide additional value. The position also requires strong written and spoken English, sound professional judgment, clear presentation skills, and the ability to explain schedule logic and project impacts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills Set

• Primavera P6
• Construction scheduling
• Project planning
• Project controls
• Baseline schedule development
• Schedule updating
• Critical path analysis
• Progress measurement
• Schedule variance analysis
• Delay claim analysis
• Time-impact analysis
• Three-week look-ahead planning
• Construction progress monitoring
• Performance forecasting
• Schedule risk analysis
• Recovery schedule development
• Engineering and procurement sequencing
• Construction activity planning
• Contractor schedule review
• Work Inspection Request verification
• Progress reporting
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Office
• Power BI
• Client reporting
• Schedule presentations
• Site progress verification
• Milestone tracking
• Project forecasting

Why Join Us

Riyadh continues to generate substantial demand for experienced construction planning and project controls professionals as major infrastructure and development programs move through increasingly complex delivery phases. This role provides exposure to detailed project scheduling, contractor performance analysis, client-facing reporting, and multidisciplinary project execution. For an experienced Saudi planning professional, the position offers the opportunity to strengthen advanced Primavera P6 and project controls capabilities while contributing directly to schedule certainty, risk management, and successful construction delivery on demanding projects.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation is an international engineering, construction, technology, and project management organization supporting major infrastructure, transportation, urban development, and complex program delivery initiatives. Its Saudi Arabia operations bring together multidisciplinary professionals who provide planning, engineering, project controls, construction management, and technical expertise across significant development programs.