Principal Specialist, Scheduling/Planning

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off / flexible schedule

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Principal Specialist, Scheduling/Planning to develop, maintain, and forecast integrated schedules for major capital projects ranging from FEED through handover. You will lead baseline control, interfaces, progress measurement, and schedule risk analyses to support decision-making.

Ideal candidate has 10+ years of EPC/EPCM scheduling experience, advanced Primavera P6 skills, and strong CPM/EVM knowledge, with excellent communication to coordinate across stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Project Management, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of planning and scheduling experience supporting EPC or EPCM capital projects.
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining integrated project schedules throughout the project lifecycle, from FEED through commissioning and handover.
• Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6, including multi‑project scheduling environments.
• Strong understanding of CPM, EVM, progress measurement systems, and schedule forecasting techniques.
• Experience integrating and analyzing contractor, subcontractor, and vendor schedules on large capital projects.
• Experience supporting schedule risk analysis, change management, and schedule performance assessment.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) and schedule architecture aligned with execution plans, cost structures, and contract deliverables.
• Build and baseline Level 1-4 schedules in Primavera P6 across engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Prepare planning basis documents, schedule narratives, and assumptions to support baseline approvals.
• Integrate contractor, subcontractor, vendor, and client schedules into a consolidated master schedule; manage interfaces across workstreams.
• Define progress measurement methodologies, rules of credit, and earned value principles consistent with project requirements.
• Perform quantitative schedule risk analyses (Monte Carlo) and quality reviews to support forecast confidence.
• Support contract development, time impact analyses, and schedule-related claims; promote planning standards and continuous improvement.

Skills

Project scheduling

CPM methodology

Earned value management

Forecasting

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Construction Management/Quantity Surveying/Project Management

Tools

Primavera P6

Deltek Acumen Fuse

Acumen Risk

Primavera Risk Analysis

Power BI

EcoSys

SAP PS

Job description

Title: Principal Specialist, Scheduling/Planning KBR is seeking a Principal Specialist, Scheduling/Planning for Major Capital Projects. The Principal Specialist, Scheduling/Planning is responsible for developing, maintaining, analyzing, and forecasting integrated project schedules for major capital projects in the $500M-$10B+ range, spanning FEL/FEED through engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, commissioning, and handover. This role serves as a subject matter expert in project planning and scheduling, providing objective schedule analysis, identifying emerging risks, and supporting project leadership with accurate schedule performance insights and forecasts. Success in this role is measured by the quality, accuracy, and reliability of project schedules, forecasts, schedule risk assessments, and planning deliverables that support effective project execution and decision-making.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Schedule Development & Baseline Control

Develop Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), activity coding structures, and schedule architecture aligned with project execution plans, cost structures, and contract deliverables.

Build, integrate, maintain, and baseline Level 1-4 project schedules in Primavera P6, incorporating engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, systems completion, commissioning, and handover activities.

Prepare planning basis documents, schedule narratives, and schedule assumptions to support schedule development and baseline approval.

Maintain schedule baseline integrity through established change management processes and ensure all schedule modifications are appropriately documented and traceable.

Integration & Interface Management

Integrate contractor, subcontractor, vendor, and client schedules into a consolidated master schedule and identify interface impacts across project workstreams.

Coordinate schedule interfaces associated with operations, shutdowns, tie‑ins, regulatory approvals, permitting activities, logistics, and third‑party stakeholders.

Facilitate planning workshops, schedule reviews, and coordination sessions with project stakeholders to ensure alignment on execution sequences and key milestones.

Progress Measurement, Reporting & Forecasting

Define and apply progress measurement methodologies, rules of credit, and earned value principles consistent with project requirements.

Validate reported progress against objective evidence and support schedule updates using established project controls procedures.

Develop and maintain schedule reporting including milestone tracking, critical path analysis, near‑critical path analysis, float consumption, manpower histograms, earned value metrics, and look‑ahead schedules.

Prepare schedule forecasts based on trend analysis, productivity metrics, performance data, and project execution realities.

Identify schedule risks and opportunities and communicate potential impacts along with mitigation or recovery options.

Schedule Risk & Assurance

Perform quantitative schedule risk analyses, including Monte Carlo simulations, to support confidence‑level forecasting and contingency assessments.

Conduct schedule quality reviews and health checks utilizing DCMA 14‑point assessments and established project controls standards.

Support project reviews, audits, stage‑gate assessments, and independent evaluations through preparation and presentation of planning and scheduling deliverables.

Ensure compliance with project, client, and contractual scheduling requirements.

Contract, Change & Claims Support

Review contractor and subcontractor schedule submissions for compliance with contractual requirements and accepted scheduling practices.

Support preparation and evaluation of time impact analyses, extension‑of‑time requests, delay analyses, and schedule‑related claims documentation.

Provide planning and scheduling expertise during contract development, bid evaluations, and commercial reviews.

Support development of schedule provisions, milestones, reporting requirements, and performance metrics for project contracts.

Planning Standards & Continuous Improvement

Support the development and implementation of planning procedures, templates, coding structures, scheduling standards, and reporting methodologies.

Promote best practices in scheduling, forecasting, and schedule risk management across projects.

Provide technical guidance and subject matter expertise to project teams regarding planning and scheduling methodologies, tools, and processes.

Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within Project Controls and Planning functions.

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Project Management, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent experience with strong technical grounding will be considered.

10+ years of planning and scheduling experience supporting EPC or EPCM capital projects.

Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining integrated project schedules throughout the project lifecycle, from FEED through commissioning and handover.

Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6, including multi‑project scheduling environments.

Strong understanding of Critical Path Method (CPM), earned value management (EVM), progress measurement systems, and schedule forecasting techniques.

Experience integrating and analyzing contractor, subcontractor, and vendor schedules on large capital projects.

Experience supporting schedule risk analysis, change management, and schedule performance assessment.

Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Education, Experience & Skills

Sector experience in oil & gas, LNG, mining & minerals, power & renewables, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, data center, or water infrastructure projects.

AACE Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP), Certified Cost Professional (CCP), PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), RICS, or equivalent professional certification.

Experience with Deltek Acumen Fuse, Acumen Risk, Primavera Risk Analysis, Safran Risk, or comparable schedule risk analysis tools.

Experience using Power BI, EcoSys, SAP PS, or other project controls and reporting platforms.

Familiarity with Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), systems completion methodologies, commissioning planning, and 4D planning techniques.

Experience with FIDIC, NEC, lump‑sum turnkey (LSTK), reimbursable, or similar contract structures and associated delay analysis methodologies.

Placement within the position's career framework will be determined based on an evaluation of the selected candidate's education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other job‑related factors consistent with applicable law and business needs. Accordingly, this position may be filled at a different level than the one identified in this posting.

Decarbonization – Energy Transition – Sustainability

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.

Click here to learn more: KBR Benefits

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together. KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high‑quality, technology‑led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision‑makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.