Planning Director

The Planning Director is responsible for leading and overseeing the strategic planning and scheduling function across mega projects and programs. The role ensures that project planning frameworks, methodologies, and systems are standardized, integrated, and aligned with organizational objectives. This position plays a critical role in enabling on-time, on-budget project delivery through proactive schedule governance, risk management, and executive-level reporting.

Principal Accountabilities

• Define and implement enterprise-wide planning policies, standards, and procedures.
• Ensure consistent application of planning methodologies across all projects and business units.
• Establish governance mechanisms for schedule assurance, stage-gates, and integrated planning reviews.

Schedule Development & Control

• Lead the development of integrated master schedules for mega projects and programs.
• Approve baseline schedules and monitor compliance with contractual requirements.
• Enforce rigorous critical path, near-critical path, and milestone monitoring.
• Ensure Earned Value Management (EVM) principles are embedded in all projects.

Risk, Delay Analysis & Recovery

• Oversee delay analysis and Extension of Time (EOT) claims preparation.
• Drive early identification of schedule risks and lead mitigation / recovery planning.
• Maintain trend logs and ensure corrective/preventive actions are implemented.

Systems, Tools & Integration

• Oversee implementation and optimization of scheduling tools (Primavera P6/EPPM).
• Integrate planning systems with ERP, BIM, and Business Intelligence dashboards.
• Ensure data integrity, consistency, and traceability across systems.

Reporting & Insights

• Provide executive-level dashboards and reports on project and portfolio progress.
• Highlight systemic schedule risks, trends, and opportunities for performance improvement.
• Present schedule insights to senior leadership and external stakeholders.

Stakeholder Management & Coordination

• Align planning activities across Engineering, Procurement, Construction, QA/QC, HSE, and Commercial.
• Interface with clients, consultants, and subcontractors to ensure schedule alignment.
• Mentor and build capacity within planning teams across projects.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing planning team across multiple projects.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Manage resource allocation across projects to ensure adequate planning support.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Civil / Mechanical / Electrical / Industrial Engineering or equivalent.
• Certifications: PMP is required; PSP (Planning & Scheduling Professional), PMI-SP, or equivalent is highly desirable.

Experience

• Minimum 18-20 years of progressive experience in project planning, with at least 7-10 years in a senior leadership role in large-scale construction or infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience managing planning across mega projects / multi-billion portfolios.
• Strong background in delay analysis, EOT claims, and forensic planning.
• Expertise in Primavera P6, EPPM, and integration with ERP / BI systems.
• Familiarity with GCC/Saudi contracting practices is preferred.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Other

Industries

• Construction