Lead Planner

Role overview

This position is for a Lead Planner supporting project delivery activities. The assignment is tied to the development of a new gold mine and processing plant at a remote location in Saudi Arabia.

What the role involves

• Serve as the main planning contact for designated project scopes.
• Build and keep planning control structures aligned with the approved Work Breakdown Structure.
• Create, maintain, and update baseline schedules using suitable scheduling tools.
• Track planning activities across every stage of the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate with engineering, procurement, construction, and other stakeholders, including third parties, to stay on top of project status, schedule effects, and manpower needs.
• Issue project plans and schedules in line with reporting requirements.
• Prepare and distribute progress and performance updates as required.
• Maintain and release schedule revisions and manpower requirement updates.
• Assess the schedule impact of change notices and change requests.
• Review overall project progress, milestone achievement, and performance against the approved plan.
• Join project progress and performance meetings when needed.
• Work with the cost team to ensure man-hour budgets are forecast and controlled accurately, and that changes are reflected properly in schedules.
• Contribute to schedule risk analysis where required.
• Take part in and help lead project controls compliance and continuous improvement reviews.
• Support mentoring and career development for planning team members.

Expected outcomes

• Schedules remain compliant with the approved contract and project Work Breakdown Structure.
• Plans and schedules are issued according to the contract reporting calendar and other required timings.
• All schedules are fully logic-linked and display critical path and total float for each activity.
• The project schedule is baselined once the client approves funding for the project.
• Schedules include resources in line with corporate standards.
• Work pack delivery milestones are clearly shown in project schedules.
• Standard milestones are kept current in both the schedule and the cost reporting database.

Benefits and employee support

• Medical insurance covering specialist treatment for the employee and eligible family members living in-country, including pre-existing medical conditions. There is no cap on the number of children covered, although age and coverage limits apply under KSA CCHI rules. Higher medical cover can be chosen at the employee’s cost.
• Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential support for personal or work-related matters affecting the employee or immediate family, including mental, physical, social, and financial well-being.
• GOSI social insurance contributions for eligible KSA employees, paid by the company in line with government requirements and covering occupational hazards.
• End-of-service gratuity in accordance with KSA Labour Law.
• Paid examination leave, subject to company approval for education institute enrollment or continued study. Leave is granted for the actual examination days and must be requested at least fifteen days in advance.
• One professional membership, registration, subscription, certification, and/or license reimbursement per year for active employees, provided it is relevant to the role or part of a development plan and supported through the expenses process.
• Annual Inspire Awards that recognise and celebrate colleagues for their contribution, innovation, values, and impact.
• Long Service Award recognition at 5-year service milestones.
• Career development support through structured goal setting, feedback, coaching, mentoring, and continuous learning resources.

Qualifications and experience

The employer welcomes candidates from a range of backgrounds and encourages applications from people with relevant experience, knowledge, or transferable skills, even if they do not meet every listed requirement. Some roles may include mandatory legal or qualification requirements that cannot be changed.

• A bachelor’s degree at ISCED level 6 in a relevant technical or business field, or equivalent vocational training and/or industry experience.
• At least 15 years of relevant scheduling and planning experience.
• Advanced capability with Primavera and other scheduling tools, including logic analysis, CPM analysis, resource loading, and levelling.
• Strong knowledge of project execution procedures for scheduling.
• Advanced understanding of WBS and CBS structures, plus project reporting functionality.
• High-level ability to build project schedules and plans.
• Advanced ability to prepare resource loading plans, progress plans, and staffing plans.
• Strong grasp of earned value methods, cost and schedule variance analysis and trending, and what-if analysis.
• Solid understanding of project management principles and techniques.
• Strong knowledge of cost management, change control, planning, and risk analysis/management.
• Previous experience in a senior planning position.

About the employer

The company is a global consulting and engineering business focused on solving complex challenges in the energy and materials sectors. It operates in 45 countries and employs around 25,000 people.

Equal opportunity statement

The employer is committed to fair hiring and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, considering qualified candidates based on objective criteria and without discrimination.