Planning Engineer

• 1. Job Purpose
· The Project Planner is responsible for developing, maintaining, monitoring, and reporting the project schedule for the design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, and handover of 33/13.8kV MV substations.
· The position shall ensure that project activities are properly planned and logically linked, progress is accurately measured, delays and critical risks are identified at an early stage, and appropriate recovery measures are developed in coordination with the Project Management, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, QA/QC, Testing & Commissioning, and Commercial teams.
• 2.

Key Responsibilities
• A. Planning & Scheduling
· Develop and maintain the Level 3/Level 4 detailed project schedule in accordance with the approved baseline.
· Develop detailed activity sequences covering engineering and design; client/consultant submissions and approvals; material submittals and technical approvals; procurement; manufacturing and FAT; logistics and delivery; civil and building works; electrical installation; MV equipment installation; cable works and terminations; protection and control systems; SCADA and communication systems; testing and commissioning; energization; punch-list clearance; as-built documentation and final handover.
· Establish logical relationships, activity durations, calendars, constraints, milestones, and interfaces.
· Ensure the schedule reflects contractual milestones and approved project requirements.
• B. Progress Monitoring & Reporting
· Collect and validate actual progress from Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Testing & Commissioning, and other project disciplines.
· Update the project schedule on a weekly/monthly basis.
· Monitor planned versus actual progress and identify deviations.
· Prepare weekly and monthly progress reports, look-ahead schedules, recovery schedules, progress curves/S-curves, milestone tracking reports, and critical path reports.
· Monitor SPI, CPI, earned value, planned value, actual cost, and earned progress, where applicable.
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• C. Critical Path & Delay Management
· Identify and continuously monitor the project Critical Path and near-critical activities.
· Analyze delays and their impact on contractual milestones.
· Identify schedule risks and potential areas of slippage at an early stage.
· Develop mitigation and recovery strategies in coordination with the project team.
· Perform Time Impact Analysis (TIA) and other schedule impact assessments for variations, delays, changes, and unforeseen events.
· Maintain proper records supporting potential Extension of Time (EOT) claims.
• D. Engineering & Approval Tracking
· Monitor engineering deliverables and their impact on procurement and construction.
· Track submission, review, comment, resubmission, and approval cycles.
· Monitor critical electrical design deliverables, including Single Line Diagrams, protection and control schemes, cable schedules, load schedules, protection coordination, short-circuit studies, cable sizing/voltage-drop calculations, earthing studies, SCADA and communication drawings, equipment data sheets, and technical material submittals.
· Highlight overdue approvals and assess their downstream impact on procurement and construction.
· Maintain accurate records of Client/Consultant approvals and document workflow status, including applicable electronic document-control systems.
• E. Procurement & Manufacturing Planning
· Coordinate with the Procurement team to establish procurement schedules for major electrical equipment.
· Monitor critical long-lead items such as MV switchgear, transformers, protection relays, LVAC/DC systems, batteries and chargers, SCADA/RTU equipment, cables, control panels, and auxiliary equipment.
· Track procurement from RFQ through technical evaluation, approval, PO, manufacturing, FAT, shipment, and delivery to site.
· Monitor supplier manufacturing schedules and identify potential delays affecting installation and commissioning.
• F. Construction Planning
· Coordinate with Construction Managers and Site Engineers to develop detailed construction schedules.
· Monitor civil and electrical interface activities.
· Ensure construction activities are aligned with material availability and approved drawings.
· Develop short-term and 2-week/3-week look-ahead schedules.
· Identify constraints affecting planned activities, including approved drawings, material availability, manpower, equipment, work fronts, permits, inspection requirements, Client approvals, and interface requirements.
• G. Testing & Commissioning
· Develop and monitor detailed testing and commissioning schedules.
· Coordinate sequencing of installation completion, pre-commissioning, cable testing, protection relay testing, functional testing, SCADA testing, interlocking tests, energization readiness, Client inspections, energization, and final commissioning.
· Ensure commissioning milestones are properly linked to construction completion and Client approvals.
• H. Client / Consultant Coordination
· Participate in progress and planning meetings with the Client/Consultant.
· Prepare schedule presentations and progress updates.
· Respond to schedule-related comments from the Client/Consultant.
· Maintain an accurate record of approved baseline revisions, Client instructions, changes, and schedule impacts.
· Coordinate with the Commercial team regarding variations, change orders, and potential claims.
• 3. Change Management & EOT
· Support the Project Manager and Commercial Team in assessing the schedule impact of variations and change orders, Client instructions, design changes, material/equipment changes, procurement delays, site access restrictions, interface delays, suspension or reduction of scope, force majeure, and other excusable events.
· Maintain contemporary records and schedule updates necessary to substantiate EOT and delay claims, while ensuring that the approved baseline and subsequent updates remain auditable.
• 4. Required Qualifications & Experience
· Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
· Minimum 5–8 years of planning experience in construction/infrastructure projects.
· Preferably 3+ years of experience in electrical projects, particularly MV/HV substations, power distribution, electrical infrastructure, or utility projects.
· Experience with 33kV / 13.8kV substations is highly desirable.
· Experience working on EPC / Design & Build projects is preferred.
· Experience working with major Clients, Consultants, and utility authorities is an advantage.
• 5. Technical Skills
· Strong knowledge of Primavera P6.
· Good knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
· Strong understanding of EPC project planning and project controls.
· Strong understanding of construction sequencing and electrical installation activities.
· Knowledge of Earned Value Management and schedule performance measurement.
· Knowledge of critical path analysis and delay analysis.
· Understanding of procurement and long-lead equipment schedules.
· Ability to develop and analyze Time Impact Analysis (TIA).
· Ability to prepare recovery and acceleration schedules.
• 6. Key Competencies
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· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
· Ability to identify schedule risks before they become critical.
· Strong coordination skills across engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning teams.
· Good communication and reporting skills.
· Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
· Strong attention to detail and schedule logic.
· Ability to challenge inaccurate progress information and verify reported progress against actual site status.
· Strong understanding of contractual milestones and schedule requirements.
• 7. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
· Accuracy and reliability of the project schedule.
· Timely submission of weekly/monthly planning reports.
· Accuracy of progress measurement.
· Effective monitoring of critical path activities.
· Early identification of schedule risks.
· Effectiveness of recovery plans.
· Timely identification and documentation of delays.
· Quality of EOT/TIA schedule analysis.
· Coordination between engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
· Achievement of contractual milestones.
• 8. MVSS / Client-Specific Requirements
· For an MV 33/13.8kV Substation project, the Planner shall have strong capability in Client/Consultant approval tracking, document workflow tracking, material submittal status, procurement/manufacturing status, FAT, site readiness, testing and commissioning, energization, and EOT/TIA schedule analysis. Experience with major-client project environments, including strict reporting, approval, interface, and document-control requirements, is highly desira