Senior Planning Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Planning Engineer - Oil & Gas is responsible for development, maintenance, and optimization of project schedules and planning for oil and gas capital projects and operations. This role provides planning expertise, schedule development, schedule performance tracking, and planning analytics. The position requires advanced project planning and scheduling expertise in oil and gas industry, deep knowledge of scheduling methodologies and tools, proven ability to develop realistic yet aggressive schedules, and commitment to supporting projects through effective planning and schedule management.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Project Schedule Development

Develop comprehensive project schedules aligned with business objectives and project requirements. Perform bottom-up scheduling incorporating all project activities, logic, and constraints. Identify critical path and schedule drivers. Establish schedule baselines. Optimize schedule for cost and resource efficiency. Support schedule development for capital projects and operations initiatives.

2. Schedule Performance Tracking & Reporting

Monitor and track schedule performance against baseline. Analyze schedule variances and identify impacts. Produce schedule status reports for project leadership and stakeholders. Forecast schedule at completion and identify schedule risks. Implement schedule recovery measures when required. Provide regular schedule updates and forecasting.

3. Critical Path Analysis & Optimization

Perform critical path analysis identifying schedule drivers and constraints. Optimize schedule logic and sequence. Identify opportunities for schedule compression and acceleration. Support fast-tracking and crashing analysis. Develop schedule alternatives and evaluate impacts.

4. Risk Management & Schedule Planning

Identify schedule risks and develop mitigation strategies. Support schedule contingency planning. Perform what-if analysis for schedule impacts. Support risk-adjusted scheduling. Provide risk reporting to project management.

5. Work Package & Activity Planning

Support development of detailed activity plans and work breakdown structures. Verify activity definitions and logic networks. Identify resource requirements and schedule constraints. Support activity estimation and duration assessment. Maintain activity databases and planning records.

6. Scheduling Methodology & Standards

Develop and maintain scheduling standards and best practices. Train project teams on scheduling methodologies and tools. Support schedule quality assurance reviews. Ensure consistency across projects. Document scheduling procedures and guidelines.

7. Planning Software & Systems Management

Develop and maintain project schedules in planning software (Primavera P6, Microsoft Project). Support scheduling tool implementation and training. Manage schedule databases and reporting systems. Develop schedule reports and dashboards. Support planning system optimization.

8. Stakeholder Reporting & Communication

Develop schedule reports and presentations for project leadership and stakeholders. Communicate schedule status, issues, and forecasts. Explain schedule impacts and mitigation strategies. Present schedule analysis and recommendations. Support stakeholder decision-making on schedule matters.

9. Planning Integration & Coordination

Integrate schedule with cost, resource, and quality planning. Support integrated project controls. Coordinate planning activities across project functions. Align schedule with operational requirements and milestones. Support holistic project planning.

10. Planning Analytics & Continuous Improvement

Perform planning analytics and metrics analysis. Identify planning improvements and best practices. Support lessons learned capture from projects. Develop planning process improvements. Support organizational planning capability development.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Oil & Gas Project Planning: Minimum 10+ years of project planning and scheduling experience in oil and gas industry including capital projects, operations planning, or program management with demonstrated responsibility for schedule development and management.

Project Controls & Scheduling Methodology: Demonstrated expertise in project scheduling, critical path analysis, schedule optimization, and applying scheduling best practices on large capital projects.

Planning Tools & Systems: Proficiency with project planning software (Primavera P6, Microsoft Project) and experience supporting schedule systems and reporting. Knowledge of planning database management and analytics.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

1. Project Scheduling Methodologies

Expert-level understanding of project scheduling principles, critical path method, activity relationships, and how to develop realistic yet effective project schedules.

2. Schedule Management & Controls

Advanced knowledge of schedule tracking, variance analysis, earned schedule concepts, and schedule performance management and reporting.

3. Oil & Gas Industry Knowledge

Comprehensive understanding of oil and gas project execution, construction phasing, equipment lead times, and industry-specific schedule constraints and requirements.

4. Planning Tools & Software

Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, and planning analytics tools. Knowledge of scheduling databases and reporting capabilities.

5. Risk & Contingency Planning

Understanding of schedule risk management, contingency planning, and developing schedule buffers and contingency reserves.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management, or related discipline

• Master's degree in Project Management or Engineering Management is preferred

• PMP (Project Management Professional) or PMI-CP (Certified Planner) certification is advantageous

• Specialized training or certification in Primavera P6 is beneficial

• Demonstrated expertise in project planning or scheduling is preferred

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

1. Primavera P6 & Scheduling Software: Expert-level proficiency with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, and advanced scheduling software capabilities including reporting and analytics.

2. Schedule Analytics & Reporting: Advanced capability in developing schedule reports, dashboards, trend analysis, and presenting schedule data for decision-making.

3. Critical Path & Network Analysis: Expert-level capability in critical path method, schedule optimization, what-if analysis, and schedule compression techniques.

4. Resource Planning & Leveling: Proficiency with resource planning, resource leveling, and supporting resource management through schedule coordination.

5. Schedule Risk & Contingency: Expertise in schedule risk assessment, contingency reserve development, and schedule buffer management.