Planning Engineer-Local-Abidjan

Job Summary :

The Planning Engineer will play a critical role in developing, managing, and optimizing project schedules for a range of construction projects. The ideal candidate will possess advanced technical skills, proactive risk management capabilities, and the leadership qualities needed to mentor teams and ensure project excellence. This role requires a blend of strategic foresight and hands-on planning expertise to deliver projects on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. 

Key Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Project Manager and key stakeholders to identify project deliverables.

Break down the project into manageable work packages and activities.

Develop a comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) outlining the hierarchy of tasks.

Analyze activity interdependencies within the project.

Establish logical relationships by setting predecessors and successors for each activity.

Coordinate with project teams to estimate the required duration for each activity.

Use historical data, expert judgment, and industry best practices to ensure accurate time assessments.

Input project details into planning tools such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6.

Define activity start dates, durations, dependencies, and other relevant planning details.

Coordinate with relevant teams to identify the types and quantities of resources required for each activity.

Allocate resources efficiently, considering skills, availability, and project constraints.

Review resource allocations to identify conflicts or overallocations.

Apply resource leveling techniques to resolve conflicts and ensure optimal resource utilization.

Coordinate with the project team to gather cost-related information for each activity.

Use historical data, industry benchmarks, and expert judgment to develop accurate cost estimates for resources, materials, and other project expenses.

Consolidate individual activity cost estimates into the overall project budget.

Coordinate with the Finance Department and project stakeholders to ensure alignment with financial constraints and organizational goals.

Implement a cost monitoring system to track actual expenditures against the approved budget.

Regularly review and analyze cost data to identify variances and investigate their causes.

Coordinate with the Project Manager to implement cost control measures in response to budget variances.

Propose and apply corrective actions to ensure the project remains within the approved budget.

Use historical cost data and current project performance to forecast future costs.

Provide accurate and timely cost projections to support decision-making and risk management.

Prepare and distribute regular cost reports to project stakeholders.

Present cost-related information clearly, highlighting key metrics, trends, and variances.

Integrate cost data with the project schedule to provide a comprehensive view of project performance.

Identify potential cost impacts resulting from schedule changes and assess the overall project health.

Finalize the project plan by establishing an approved baseline covering schedules, resource allocations, and milestones.

Share the baseline with the project team and stakeholders for review and approval.

Monitor project progress regularly against the approved baseline plan.

Collect and analyze actual performance data versus planned performance.

Update the project plan when required, considering changes in scope, schedule, or resource availability.

Provide regular project status updates to stakeholders, highlighting milestones, risks, and mitigation strategies.

Facilitate communication among team members to ensure alignment and awareness.

Implement Earned Value Analysis (EVA) to measure project performance in terms of earned value, planned value, and actual cost.

Use EVA metrics to assess project efficiency, schedule adherence, and cost performance.

Identify opportunities for cost optimization and efficiency improvement.

Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to implement cost-saving measures without compromising project quality.

Identify potential project risks and uncertainties.

Develop risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date project documentation, including plans, schedules, reports, and progress records.

Establish and maintain a document control system to manage versioning and access.

Support smooth project closure by ensuring all planned activities are completed.

Conduct project reviews to capture lessons learned and identify opportunities for improvement. 

Qualifications, skills and requirements 

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.

A Master’s degree in Project Management or a related field is preferred.

Professional certifications in PMP are preferred.

A minimum of 8 years of experience in construction planning or project engineering roles, with a proven track record of managing complex projects.

Demonstrated experience in both industrial and residential construction projects is advantage.