Education programmes of job
Nature of work
Responsibilities typically involve the following major areas:Activity scheduling:
- Capture all stakeholder requirements, deadlines,task dependencies.
- Develop the project master/disciplineschedulesfor both design and construction activities using scheduling techniques and software.
- Identify schedule problems and propose corrective actions, and alternative working methods.
- Conduct independent site visitsto evaluate actual work progressagainst project schedules.
- Update project schedules, and report project progress to the project director.
Communication and work coordination:
- Maintain a network of contacts for all project stakeholders.
- Communicate objectives, updated project schedules, deadlines, and progress reports to all stakeholders.
- Communicate instructions, write progress reports, and present project schedules to stakeholders.
- Organize meetings with partners either face-to-face, or via telecommunication e.g. video conferencing sessions.
Other responsibilities:
- Help with the resolution of claims and change orders.
- Embed Health and Safety consciousness into the project via the improved planning,and enabling earlier identification of risks.
Environment of work
Job Requirements:- Normal working hours: Sunday to Thursday, between 9 am and 5 pm.
- Planners might need to work extended hours on occasions when required.
- Planners work either in an office environment or onsite depending on the stage of the project.
- Be sufficiently mobile and flexible to travel up to a few days a month to attend meetings with stakeholders.
Professional life
Career Development:- Planning engineers typically work for specialized construction consultancy firms.
- Planning engineersreport to their line Planning Manager and/or Project Director.
- Planning engineers get involved in the project from the early stages of the project to develop construction work schedules and project deadlines.
- Later during the construction phase, planners work alongside the site management team (i.e. site managers, site engineers, workers and surveyors) to ensure that work is completed within regulatory guidelines, project deadlines are met; and to ensure the optimal utilization of personnel and other resources.
- With sufficient experience and/or higher education, planning engineer may become a Planning Manageror even a Project Director.
Sectors of careers
- Planning engineers can work in small-scale or large-scale construction project. They typically work for specialized construction consultancy firms operating in different sectors of the construction industry, such as:
- Infrastructure construction: highways, railways, bridges, airports, dams and canals, oil/gas pipelines and transmission lines, large water supply and sewage disposal networks, harbors, and nuclear and thermal power plants.
- Residential housing construction: new construction developments, renovations, and major repairs on existing facilities.
- Commercial building construction: schools and universities, hospitals, recreational facilities and sports stadiums, retail chain stores and large shopping centers, warehouses, office skyscrapers, and hotels.
- Industrial construction: manufacturing, processing and industrial plants like oil refineries, steel mills, chemical processing plants and consumer-goods factories.
Getting the job
Candidatesshould ideally have:- BSc in Civil Engineering from a recognized University, preferable with a higher degree in Construction Management.
- Project Management Certification (PMP or PSP) is an advantage.
- Sound knowledge of the design process and construction methodologies.
- Sound knowledge in project networking, i.e. planning, monitoring, and controlling construction activities within time, budget and stakeholders requirements.
- Sound knowledge of health &safety regulations, and a high regard for the consequences of their decisions on the safety of workers onsite.
- Considerable and relevant working experience from similar planning jobs.
- Advanced knowledge in using MS office products (Excel, Words, PowerPoint… etc.), and networking software e.g. MS Project or Primavera P6.
Skills
Personality requirements:- A natural forward planner who critically assesses own performance.
- Ability to work independentlyunder broad organisational guidelines.
- Ability to propose solutions to technical and engineering problems.
- Ability to get on well with others and be a team-player.
- Ability to communicate ideas and see things from the other person's point of view.
- Excellent face-to-face and telephone communication skills.
- Good leadership skills: honesty, delegation skills, motivating others, ability to inspire others, expressing commitment, positive attitude and creativity.