Senior Planning Engineer

Position Title: Senior Planning Engineer

 
Reports to:                               Planning Manager
No of direct reports:                  Up to 10 but frequently less (subordinate planners working on same                                                 project)
 
To provide planning services on assigned projects

• Lead on small projects
• Lead / part of team on large projects
• Lead a team of more junior planners in the delivery of planning to time, cost and quality.

 
Accountabilities

• Lead functional input to projects, including where relevant leading the input of other planners, to ensure delivery is consistent and effective, meeting scope, time, cost and quality requirements.
• Contribute to the planning strategy for assigned projects, so that the approach taken in each case is effective and appropriate to the project needs and client requirements
• Set up the base line plan for assigned projects and monitor progress against this plan, so that any problems are recognised promptly
• Report on progress and earned value, to support financial forecasting and any necessary corrective action
• Proactively identify and highlight any progress issues which threaten successful delivery of the project, so that recovery action may be taken
• Lead planning input to estimating and tendering activity on assigned projects, so that all relevant issues, actions and risks are understood and taken into account
• Lead a performance culture, incorporating the Parsons Brinckerhoff values, which develops individuals’ capability through an active performance management process, so that not only delivery for the company is enhanced but also the skills, capability and personal satisfaction of an individual is maximised.

Knowledge and Experience

Skills / Experience / Attributes
Essential:

• Minimum HNC/D
• Conversant with planning software and tools
• Basic project management skills
• Capable of managing own work and that of others
• Commercial awareness
• Significant relevant experience in project planning
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work in a team environment

 
Preferred:

• Team leadership capability
• Professional qualification
• Experience in contracting environment and contracting styles
• Relevant design / site experience
• Appreciation of Cost Engineering

 
Working Matters

• Routinely works irregular hours
• Routinely works away from home office, either visiting or on short-term assignment to sites

 
Range and Scope of Activities

• Provides planning services for either one large project or a suite of parallel smaller projects
• Works within Parsons Brinckerhoff or client procedures

 
Nature of Problems and Solving them

• Routinely has to work to tight deadlines
• Addresses technical problems within project plans to produce an effective and accurate plan

 
Level of Discretion

• Plans and prioritises own work and that of more junior planners
• Routine project planning activities are not supervised
• Refers any issues that threaten project delivery to manager
• Checks work of more junior planners
• Works within procedures at all times
• Project reports are agreed with Project Manager and issued on own authority
• Project plans are not routinely checked by manager, but may be checked in high risk / complex cases

 
 Impact

• The business relies upon the job holder to provide a plan for work on assigned projects and to monitor and report progress against that plan, thus providing transparency on progress and early warning of problems.
• Significant errors in the plan, or failure to highlight problems, can easily result in major and irretrievable cost and/or time overruns. It is likely however that such large issues would be noted in good time by the job holder’s manager.

 
Communication and Contacts

• Good communication is a key aspect of the position. Key contacts within the business are discipline engineers, construction engineers, procurement personnel, other members of the planning team, cost control, project managers, business development, and estimating and proposals teams.
• Contacts outside the business include typically the planners and project controls manager in client teams
• Communication is via all normal media. It includes specifically the assimilation of complex data and reporting of that information in a format readily understood by others.