Planning Director

About the Role

Parsons is seeking a Planning Director to lead all planning, scheduling, program controls, progress monitoring, delay analysis, and schedule governance activities for a major infrastructure and development project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role involves providing strategic program leadership and ensuring successful project delivery through robust planning and program management practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead project planning, scheduling, and program controls strategy.
• Establish planning standards, reporting procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Advise the Client and FIDIC Engineer on program-related matters.
• Lead program reviews and stakeholder engagements.
• Review and assess baseline, revised, and recovery schedules.
• Ensure compliance with contract requirements, FIDIC procedures, Primavera P6 standards, and client requirements.
• Monitor critical path, milestones, float utilization, and schedule risks.
• Track progress against approved baselines and forecast completion.
• Review delay notices, EOT submissions, claims, and variations.
• Conduct delay analyses including TIA, Window Analysis, and As-Planned vs As-Built assessments.
• Support Engineer determinations and contractual time-related decisions.
• Maintain auditable schedule and delay records.
• Lead schedule risk assessments and mitigation planning.
• Facilitate recovery workshops and evaluate acceleration proposals.
• Assess program impacts of variations, change requests, and scope amendments.
• Monitor implementation of corrective actions.
• Prepare executive dashboards, weekly, and monthly reports.
• Present program performance and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Coordinate program interfaces with contractors, authorities, utilities, operators, and commissioning teams.
• Review commissioning, testing, and handover programs.
• Monitor readiness for approvals, certification, asset handover, training, and defects liability obligations.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in planning, scheduling, and program controls for major infrastructure and development projects.
• Demonstrated experience in leading planning and program controls strategies.
• Proficiency in Primavera P6 standards and related project management software.
• Experience with FIDIC contract administration and delay analysis methodologies.

Program Leadership and Compliance

The Planning Director will oversee schedule compliance and support FIDIC contract administration. This includes reviewing and assessing various schedules, ensuring adherence to contractual and client requirements, and monitoring critical path and schedule risks. The role requires a strong understanding of program controls and governance frameworks to maintain project integrity.

Delay Analysis and Risk Management

A key aspect of this position involves conducting thorough delay analyses, including TIA, Window Analysis, and As-Planned vs As-Built assessments. The Director will also lead schedule risk assessments, facilitate recovery workshops, and evaluate acceleration proposals to mitigate potential impacts on project timelines. Support for Engineer determinations and contractual time-related decisions is essential.

Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement

This role requires the preparation of executive dashboards, weekly, and monthly reports to communicate program performance to senior stakeholders. The Planning Director will coordinate program interfaces with various entities, including contractors, authorities, utilities, operators, and commissioning teams, ensuring alignment and effective communication throughout the project lifecycle.