Lead Planner

Lead Planner - Megaprojects

Location: Dresden, Germany

Position Summary

The Lead Planner is accountable for the strategic planning, scheduling, and programme controls of large-scale engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and start-up (EPCC) projects. Supporting the delivery of complex, high-value facilities, the Lead Planner provides leadership in planning governance, schedule integrity, forecasting, and performance reporting throughout the project lifecycle.

Working as a senior member of the Project Controls team, the Lead Planner partners with the Project Director, Project Controls Manager, Engineering Manager, Construction Manager, Procurement Manager, and client representatives to ensure the integrated master schedule accurately reflects project execution strategy and supports informed decision-making.

The role leads a team of planners and scheduling professionals, ensuring consistent application of planning standards, methodologies, and best practices across the project.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Scheduling

Develop, maintain, and govern the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) for multi-billion-euro EPC/EPCC projects.

Establish planning strategies aligned with project execution plans, contractual requirements, and corporate standards.

Develop Level 1-5 schedules, integrating engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, and handover activities.

Define Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), coding structures, calendars, milestones, and schedule logic in accordance with project controls requirements.

Ensure schedule quality through regular validation, health checks, and compliance with recognised scheduling practices.

Schedule Management & Controls

Monitor project performance against approved baselines and contractual milestones.

Perform critical path analysis, float management, productivity assessments, and trend analysis.

Produce short-, medium-, and long-term forecasts using progress measurement and performance metrics.

Develop recovery schedules and mitigation plans to address delays and support achievement of project objectives.

Analyse schedule impacts arising from design changes, client variations, procurement delays, and construction constraints.

Project Controls Integration

Integrate planning with cost control, risk management, change management, and earned value management processes.

Support project reporting by providing schedule analytics, KPI dashboards, executive summaries, and milestone forecasts.

Contribute to claims preparation by maintaining robust schedule records and conducting delay and disruption analyses where required.

Support quantitative schedule risk assessments and scenario modelling.

Leadership

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of planners across multiple project areas or work packages.

Establish planning standards, procedures, and governance throughout project execution.

Coordinate planning activities across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and subcontractor organisations.

Facilitate planning workshops, schedule reviews, and executive progress meetings.

Promote continuous improvement within the Project Controls function.

Stakeholder Management

Act as the principal planning interface for clients, joint venture partners, contractors, and senior project leadership.

Present schedule status, risks, opportunities, and recovery strategies to executive management and client representatives.

Support commercial teams by providing schedule analysis related to contractual obligations, compensation events, and claims.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.

Significant experience in planning and scheduling on major EPC, EPCC, or industrial construction projects.

Demonstrated experience leading planning teams on projects exceeding €500 million in value.

Experience in semiconductor, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, battery manufacturing, advanced technology, data centre, or comparable industrial sectors is highly desirable.

Professional certification (AACE, PMI-SP, PMP, or equivalent) is advantageous.

Technical Competencies

Advanced expertise in Primavera P6 Enterprise.

Strong understanding of Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling.

Experience with earned value management (EVM), schedule performance analysis, and project controls systems.

Knowledge of delay analysis methodologies and forensic scheduling techniques.

Familiarity with Power BI, Microsoft Excel, SAP, and project reporting platforms.

Understanding of BIM integration and 4D planning methodologies.