Planning Engineer Responsibilities and Duties

Prepare various strategies for all planning activities for projects.

Maintain all asset investment plans and ensure compliance to capital expenditure.

Ensure accuracy for all operational requirements for projects and achieve all investment objectives.

Evaluate all system capacity and analyze all production requirement and system deficiencies.

Provide support to all operations and extension requests.

Manage work as per component technical resource for all Water System Plans and assist to prepare all
capital plans and project requirements.

Analyze all engineering activities for all internal and external departments.

Prepare required presentation for all regulatory agencies.

Develop required to enhance performance of planning projects.

Manage all communication and provide efficient feedback for all processes.

Ensure optimal utilization of all common tools and processes.

Prepare plans and schedule for all project delivery.

Recommend appropriate improvements and ensure optimal quality of all project schedules and evaluate
reports.

Perform regular analysis of all schedule trends.

Maintain an efficient performance of all schedule and analyze all software tools and assist in
transmission and distribution of all various projects.

Administer all distribution and transmission system.

Manage all customer site and maintain product suite for all applications.

Evaluate all alternative transmissions for all distribution systems and install all required AMSC products.
Planning engineer

Planning engineers determine and develop the most suitable and economically viable construction and
engineering methods for projects. They are involved throughout the development stages, and are
present on site during the build to oversee procedures. It is the responsibility of the planning engineer to
estimate a timescale for a project and to ensure that the outlined deadlines are met. They work closely
with site managers and other engineers to ensure a project runs on schedule and that material supplies
are sufficient.

Job description

Work activities

Deciding on the most appropriate engineering techniques and sequences of activities for each
project stage.

Drawing plans; using specialised design software packages.

Ensuring plans meet the clients specifications.

Making estimations for timescales and costs.

Supervising the project at all stages and providing solutions to problems.

Collaborating with site managers, surveyors, engineers, site worker and other professionals.

Organising the transportation of materials.

Ensuring procedures are carried out safely.

Work conditions

Travel: is necessary in order to visit sites; positions with multinational companies may involve periods on
sites based overseas.
Working hours: are typically standard office hours, but strict deadlines mean longer hours, weekends and
being on-call are all possible.
Location: with construction and engineering companies throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Ireland. Some companies offer posts overseas.

Entry requirements and training

Entry requirements
A relevant degree in an engineering subject is required; prior experience in engineering management is
necessary for many positions.

Planning Engineer

Salary | Responsibilities | Qualifications | Skills | Working conditions | Experience | Employers | Career

Progression

Also known as...

Planners

Project Controls Specialist

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Planning engineers oversee the operation of a particular project along with the project manager. This
could be either at site or in an office depending on the stage of the project. The largest projects are
carried out on behalf of oil companies, construction companies, governments and the rail network.
Planning engineers are responsible for working out a sequence of activities that are required to complete
a project and linking them all together using the resources to the best possible effect.

Once a sequence of activities has been developed, planning engineers along with the project manager
and engineering manager are responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly until the project has
been successfully finished. Whilst keeping the initial schedule of work in mind, planning engineers must
also anticipate particular demands which may arise. For example, different projects will lead to different
labour demands, different material needs, different equipment, and varying technical elements. Changes
in scope midway through a project may also cause resources to become stretched elsewhere.

The technical side is important to the work of a planning engineer, who ensures that the project is
completed to the highest possible standard. Furthermore, they are responsible for calculating whether a
project can finish in the time required by the client. If there is no client then the planning engineer will
determine the timescale. They must also ensure that everyone involved in the project is aware of how
their activities relate to others to avoid any unnecessary delays. This is extremely important since most
project contracts include clauses which will force the company employing the planning engineer to pay a
penalty if deadlines are not met. This penalty could be millions of pounds.

The gender ratio in the job is one of the more balanced within the engineering sector, although females
tend to prefer cost engineering to planning. The engineering sector as a whole is currently keen to
encourage more women to apply for jobs and the position of a planning engineer may be particularly
suitable for women who do not want to be heavily involved with the action on site.

Salary

As a general rule, salaries are very competitive. A planning engineer with more than three years worth of
experience can expect to earn over 40,000 if employed as staff, or approximately 350 per day if
employed as a contractor. Rates depend heavily on the amount of work available and the industry.

Responsibilities

The tasks undertaken on a regular basis by planning engineers include:

Understanding the scope of the project

Constructing a network of work appropriate for the specific project

Identifying the best series of events in the correct order for the project to finish on time and on
budget

Presenting the schedule of work to others in the company and the client organisation involved
with the project

Developing detailed yet simple to understand schedules and graphs

Producing visual aids to help explain the schedule of work, including bar charts and network
diagrams

Using specialist computer software to help keep the project on course

Monitoring the progress of the project at different stages of its development

Making sure the achieved progress on the project fits the progress anticipated in the schedule

Keeping in contact with the project manager

Making adjustments to schedules if necessary

Liaising with individuals on the project (who may be in another country) via video conference

Providing advice to people involved in the project

Ensuring that all the separate elements of the project fit together and are working towards a
common aim
Qualifications

There is no degree level qualification available for planning but a Project Controls NVQ run by ACostE
(Association Of Cost Engineers) is becoming increasingly valued by employers.

Skills

The following skills are required to be a good planning engineer:

The ability to work as part of a team

Good leadership skills

The ability to motivate others and make them aware of an overall aim

Attention to detail

Good communication and interpersonal skills

The ability to see the broader picture and work out how individual elements should operate as
part of an overall aim

The ability to remain flexible and calm under pressure and in the face of a tight deadline

Creativity

Good numeracy skills

Good literacy skills

A technical mind

The motivation and desire to solve complex engineering issues

Working conditions

Planning engineers usually work in an office environment as part of a team but they will also spend a lot
of time working individually in order to produce presentations, network diagrams, graphs, and reports.
Planning engineers will have to attend numerous meetings during a typical day, to inform other
individuals involved in the project of its progress. These meetings may be held in other offices or may be
conducted via video conference if, for example, the project site is located in another country.

Working hours vary depending upon the stage of the project and the cycle of reports. However, most
planning engineers work a forty hour week and have weekends free. Exceptions to this are planners who
are on a construction site who may work a six day week, totalling sixty hours. There are opportunities to
attend courses, some of which will be compulsory. Some courses teach individuals how to develop their
leadership skills and others may be on health and safety issues.
Experience

General industry knowledge is helpful but it can also prove detrimental, making you too involved in the
fine details, rather than the bigger picture.

Employers

The oil and gas sector, for example Shell, BP, and Exxon Mobil

Oil Rich Governments, for example Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Russia, and Kazakhstan

The transport sector, for example the rail network and the Highways Agency

The construction industry

Companies involved with one-off events, for example the London Olympic Games

Career Progression

The logical career progression for a planning engineer is eventually to become a Project Controls
Manager. This individual will be responsible for planning the project, controlling relevant costs, and
making complex estimates.

I have prepared a proposal for the Skill Levels and Roles for Planning Engineers and I would appreciate
your comments.

1. Scheduler

He is a computer literate Engineer with very good skills in MS-Excel and MS-Word, average to
good software skills. He can update the Programme of works and he can prepare the Weekly/Monthly
progress reports. Minimum 2 Years Previous Experience on site (Site Engineer/Quantity Surveyor e.t.c.)

2. Planning Engineer

In addition to the skills and responsibilities of the Scheduler he is able to revise the Programme of Works
in accordance with issued variations orders or to recover delays.

He can liaise with the Site Engineers and prepare/update detailed monthly programmes.

He should have a minimum of 2 years experience as Scheduler before he is given the status of Planning
Engineer.

3. Senior Planning Engineer

He is a computer literate Planning Engineer with excellent skills in MS-Excel, MS-Word. He has Very good
skills in AutoCAD. He has an in-depth knowledge ofproject planning tool used by the company ; he can
attend and resolve standard technical issues of project planning tool used by the company
(Installation/Configuration). He has the necessary skills and experience and with the Support of the
Project Team he can develop the Contract Programme of Works (Clause 14). Good Understandingof
Critical Path and Delay Analysis Techniques. He can perform time impact analysis and assist the quantity
surveyor in the preparation of claims for extension of time. Minimum 3 years experience as Planning
Engineer.

4. Planning Manager

In addition to the skills and experience of the Planning Engineer he should be able to prepare the
Contract Programme of Works with minimum support from the Project Team. One is required for each
Country that has more than 3 Projects in Progress. He has excellent technical skills inproject planning
tool used by the company and sound construction experience. He can manage and provide support to
the Planning Engineers of the Country. He has contract law qualifications/experience, he can perform
time impact analysis and he can prepare and submit a claim with minimum support by others. Minimum
3 years experience as Senior Planning Engineer

5. Senior Planning Manager

He has the skills and experience of the Planning Manager and he is responsible for defining the Company
Procedures in terms of Project Planning. He is based at the head office of the Company and he is visiting
the projects on a regular basis. He defines the requirements of the Projects in terms of Project Planning
and is responsible for the Recruitment/ Assessment/ Promotion of the Planning Engineers. He maintains
the registry of the Primavera Licenses and he is allocating them/purchasing new as required. He is
evaluating new Primavera Versions and is making the decision when the company should move to the
next version. Minimum 3 Years Experience as Planning Manager.