Plant Planning Lead

Job Description

Airswift is seeking a Plant Planning Lead to work with one of our LNG clients on a 12-months contract, in Calgary, AB.

Location: Calgary, AB (with frequent travel to Fabrication Yards (China) and (Kitimat); travel will make up about 50% of the role)

About the Role

The Planning Lead will be responsible for all central planning, integration, and progress management for a major LNG Phase 2 project. This includes RFP preparation (project planning, reporting requirements, progress measurement, etc.) during the Define Phase and ensuring execution readiness for project planning (scheduling, progress management, quantity surveying, reporting, risk management, claims avoidance/EOT management) across the integrated value chain and brownfield integration with existing assets.

Principal Accountabilities

The Define and Execute phases will include, but are not limited to:

• Establish and support a safety-first culture.
• Manage the full suite of Project Planning & Scheduling processes, including WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), progress management, schedule risk analysis, and responsibility for project Level 0/1/2/3 schedules for Define, Execute, and CSU phases.
• Act as custodian for the Integrated Project Schedule (IPS) for Define/FEED and Execute phases.
• Lead and coordinate all planning and scheduling activities, managing workload and providing functional leadership for planners on the project.
• Integrate and maintain project planning and reporting packs, including analysis of overall project schedule.
• Analyze and report on IPS critical paths, multiple critical paths, total float, free float, and monitor key milestones.
• Maintain the Interface Milestone Schedule (IMS) based on sub-project updates and highlight potential concerns to leadership.
• Develop and report schedule and progress visual leadership packages.
• Report and analyze schedule KPIs monthly.
• Prepare monthly accountability planning/progress packages for leadership.
• Support ad-hoc planning/scheduling/progress presentations to committees and leadership.
• Conduct semi-annual Schedule Risk Analysis (SRA) for proactive risk and mitigation management.
• Verify, monitor, and communicate overall project progress to key stakeholders.
• Support FID assurance activities and benchmarking.
• Manage quantity surveying staff for progress verification, payment milestones, and claims avoidance.
• Establish and implement relevant project controls, planning, and progress management processes.
• Provide functional leadership for talent development, mentoring, and competency training for junior staff and secondees.
• Drive project delivery and adherence to project principles, ensuring top-quartile planning and scheduling performance.

Additional Responsibilities

• Directly manage 6 reports during Execute phase, with an extended team of 10+ staff (including influencing EPC planning teams) across multiple global locations.
• Influence and deliver schedule delay claim avoidance strategies to protect project value drivers.
• Optimize end-to-end project schedule to maximize NPV during Define/FEED and Execution phases.
• Manage QS contracts and staff for progress verification, status checks, and payment milestone validation.
• Serve as a member of the Project Services Leadership Team, providing input to business plans and cash flow forecasts based on schedule.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and local content requirements, including engagement with government and external stakeholders.
• Manage significant interface complexity across multiple major scope elements and existing assets.

Leadership Capabilities

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to inspire and energize teams.
• Ability to influence, drive processes, and ensure compliance.
• Strong execution focus and ability to stretch team performance.
• Comfortable with change and ambiguity; able to make informed decisions quickly.
• Courage to challenge current practices and encourage innovation (e.g., digitization).
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion through collaboration across functional and cultural boundaries.

Key Challenges

• Managing integration and delivery across multiple time zones and geographically split project centers.
• Mitigating risks in a mega-project environment, including labor attraction strategies, productivity, and interface risks.
• Complexity introduced by joint venture partners and schedule optimization requirements.
• Ability to present outcomes clearly and concisely in senior management forums.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven project services planning management experience in LNG project delivery for Define (FEED) and Execute phases, including detailed design, fabrication, construction, commissioning, and start-up.
• Senior-level experience in team management and technical competencies in planning, scheduling tools, forecasting, reporting, and risk management.
• Engineering degree or equivalent with 20+ years of mega-project planning/scheduling experience in Oil & Gas, including 10+ years in LNG projects.
• Prior experience in FID readiness and project services execution readiness development.
• Strong understanding of contracts and claims management.
• Experience managing schedule/progress variations during execution.
• Functional leadership experience in talent development and mentoring.
• Familiarity with joint venture environments and large owner energy companies.
• Proficiency in Primavera P6 and Oracle Primavera Risk Analysis tools.
• Strong technical and analytical skills.
• Fluent in English.
• Legally entitled to work in Canada (citizenship, permanent residency, or valid work permit).
• Willingness to comply with a drug-free and harassment-free work environment and all safety policies.