Planning Manager

Job Description

Overview

KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we’ve led with vision, contributing to many of the world’s most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities.

As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. We are also ranked by World Architecture as the 51st largest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2025 WA100 Survey.

We invite you to join us. Why?

When you join KEO, you’ll discover more than just a job – you’ll find a supportive environment that fosters your professional development through internal global mobility and career development and does so within a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being through on-demand counselling services and regular workplace clinics. You will be invited to celebrate community events such as sports days, fun-runs, in-house sports teams and beach clean ups. In addition to your competitive package and benefits you will have access to a suite of policies that include hybrid working arrangements, individual athletic sponsorship, study assistance sponsorship, employee referral rewards.

Responsibilities

We envisage success in this role to include:

• Demonstrating experience and capability in all aspects of planning and scheduling within the construction and engineering environment.
• Developing, review, and manage the master programme and detailed schedules for enabling and early works packages
• Ensuring alignment between contractor programmes, interface milestones, and overall project timelines
• Reviewing baseline programmes, updates, and recovery schedules submitted by contractors
• Establishing planning standards, coding structures, and reporting requirements
• Monitoring progress against approved programmes using earned value and schedule performance metrics
• Identifying critical path activities, float consumption, and key risks to programme delivery
• Preparing planning reports, dashboards, and executive summaries for the client
• Supporting monthly reporting cycles and programme reviews
• Identifying programme risks, constraints, and opportunities during enabling works
• Supporting mitigation strategies and sequencing improvements
• Providing planning input to change assessments, variations, and claims (including EOTs)
• Supporting forensic schedule analysis when required
• Working closely with Interface and Design Coordination teams to manage dependencies and handovers
• Coordinating with contractors, authorities, and third-party stakeholders on critical milestones
• Supporting smooth transition from enabling works into main works packages
• Leading and mentor planning engineers and schedulers
• Ensuring compliance with project planning procedures and governance frameworks
• Supporting audits, reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives

Qualifications

To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that you will have a minimum of 15+ years experience in a planning/scheduling role preferably in the GCC region. Experience in Microsoft Office, Primavera and Microsoft Project applications and a Bachelor Degree in Engineering is essential.

KEO’s performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its’ contribution to client success wherever we work.

We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.