Senior Manager Planning

About Arada

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Sharjah, UAE, Arada was created to build spaces that inspire, connect, and enrich communities. As one of the region’s fastest-growing master developers, Arada has delivered landmark residential, retail, hospitality, and lifestyle destinations that redefine modern living.

At Arada, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performance culture where talented professionals are empowered to make a meaningful impact on the communities we create.

Role Purpose

Manage, coordinate, and govern all project planning and vertical scheduling activities across Arada’s assigned portfolio of high-rise projects. Operating as a critical execution control point, this role is responsible for translating the master program into operational project schedules, auditing contractor baselines for high-rise structural metrics, and maintaining a live reporting infrastructure to safeguard delivery and vertical handover timelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Master Program Ownership & Governance
• Portfolio Schedule Management: Develop, freeze, and maintain integrated master programs for the high-rise portfolio, tracking design milestones, procurement awards, structural phases, and final asset commissioning.
• Vertical Logistics Auditing: Analyze, stress-test, and challenge contractor baseline assumptions regarding vertical construction mechanics, specifically slab-to-slab cycle times (concrete/formwork), façade enclosure panels, crane and hoist configurations, and vertical MEP risers.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Interface daily with Arada's internal Development Managers and Procurement teams to update and align interface milestones between early design stages and main contract awards.
• Progress Monitoring & Forensic Mitigation
• Reporting: Establish reporting systems for consultant and contractor reports in alignment with Arada’s Project Controls Manual.
• Critical Path Analysis: Conduct weekly reviews of the project's critical path, identifying bottlenecks in sequencing before they impact completion dates.
• Recovery & Scenario Modeling: Run advanced "what-if" schedule simulations to recommend specific recovery programs, re-sequencing, or vertical acceleration measures to the Project Controls Director.
• Site Progress Verification: Oversee periodic independent physical progress audits on site to verify that contractor-reported percentages accurately reflect the actual physical reality of the tower's progression.
• Cost-Schedule Integration & Executive Reporting
• Earned Value Management (EVM): Partner with the Cost Control team to implement an integrated progress measurement framework, linking physical schedule milestones directly to budget drawdowns.
• Executive Dashboards: Maintain, update, and govern the portfolio’s central Power BI dashboard, synthesizing complex site data into clear, automated executive summaries focused on "Management by Exception."
• Team Leadership & Interface
• Planning Team Management: Manage and mentor Planning Engineers, establishing high standards for data accuracy, reporting quality, and schedule network logic.
• Contractor/PMC Interface: Act as the primary planning representative during progress reviews, ensuring external PMCs, supervision consultants, and contractor scheduling teams strictly adhere to Arada’s Project Controls Manuals.
  
  

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• PMP or PMI-SP (Scheduling Professional) certifications are highly preferred.
  
  

• 10–12 years of project planning experience within the UAE real estate sector.
• Proven track record of delivering at least three high-rise tower projects (G+30 minimum) from excavation through to handover.
  
  

• Expert-level proficiency in Primavera P6 Enterprise.
• Advanced Power BI dashboard development and reporting capabilities.
• Strong understanding of schedule risk analysis, critical path methodologies, and project controls governance.
  
  

• Exceptional planning and analytical capability with the confidence to challenge contractor schedules, identify delivery risks early, and provide objective schedule recovery recommendations directly to senior leadership.