Senior Analyst: Planner

About the Company

Since its establishment in 2008, Mulilo has grown into one of the leading Independent Power Producers (IPP) in Southern Africa. Mulilo is majority owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the world’s leading private equity investor in renewable energy assets, through its New Markets Fund I. Mulilo has concluded numerous PPA's in both the Department of Mineral Energy's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP) and with several large corporate energy users. Mulilo currently operates 450MW of wind and solar PV projects and has a further 500MW of projects under financial close. Having adopted a strategy that aligns with the company's long-term vision, Mulilo has accumulated a pipeline of projects exceeding 25GW, and is now positioned as a key player in the renewable energy sector. 

Mulilo places strong emphasis on its human capital and prides itself in providing a world class working environment for all its employees, thereby placing huge value on career progression and personal growth. 

Mulilo is guided by strong ethical principles and adheres to its environmental, social and governance responsibilities. 

About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) 

Founded in 2012, CIP is the world’s largest dedicated renewable energy fund manager and a global leader in offshore wind. CIP currently manages over 30 billion Euro’s, with a target of having 100 billion Euros under management by 2030. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. 

About this role

We are seeking an experienced professional to form part of the project execution department at Senior Analyst level. The Planner will support the Planning Manager, Project Managers and Project Directors by:

• Provide project planning and scheduling activities throughout the construction phase.
• Developing and maintaining execution strategies, including progress tracking and scheduling.
• Administering the master schedule and ensuring the integrity of the scheduling database.
• Facilitating updates to project plans and delivering timely progress reports.

This position is ideal for an individual with senior-level project planning experience, strong communication skills, and attention to detail.

Duties and Responsibilities

Planning and Schedule Development:

• The Planner collaborates closely with the Project Manager to develop the construction schedule based on the defined scope statement.
• Where applicable, the Planner also contributes to planning efforts during the development/design and procurement phases to ensure a seamless transition into execution.
• This includes coordinating the creation of an Integrated Work Breakdown Structure (IWBS) and establishing a performance management baseline aligned with the appropriate code of accounts.
• The Planner ensures that key milestone dates are communicated to contractors to support the development of detailed plans, which are then integrated into the overall project master schedule.

Master Schedule Oversight and Maintenance

• Maintaining the integrity of the integrated project master plan is a central responsibility.
• The Planner ensures the schedule is accurately reflected in the designated system and regularly updated in consultation with Planning Manager, contractors, and project managers.
• Proposed changes are carefully reviewed for validity before integration, ensuring that the schedule remains a reliable tool for project control.
• The Planner also compiles planning networks and forecasts schedule activities to project realistic completion dates.

Progress Monitoring and Critical Path Management

• Tracking progress against the baseline schedule is essential to identify deviations from the critical path.
• The Planner proposes corrective actions to revert to the original timeline when necessary.
• This includes determining planned completion dates in collaboration with project managers and contractors, and supporting the Planning Manager in monitoring activity progress, identifying variances, and recommending solutions to potential issues.

Contractor Coordination and Integration

• The Planner collaborates closely with contractors to review and validate their schedules, ensuring alignment with the master schedule and project strategic objectives.
• This involves integrating contractor timelines into the Master plan and facilitating regular progress review meetings.
• The planner ensures that activity sequencing is logical, efficient and optimized for delivery.
• Any proposed changes are thoroughly assessed, documented, and processed through formal change control procedures.
• Additionally, the Planner supports the identification of scheduling risks and contributes to the development and implementation of mitigation strategies, ensuring that potential impacts are proactively managed and incorporated into the project schedules where necessary,

Reporting and Stakeholder Communication

• Regular reporting is a core responsibility of the Planner, who is tasked with delivering clear, concise updates that reflect project progress, milestone achievements, and any significant deviations impacting the critical path.
• These reports offer stakeholders transparent visibility into the status of the project and support informed, timely decision-making.
• The Planner also ensures that all planning documentation is accurate, complete, and fully compliant with Employer standards and requirements.
• In addition, they track and report on key schedule performance metrics such as the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and earned value indicators to provide data-driven insights that support effective project control.

Resource Planning and Continuous Improvement

• Supporting the Planning Manager, the Planner contributes to resource allocation strategies, ensuring optimal use of labour, materials, and equipment.
• They assist cost control in establishing budget estimates and help set performance standards for the master schedule.
• Beyond execution, the planner plays a role in refining planning tools, systems, and processes to drive continuous improvement and enhance overall project efficiency.

Required skills and education background

• B Degree/B Tech/Advanced Diploma in Built Environment or Technical discipline will be beneficial.
• Proven experience in project planning, scheduling, and the use of Primavera P6. Certificate with demonstrated relevant experience.
• Knowledge of project scheduling, risk and contract management, progress reporting, and effective resource planning
• Ability to manage complex schedules, integrate contractor timelines, and maintain master schedule integrity.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with a range of stakeholders.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• 3 years’ related experience working as a planner, project co-ordinator manager and/or construction manager in a large construction project environment, preferably within renewable energy or construction projects
• 1-year relevant renewable industry or grid infrastructure experience will be beneficial.

Key Competencies

• Strong co-ordination capabilities across cross-functional teams.
• Dealing with complexity, Decision making, Influencing and persuading
• Solid understanding of Project Management, Contract Administration and Risk Management principles.
• Strong judgement and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess schedule impacts and propose corrective actions.
• Collaborative team player who contributes to a positive, solution -orientated working environment.

Desirable attributes

The ideal candidate would have a passion for the Renewable Energy sector and personality traits would include a high level of diligence, determination, resilience, and agility.

Mulilo is an Employer of choice and is offering an extremely competitive total remuneration package for this position.

Additional Information 

Able to work overtime according to operational needs.

The position is based at the offices of the company, but travel will be required occasionally.