Senior Project Planning and Control Engineer

About the job: 

Kent is looking for a Senior Project Planning & Control Engineer based in Basra, Iraq.

The Senior Project Planning & Control Engineer provides independent client-side oversight and assurance of planning, scheduling, progress measurement, cost control, and forecasting for EPCM and Implementation Contractor scopes. The role ensures that project controls systems are robust, transparent, and that deviations are identified early and addressed through proactive engagement with delivery teams

Skills and Responsibilities:  

Responsibilities:

Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, Review, validate, and challenge EPCM and Contractor baseline schedules and periodic updates
• Work with a team of experienced Planning Engineers across a portfolio of brownfield and greenfield projects.
• Ability to work and integrate with the company and company’s other contractors’ team and to develop the overall construction schedule work for full scope during the project engineering and development stage.
• Develop and integrate the contractor’s schedule seamless with Company’s Fully Integrated Schedule on the planning architecture established by the Company.
• Own fit for purpose assurance for the planning portfolio projects under the contract
• Deliver and maintain consistent and realistic plans and control structures for the project
• Understand the list of plans required to execute the assigned project sub-elements and their interface to other sub-elements.
• Develop the activities, logic, resources and progress for the assigned project sub-elements, leading to the creation of the baseline schedule and its subsequent maintenance.
• Implement and comply with the planning and progress monitoring procedures.
• Conduct the schedule monthly progress update, forecast, critical path and trend analyses for assigned elements, including any impact from interface areas.
• Implement and maintain the status reports.  Provide regular and comprehensive schedule status reports to Project sub-element managers.
• Prepare look ahead schedules and reporting early warnings to Project team.
• Ensure schedules are logically linked, risk-based, and aligned with contractual milestones and client objectives.
• Monitor critical path, float erosion, and key schedule drivers.

Progress Measurement & Reporting

• Verify reported physical progress against actual site progress and objective evidence.
• Review and challenge weekly and monthly progress reports, dashboards, and KPIs.
• Identify schedule trends, slippages, and forecast deviations early.

Change Management & Claims Support

• Review and assess time and cost impacts related to changes, variations, and claims.
• Support evaluation of Extension of Time (EOT) and variation submissions from a client perspective.

Risk & Performance Management

• Support quantitative and qualitative risk assessments for schedule and cost.
• Track mitigation actions and ensure alignment with recovery plans.

Interface & Stakeholder Management

• Interface with EPCM, contractors, and internal stakeholders.
• Participate in project controls, progress, and management review meetings.
• Provide independent, objective advice to the Project Director and leadership team.

In addition to the responsibilities listed herein, the employee may be required to perform other ad-hoc tasks as needed or directed by the supervisor or management. These tasks will be within the reasonable scope of the employee's skills, capabilities, and role within the organization. The intent of this provision is to allow for flexibility and adaptability in meeting the dynamic needs of the organization, ensuring that operational requirements can be met efficiently. All such tasks will be assigned considering the employee's current workload and with respect to their professional development.

Your knowledge/skills, education, and experience: 

Knowledge/ Qualification/ Training/ Certification: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or equivalent.
• 12+ years’ experience in project controls, planning, and cost control on major oil & gas or infrastructure projects.
• Experience working client-side or in EPCM / Contractor environments is essential.
• Strong understanding of Basra execution environment and logistics constraints is an advantage.

Skills

• Advanced Primavera P6 planning and schedule analysis.
• Strong project controls, forecasting, and trend analysis capability.
• Knowledge of EPCM and large-scale oil & gas project delivery.
• Strong Excel and reporting / data visualization skills (Power BI advantage).
• Understanding of delay analysis and EOT methodologies.

Preferred Certifications (Optional)

• Primavera P6 Professional Certification
• AACE (PSP / CCP)
• PMI-SP
• Risk Management or Project Controls certifications

Communication:

• Excellent command of the English language in both oral and written communication and skills.

Behavior/ Core Competencies:

• Objective and independent — provides unbiased client-side assurance.
• Analytical and detail-oriented — strong attention to data integrity and trends.
• Confident communicator — able to challenge constructively and influence outcomes.
• Proactive and risk-aware — anticipates issues and escalates early.

HSSEQ:

The Employee shall observe the Health, Safety, Sustainability, Environment and Quality rules of the Company; it’s clients and the governing authorities of the host country. 

Details about the role: 

• Location:  Basra, Iraq
• Relocation required: N/A
• Travel required: Yes
• Contract type: Full time 
• Experience level: 12 years
• Rotation: 28 days on/ 28 days off

About UsAbout you:

Join us. Unleash your energy within.

If you have world-class ambitions to reach the stars while keeping your feet on the ground, we’re the team for you. We've created a new breed of company – future-focused with reimagined ambition across all disciplines within the energy sector.

We love people who know their own potential and are not afraid to use it. We know that together, we’re far more than the sum of our parts. So, we celebrate people who want to grow and develop as we work together on some of the largest projects on the energy world stage.

We are committed to our diverse and inclusive community – a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop. From day one, we offer a range of family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and employee networks to support staff from different backgrounds.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities.

We’re a disability-friendly employer and can make adjustments to support you to perform at your best during the recruitment process.

Our purpose and beliefs:

As Kent, we’re tackling the greatest challenge of our time - to bring our world the energy it needs in the most responsible way ever imagined.

It’s the energy of every member of our team driven by our beliefs that is making this happen. Whatever our skill, our language, or our culture. These beliefs define and direct us every day to be the very best - for ourselves, our clients, our key stakeholders, the communities we operate in and the planet:

We PLAY BIG
We thrive on EMOTIONAL AGILITY
We are FANATICAL ABOUT PERFORMANCE
We are built on INFINITE THINKING

Read more about the Purpose, Beliefs and Guiding Principles that drive us:

Our vision for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging:

We recognise that diversity & inclusion are catalysts for success. We’re heightening awareness on the benefits of people diversity, diversity of experiences and diversity of our perspectives. Creating a culture of inclusivity where all employees feel a sense of belonging.  

Our combined energy is fueled by different nationalities, across 6 continents and 24 countries. Our commitment is to celebrate character – no matter what ethnic background, gender, age, religion, identity, or disability.