Senior Planner

Employer
NES Fircroft
Location
Houston, Texas
Posted
Mar 20, 2024
Closes
Apr 17, 2024
Ref
2737202592
Discipline
Other
Position Type
Engineer
Specialty
Alternative Fuels
Hours
Full Time
Organization Type
Corporate, Other Corporate
Position Title: SeniorPlanner
Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Location: Houston, Texas

NES Fircroft is a leading global technical recruitment company providing professional contract and permanent staff to a diverse world-wide client base within the energy industry. Our client, a fast-growing technology licensor making advancements in the Oil & Gas sector, has a permanent opportunity for a Planner to be based in Houston, TX.

Company:
There is an enormous global need for sustainable fuels, particularly for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(SAF), which is critical for decarbonizing aviation. There is very little of it being produced today, and
what there is comes from feedstocks such as used cooking oil which are limited in quantity. We
technology, combined with others, enables the production of SAF from a much broader range of
waste carbon sources, including municipal solid waste, forestry and agricultural residues, and carbon
dioxide (either from point sources or from the atmosphere) together with hydrogen from electrolysis.
Our proprietary technology has been demonstrated at full commercial scale.

Our competitive advantage comes not only from its technology but also from two decades of operational
and engineering experience, together with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities
of developing SAF production capacity. This expertise is highly valuable to the Company's customers
who are developing such projects.

Role Overview:

We continue to build upon its project delivery capabilities and is now seeking a talented
individual to join the engineering center of excellence in the UK, in this newly created role of Planner.
The role will work in a small, multidiscipline and globally spread team, engaging and influencing
numerous external clients, contractors and elements of the supply chain.
The Planner will leverage projects experience in a relevant industry, with a passion for planning and
scheduling to direct their efforts towards helping to steer the projects and drive decisions in
conjunction with our project, technical and commercial leaders. The successful candidate will have a
passion for planning and scheduling as a tool to make decisions and drive the project and Confidential program forwards - as well as the necessary reporting aspects - with the behaviors to ask
questions and engage with the team to seek answers, and then raise proposed solutions across
diverse pathways.

The main focuses of the role include providing support to the Project Design Package (PDP),
consulting services and studies, Front End Engineering Development (FEED) and demonstration
plant deployment - with a focus on developing and controlling schedules in a new and rapidly
evolving industry.

The successful candidate will possess significant practical experience of the full spectrum of tasks
associated with values focused project shaping, safe execution of project delivery, and safe and
reliable operations, and ready to apply this to support the development of the reference projects and
other prospects.

The role of Planner will be based at our Houston, Tx. Some business-related travel, to include international travel, should be expected.

Responsibilities:
  • Collaborate in management and coordination of activities among all project functions and engineering disciplines in accordance with the established project baseline documents
  • Planning and Scheduling
    • Develop and control integrated schedules appropriate to the current and future phases for projects and technology deployment activities
    • Engage closely with the Commercial teams to ensure the flow of data and insights to maximize value and minimize threats according to the project drivers
    • Engage closely with UK Engineering Manager to ensure alignment and consistency in proposals
    • Identifying and overseeing the management of schedule risks (threats and
    • opportunities)
    • Interface closely with the cost estimating and other project services functions to ensure an integrated approach that underpins resource management and execution planning
  • Project tools
    • Rigorously manage and continuously improve key project management tools and processes, liaising, influencing and supporting team members to ensure delivery
    • Support the project stage gate development process, ensuring scopes, schedules are aligned according to project values and risk
  • Cost and Schedule management
    • Compile accurate schedule data to assist in the preparation of the project budget and update the progress of the project
    • Analyze variances in schedule performance, and propose mitigation plans
    • Ensure schedule compliance to relevant grant funded activities
    • Deliver the collation and application of appropriate program and project reporting mechanisms
  • Assist the Project Director/Project Manager (PD/PM) in developing the required documentation to communicate (client/internal) project issues, status and progress reports
  • Other related duties/functions as assigned

Education and experience:
  • Highest ethical and professional standards
  • Accredited Degree in an appropriate discipline
  • Professional membership of a recognized body (preferred)
  • Proven experience of project development in a complex multidiscipline technical environment, preferably as a client and a contractor
  • Significant technical knowledge and practical experience with applicable software systems, such as: Primavera P6, SAP, Microsoft Project
  • Strong understanding of CPM (Critical Path Method), Earned Value, Forecasting, & Change Management
  • Experience in the life cycle of project phases (Feasibility, Pre-FEED, FEED and EPC)
  • Strong attention to detail with the ability to multi-task and deliver to deadlines
  • Demonstrable interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate on all levels
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Demonstrable ability to integrate both technical and commercial aspects of a project
  • Demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability
  • An understanding of markets associated with the Energy Transition is highly desirable (e.g. sustainable fuels, environmental credit markets, hydrogen)
  • Ability to embrace and adapt to uncertainty and change
  • High level of initiative and energy


With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.