Civil Planning

JD: Planning & Operations Control EngineerCompany: Sanah Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd. — Architeca Design Build Firm

Location:
Chennai, Tamil Nadu Department: Project Operations Reports to: Operations Head Employment Type: Full-time About ArchitecaArchiteca Design Build Firm is a residential design-and-build company focused on delivering quality homes through integrated design, construction and project management. We are strengthening our project operations systems to ensure predictable project delivery, effective cost control and consistent execution across our growing portfolio. Role PurposeWe are looking for a technically competent and highly organised Planning & Operations Control Engineer to establish and maintain project planning and monitoring systems across our residential construction projects. This role combines construction scheduling, progress monitoring, cross-functional coordination and management reporting. The person will ensure that every project has a clear master schedule, that upcoming work is planned in advance, that delays are identified early and that agreed actions are followed through to closure. The successful candidate will work closely with the Operations Head, Project Leads, Site Engineers, QS/Cost Control and Procurement teams.

Key Responsibilities
1. Project Initiation and Planning
• Coordinate the handover of newly signed projects from the Sales and Design team to Operations.
• Ensure project scope, contractual milestones, drawings status, client commitments and other essential inputs are documented.
• Prepare and maintain the master project schedule in coordination with the relevant technical and execution teams.
• Establish activity sequencing, durations, dependencies, milestones and target completion dates.
• Coordinate with QS/Cost Control to ensure the project budget, BOQ and BOM are established and approved.
• Identify long-lead materials, critical activities and major execution constraints during the planning stage. 2. Schedule Monitoring and Project Controls
• Monitor actual progress against the approved master schedule.
• Track planned versus actual progress, milestone achievement and forecast completion dates.
• Identify schedule deviations, critical-path delays and potential completion risks.
• Obtain progress updates from Project Leads and validate them against site-level information.
• Analyse the reasons for slippage and coordinate the preparation of recovery schedules.
• Maintain a consolidated project portfolio dashboard highlighting project health and critical exceptions. 3. Look-Ahead Planning and Readiness Coordination
• Coordinate preparation and weekly updating of the six-week look-ahead schedule.
• Ensure upcoming activities are reviewed for drawing approvals, material availability, manpower, equipment, client decisions and other constraints.
• Coordinate with Project Leads, Procurement and QS/Cost Control to ensure upcoming work is adequately planned and made ready.
• Track material request and procurement milestones against the required site delivery dates.
• Flag unresolved constraints before they affect site execution. 4. Weekly Operations Review
• Prepare the weekly project review dashboard before the scheduled review meeting.
• Coordinate with the relevant departments to obtain accurate and timely project updates.
• Highlight delayed activities, cost risks, unresolved constraints and decisions requiring management intervention.
• Record meeting decisions, responsible owners, target dates and corrective actions.
• Track action closure and escalate overdue commitments to the Operations Head.
• Maintain a consistent weekly project management rhythm across all active projects. 5. Cross-Functional Coordination
• Act as the central coordination point for project planning information and operational follow-through.
• Facilitate communication between Project Leads, Site Engineers, Procurement, QS/Cost Control and Design teams.
• Follow up on interdepartmental dependencies and ensure unresolved issues reach the appropriate decision-maker.
• Maintain clear records of project milestones, constraints, risks, decisions and commitments in the ERP or designated project tracking system.
• Support the Operations Head in identifying recurring operational bottlenecks and improving project control processes. 6. Process Development and Reporting
• Develop standard formats for master schedules, look-ahead plans, progress updates, constraint registers and project dashboards.
• Improve the accuracy, timeliness and consistency of project information.
• Establish clear reporting and escalation procedures for project delays and unresolved dependencies.
• Support implementation of project planning and control SOPs across the organisation.
• Recommend improvements to ERP-based planning, monitoring and reporting workflows. Authority and Role BoundariesThe role is responsible for planning, monitoring, coordination and reporting. It does not replace the accountability of functional owners.
• The Planning & Operations Control Engineer owns the integrity of the schedules, monitoring data, reporting and action-tracking process.
• Project Leads remain accountable for site execution and delivery commitments.
• QS/Cost Control remains accountable for cost estimation, budgets and cost-control inputs.
• Procurement remains accountable for purchasing and vendor coordination.
• The Operations Head retains overall accountability for project delivery, management decisions, priorities and escalation resolution. Candidate ProfileEducation
• Bachelor's degree or diploma in Civil Engineering or Construction Management.
• Additional qualifications in project planning or project management are an advantage. Experience
• Approximately 4–8 years of relevant experience in construction planning, project controls or project coordination.
• Experience in residential building construction or other building projects is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience preparing construction schedules, monitoring progress and coordinating multiple departments.
• Experience managing several concurrent projects is desirable. Technical Skills
• Strong understanding of construction sequences, activity dependencies, critical paths and project milestones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and project scheduling tools such as MS Project or Primavera P6.
• Familiarity with BOQ, BOM, procurement lead times, construction budgets and project reporting.
• Experience using ERP or construction project management software.
• Ability to interpret construction drawings and communicate effectively with technical teams. Behavioural Competencies
• Strong planning, organisation and follow-up discipline.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Confidence in coordinating with multiple departments and following up with senior team members.
• Analytical thinking and proactive identification of risks.
• Attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to work independently, maintain deadlines and escalate issues appropriately.
• A process-oriented mindset with a strong focus on measurable outcomes. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Performance will be evaluated against measurable indicators, including:
• Percentage of active projects with approved master schedules and baseline completion dates.
• Timeliness and accuracy of weekly schedule updates.
• Timely preparation of the six-week look-ahead schedule.
• Early identification and escalation of critical schedule deviations.
• Accuracy of project progress and forecast completion reporting.
• Timely preparation of weekly operations review dashboards and action trackers.
• Percentage of assigned coordination actions closed by their agreed deadlines.
• Timeliness of identifying material and other readiness constraints.
• Completeness and reliability of project records in the ERP or designated tracking system. Project completion performance will be a shared outcome with the Operations Head and Project Leads, rather than the sole responsibility of this position. What Success Looks LikeWithin the first 90 days, the successful candidate should:
• Establish a consolidated register of all active projects.
• Ensure each project has a documented schedule baseline or a clearly defined plan to establish one.
• Implement a consistent weekly progress-update and six-week look-ahead process.
• Introduce a reliable portfolio dashboard and action-tracking system.
• Establish clear visibility of delayed projects, upcoming constraints and overdue decisions.
• Enable the Operations Head to review project health and take timely action without personally chasing every department for routine updates.

How to Apply
Interested candidates may submit their updated CV highlighting relevant construction planning experience, scheduling tools used, the number and types of projects handled, and examples of project monitoring or coordination systems implemented. Subject: Application – Planning & Operations Control Engineer