Planning Engineer - EPC / Heavy Engineering

About Zeeco:

Zeeco is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of combustion and environmental solutions for the refining, petrochemical, power, production, and pharmaceutical industries. With operations across the globe, Zeeco delivers industry-leading combustion equipment, flares, burners, thermal oxidizers, and vapor control systems through innovative engineering, manufacturing excellence, and customer-focused project execution.

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Planning & Project Control Engineer with 10–12 years of experience in project planning, production planning, and project controls within the heavy engineering, fabrication, pressure vessel, process equipment, or EPC industry.

The incumbent will be responsible for developing and monitoring project schedules, coordinating with cross-functional teams, tracking production progress, ensuring on-time execution, and driving planning excellence throughout the project lifecycle.

Experience in the manufacturing of combustion equipment, burners, flares, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, or similar fabricated equipment will be considered a strong advantage.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Planning & Scheduling

• Review customer Purchase Orders, technical specifications, engineering drawings, and project requirements to prepare detailed execution plans.
• Develop baseline project schedules using Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project covering engineering, procurement, manufacturing, inspection, and dispatch activities.
• Conduct internal Kick-Off Meetings (KOM) and establish project milestones and communication plans.
• Prepare manufacturing schedules aligned with customer delivery commitments and resource availability.
• Monitor project progress against planned schedules and identify schedule deviations, risks, and bottlenecks.

Production Planning & Coordination

• Coordinate with Engineering, Procurement, Production, Quality, Stores, and Dispatch teams to ensure smooth execution of manufacturing activities.
• Release jobs for manufacturing after verifying engineering readiness and material availability.
• Track fabrication progress and ensure timely completion of manufacturing stages.
• Coordinate material planning, procurement follow-up, and production sequencing to avoid delays.
• Monitor WIP, production capacity, inventory levels, and resource utilization to maximize operational efficiency.

Project Controls & Reporting

• Prepare weekly and monthly progress reports highlighting Planned vs. Actual performance.
• Track critical milestones and recommend recovery plans for schedule slippages.
• Maintain project dashboards and management reports.
• Manage schedule revisions arising from engineering changes, customer revisions, or production constraints.
• Document planning challenges, corrective actions, and lessons learned for continuous improvement.

Customer & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as a coordination point between customers and internal departments regarding project schedules and execution status.
• Participate in customer review meetings and internal project review meetings.
• Follow up with customers for approvals, engineering documents, and outstanding deliverables.
• Coordinate with subcontractors and vendors to ensure timely completion of outsourced activities.

Continuous Improvement

• Support Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, TPM, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Contribute towards improving On-Time Delivery (OTD), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and planning efficiency.
• Ensure adherence to quality systems and project documentation requirements.

Required Competencies:

• Strong understanding of Project Planning & Project Controls
• Expertise in Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project
• Good knowledge of production planning in heavy fabrication environments
• Experience in capacity planning, resource planning, and manufacturing scheduling
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, fabrication sequences, and technical documentation
• Working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP, Sage X3, Oracle, or equivalent)
• Strong analytical, communication, and coordination skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and problem-solving abilities

Preferred Experience:

Candidates with experience in one or more of the following industries will be preferred:

• Heavy Engineering
• Fabrication
• Pressure Vessels
• Heat Exchangers
• Process Equipment
• Oil & Gas Equipment
• EPC Projects
• Industrial Manufacturing

Added Advantage:

• Experience in planning and production of Burners, Flares, Thermal Oxidizers, or Combustion Equipment
• Exposure to ASME, IBR, or international fabrication standards
• Knowledge of Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 10–12 years of relevant experience in Project Planning, Production Planning, or Project Controls.
• Hands-on proficiency in:
  • Primavera P6
  • Microsoft Project
  • MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint)
  • ERP Systems