Project Planning & Control - Data Centre

The Project Planning & Coordination Manager will be responsible for planning, scheduling, monitoring, coordination, and project controls for hyperscale Data Centre construction projects. The role will ensure timely delivery through effective schedule management, progress tracking, risk identification, resource planning, stakeholder coordination, and management reporting.

The incumbent will act as the central coordination point among Design, Procurement, Construction, MEP, Contracts, Quality, EHS, Commissioning, and Commercial teams to ensure seamless project execution and governance.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Scheduling

• Develop and maintain integrated project schedules using Primavera P6/MS Project.
• Establish project baselines, milestones, and critical path activities.
• Prepare master schedules covering Design, Procurement, Construction, Testing & Commissioning activities.
• Monitor schedule performance and identify slippages and recovery opportunities.
• Ensure alignment of project plans with overall business objectives and delivery commitments.

Project Coordination

• Coordinate across Civil, Structural, Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, ELV, IBMS, Telecom, and Commissioning teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional communication and issue resolution.
• Ensure timely closure of inter-departmental dependencies.
• Track action items from project review meetings and ensure closure.

Progress Monitoring & Reporting

• Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly project progress.
• Track physical and financial progress against approved baselines.
• Prepare project dashboards, MIS reports, executive summaries, and management reviews.
• Highlight project risks, delays, bottlenecks, and mitigation plans.
• Develop KPI-based project performance reports.

Project Controls & Governance

• Implement project control frameworks and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor schedule variance, productivity, resource utilization, and project health.
• Support Earned Value Management (EVM) and performance measurement activities.
• Maintain governance compliance for project reviews and approvals.
• Ensure adherence to PMAG standards and project management best practices.

Risk & Issue Management

• Identify schedule, procurement, construction, and execution risks.
• Maintain project risk registers and mitigation plans.
• Monitor critical activities and potential impact on project delivery.
• Support management with data-driven recommendations and corrective actions.

Resource Planning

• Coordinate manpower, equipment, and resource planning.
• Monitor contractor resource deployment against plan.
• Ensure optimum utilization of project resources.
• Support project teams in forecasting future resource requirements.

Procurement & Engineering Coordination

• Coordinate material procurement and equipment delivery schedules.
• Monitor long-lead items and critical procurement packages.
• Ensure engineering deliverables are released as per project schedule.
• Track procurement and construction interfaces to avoid delays.

Commissioning Readiness Coordination

• Coordinate with Commissioning (Cx) teams for readiness planning.
• Ensure construction completion aligns with commissioning schedules.
• Monitor punch-point closure and handover activities.
• Facilitate integrated project completion and operational handover.

Stakeholder Management

• Interface with:

• Project Directors

• Construction Teams

• Design Teams

• Procurement Teams

• Contracts & Commercial Teams

• Quality & EHS Teams

• Commissioning Teams

• Consultants & Contractors

• Support leadership reviews and decision-making through accurate reporting.

Key Deliverables

• Integrated project schedules and milestone tracking.
• Accurate project progress monitoring and reporting.
• Effective stakeholder coordination and communication.
• Early identification and mitigation of project risks.
• Timely management dashboards and MIS.
• Improved schedule adherence and project predictability.
• Successful achievement of project milestones and delivery targets.

Educational Qualification

Mandatory

• B.E. / B.Tech in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or equivalent.

Preferred

• MBA (Projects/Operations)
• PG in Construction Management
• Project Management Certification (PMP)

Experience

Total Experience

10-20 Years

Relevant Experience

Minimum 10 years in Project Planning, Project Controls, PMO, or Coordination roles

Preferred Industry Experience

• Data Centre Construction
• Industrial Projects
• Mission Critical Facilities
• Large Infrastructure Projects
• Power Projects
• EPC Projects
• Semiconductor Facilities
• Commercial Real Estate Development

Technical Competencies

• Primavera P6
• Microsoft Project
• Project Planning & Scheduling
• Project Controls
• Project Coordination
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Resource Planning
• Risk Management
• Delay Analysis
• Cost & Progress Monitoring
• Project MIS & Dashboarding
• Construction Management
• Procurement Monitoring
• Commissioning Readiness Planning
• Power BI / Advanced Excel
• SAP / ERP Systems

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong Coordination & Follow-up Skills
• Planning & Organising
• Analytical Thinking
• Stakeholder Management
• Problem Solving
• Communication Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Leadership & Teamwork
• Decision Making
• Result Orientation

Preferred Candidate Profile

• Experience in managing project schedules for projects exceeding 500 Cr.
• Strong exposure to Data Centre, Power, Industrial, or Mission Critical infrastructure projects.
• Hands-on expertise in Primavera P6 and project controls reporting.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary construction teams.
• Ability to drive project governance, milestone tracking, and management reporting in fast-paced project environments.