Project Planner - Primavera P6 (Gold Mining, West Africa)

About the role

A progressive mining company is appointing an experienced Project Planner (Primavera P6) for a major mining project in West Africa. This is a key site-based role for a planning professional with strong experience in project scheduling, progress monitoring, critical path analysis and project controls within mining, minerals processing or major capital projects. The planner works closely with the Project Manager, Construction Manager, engineering teams, contractors and the project controls function to develop, maintain and optimise integrated project schedules.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and regularly update detailed project schedules covering engineering, procurement, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning and handover.
• Maintain integrated master schedules, baseline programmes, execution schedules and short-term lookahead plans.
• Monitor progress against baseline schedules, identify deviations and delays, and conduct critical path analysis to find risks and optimisation opportunities.
• Review and challenge contractor schedules, consolidate them into the master schedule and monitor contractor progress, productivity and resource use.
• Develop resource-loaded and, where needed, cost-loaded schedules, and produce weekly and monthly progress reports, S-curves and dashboards.
• Identify schedule risks and work with project leadership on mitigation and recovery plans; carry out delay analysis and scenario planning.
• Support progress measurement systems, procurement and long-lead equipment delivery schedules, and construction sequencing and work packages.
• Document schedule changes and variations, provide milestone forecasts and maintain planning records.

Required profile

• Degree or diploma in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Quantity Surveying or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in project planning and scheduling within mining, EPC/EPCM, construction, heavy industry or major capital projects.
• Experience integrating contractor schedules into a master programme and managing complex, multidisciplinary schedules.
• Ideal background: owner's project team, EPC/EPCM, major contractor or mining project delivery; experience on gold processing plants, mineral processing, bulk earthworks, civil infrastructure, structural steel, piping, electrical and instrumentation.
• Previous experience on African or other remote international mining projects is highly advantageous.

Required skills

• Advanced proficiency in Oracle Primavera P6 (baselining, resource loading, critical path analysis).
• Strong knowledge of CPM, schedule logic, dependencies, float analysis and progress measurement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and project reporting tools; Power BI or similar is advantageous.
• Ability to produce clear, actionable reports and to challenge contractor programmes.