Project Planning & Controls Specialist at ABB

Job description

Job Summary

As a Project Planning & Controls Specialist, you will be part of the Industrial Automation Division and Power Generation Business Units (BU) based in Modderfontein. ABB is the World leader in Industrial Automation (IA) division delivers integrated solutions for control, plant optimization, and industry-specific application knowledge and services to help process industry customers worldwide to meet their critical business needs in the areas of operational profitability, capital productivity, risk management and global responsibility. These industries include oil and gas, power, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, metals, cement, minerals, marine and turbocharging.

Tasks

As a Project Planning & Controls Specialist you will be responsible to lead planning, scheduling and cost control efforts for all project phases. Maintain and analyse actual and forecasted schedules, cost and risk. Monitor, report and manage deviations. Your Tasks as a Project Planning & Controls Specialist will include the following:

• Ensures projects follow sound methodology and execution practices in accordance with internal standard procedures. Ensures that an integrated schedule and cost control performance measurement process for the project’s entire scope of work is provided.
• Analyzes project requirements with project team, checks that all essential work activities have been identified in sufficient detail to serve as a basis for developing realistic project schedules. Defines, jointly with the project team, project work and cost breakdown structure, develops and maintains properly linked, required resource loaded/integrated, baseline and current schedules that provide time phased baseline, actual and forecast data for project.
• Monitors project progress and regularly analyzes project critical paths to ensure all critical path activities and project milestones are progressed to the plan, notifies Project Managers of any deviations or scheduling issues, and provides input for optimizing resources.
• Issues progress reports, program updates and productivity data on a regular basis and as requested by customers and stakeholders. 3. Cost, revenue and cash flow management:
• Establishes a baseline plan for cost and cash flow performance measurement.
• Works with project team to define the necessary resources for project completion, evaluating the work breakdown structure and standard productivity.
• Accurately monitors costs and project cash flow, maintains detailed estimate to complete and estimate at completion forecast, Analyzes variances by using earned value management techniques and advises project management on any cost and cash flow issues arising. 4. Change management:
• Works closely with engineering, construction, pre‐commissioning, commissioning, client and contractors to identify potential changes in scope and quantify the impact of each change in a timely fashion.
• Administers the change order systems and advises the Project Manager on the cost impact of potential changes and ensures the control estimate/budget is current and reflects changes. 5. Risk management:
• Works with project team to identify and assess the priority of project risks (e.g. schedule, cost and scope risks), maintains the risk register and proposes mitigation plans. Analyzes impact of risk on the overall timeline and costs. 6. Procurement:
• Integrates material resource requirements with project schedule and defines procurement activities and order lead times. Regularly communicates with SCM team and updates schedules to ensure procurement activities take place in a timely way and lead times are optimized to meet schedule targets. 7. Project reviews:
• Participates in project reviews. Composes reports and updates all required project data in Project Control systems and SAP for Management Information and Project Analysis. Communicates project progress and control issues to project management team and offers solutions. 8. Stakeholder relations:
• Effectively communicates appropriate information to customers and other stakeholders in a timely manner and to achieve desired understanding. 9. Project administrative tasks:
• Performs regular monthly project administrative tasks.

Requirements

• Ideally you will have a matric qualification or Degree in Project Planning coupled with 3 years’ experience working at a Power Station.
• You should have knowledge of Primaviera and C & I planning experience will make you an ideal match for this role.