Senior Planning Engineer (Project Planning & 4D Simulation) – Port Elizabeth Upgrade Project NJ USA

Job Description

APM Terminals

About APM Terminals

A.P. Moller - Maersk is an integrated container logistics company working to connect and simplify its customer's supply chains. As the global leader in shipping services, the company operates in 130 countries and employs roughly 100,000 people.

As part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, APM Terminals has been lifting standards for developing and operating advanced ports and container terminals for over half a century (as an independent division since January 2001). Now, with 60 strategically located ports and container terminals around the globe and several more in development APM Terminals is lifting the standard of efficiency, responsibility, connectivity, proactivity in our industry.

The Project of the Port of Elizabeth

APM Terminals and the Port of New York and New Jersey recently reached an agreement on the lease extension for APM Terminals Elizabeth through 2062. This extension paves the way for major infrastructure investments which will enhance capacity and transport velocity, create jobs and strengthen the economy.

APM Terminals will invest significantly in Port Elizabeth over the coming years to decarbonize its operations and enhance cargo-handling capacity at its 345-acre terminal. APM Terminals has also committed to the replacement and maintenance of all wharf and berth structures. This investment supports the Port Authority’s Port Master Plan 2050, which anticipates cargo volumes doubling or tripling by mid-century.

Looking to the future, APM Terminals Elizabeth envisions a larger, more efficient container terminal. Planned upgrades include the optimization of the terminal layout, electrification of container handling equipment, and future-proofing container berths. In light of this development, APM Terminals Elizabeth is expecting to receive the sub-award of a Clean Ports Program Grant to partially fund these developments. This sub-award needs to be actively managed and sustained for compliance and project success.

What We offer :

At APMT Terminals, we foster a dynamic learning and training culture that empowers our employees to excel. Our commitment to continuous improvement is driven by LEAN principles, ensuring that every team member has the opportunity to develop their skills and advance their careers. Join us to be part of an innovative environment where your growth is our priority, and experience the numerous advantages of being a valued member of our team.

Role Purpose

This is a senior project planning and scheduling role within the Project Controls function, responsible for developing, integrating, and maintaining the project master schedule and using 4D planning techniques to support sequencing, logistics planning, and stakeholder decision-making.

The role is first and foremost a senior planner, operating in an owner-side environment. Experience in 4D Planning, used as a visual and analytical tool to enhance understanding of construction sequence, interfaces with ongoing container terminal operations, and delivery risks, is preferred.

The Senior Planning Engineer works closely with the Project Controls Manager and interfaces across design, construction, cost, risk, procurement, and consultant BIM/VDC teams to ensure schedule integrity, transparency, and alignment with project governance.

Key Responsibilities

Schedule Development & Integration

• Develop, maintain, and control the integrated project master schedule in Primavera P6 / OPC, in accordance with APMT standards.

• Integrate and assess schedules received from consultants, contractors, suppliers, and vendors into a coherent and consolidated master schedule.

• Establish and maintain the project baseline schedule, including logic, milestones, and interface points, reporting on any deviations, and implementing structured change management.

• Identify, analyze, and communicate critical path, near critical path, key interfaces, and risks to deliver to the agreed baseline schedule.

• Perform proactive scenario analyses and provide early warning notifications.

• Perform schedule impact assessments and support development of mitigation and recovery strategies.

4D Planning & Visual Integration

• Utilize 4D planning tools (e.g., Synchro, Navisworks or similar) to link schedule data with 3D models in support of:

  • Construction sequencing validation

  • Logistics and access planning

  • Scenario (“what-if”) analysis

  • Construction & Operational interfaces

  • Stakeholder reviews and decision forums

• Collaborate with design and BIM/VDC teams to ensure schedule logic is appropriately represented in 4D outputs.

• Support the progressive development of 4D simulations as design maturity increases.

Note: If a candidate demonstrates exceptional strength in other planning areas, the project will develop the candidate’s 4D skills to suit the project’s needs.

Schedule Controls, Risk, Reporting & Change

• Maintain schedule health through regular updates, progress validation, and performance analysis.

• Establish schedule performance metrics - produce progress S-curves, schedule performance indicators and perform critical path and variance analysis.

• Support the change management process through time impact assessments and schedule updates, aligned with project governance.

• Develop schedule-driven scenario analysis to support project decision-making.

• Lead planning and risk workshops with a focus on potential impacts to the schedule.

• Conduct probabilistic schedule risk analysis to evaluate impacts on baseline contingencies and overall project timeline and propose mitigation strategies.

Interfaces & Stakeholder Coordination

• Lead and participate in planning and scheduling workshops with internal teams and external parties.

• Coordinate with planners from Consultant and Contractor teams to validate logic, progress, and forecast assumptions.

• Work closely with the Asset Work Package leads and Business Integration lead ensuring that:

  • dependencies from elements outside the team’s responsibilities (e.g. operations, commercial, legal, HR, etc.) affecting asset delivery are well understood, and

  • the Package Managers understand impacts of schedule changes on asset delivery.

• Works with and reports to the Project Controls Lead to ensure seamless alignment of the project master schedule with the wider project controls disciplines (cost, risk, change, scope, assumptions, reporting etc.)

• Provide detailed information on work sequence to the Cost Controller, to support preparation of time-phased Value of Work Done and integrated reporting.

• Provide clear and concise schedule narratives for senior stakeholders and project leadership.

• Support and lead any other project controls deliverables that enable the successful delivery of the project.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• 8 - 12 years of proven experience as a project scheduler / planning engineer on large, complex construction or infrastructure projects.

• Strong working knowledge of Primavera P6 / OPC in an integrated, multi-party environment.

• Experience developing and managing master schedules, including interfaces across multiple work packages.

• Experience in schedule resource loading and monitoring performance using Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques.

• Solid understanding of construction sequencing, logic development, and schedule risk. Ability to operate confidently in an owner-side or program-level project controls environment.

• Willing to expand their project controls knowledge base and area of expertise.

• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Fluency in English.

Preferred

• Exposure to 4D planning tools (Synchro, Navisworks, or similar).

• Experience working with BIM/VDC teams to support construction planning.

• Familiarity with schedule risk analysis and mitigation planning.

• Experience supporting change management and time impact analysis.

• Experience handling Contractors’ Extension of Time (EOT) requests and conducting forensic delay analysis using various schedule delay analysis techniques.

• Background in heavy civil, infrastructure, port, transportation, or industrial projects.

• Degree in engineering, construction management or related technical discipline.

• Project management qualification / certification (i.e. APM, PMI, or similar project-related qualification).

Systems & Tools

• Primavera P6 (required)

• Oracle Primavera Cloud (preferred)

• 4D planning tools like Synchro, Navisworks, or similar

• MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word; Power BI exposure advantageous)

• Document management systems (Aconex, SharePoint, PMWeb)

Personal Attributes

• Structured, analytical, and detail-oriented

• Comfortable challenging assumptions while maintaining strong working relationships

• Adaptable and effective in a dynamic, multi-interface project environment

• Strong sense of ownership and accountability

• Aligned with Maersk values: Humbleness, Uprightness, Constant Care, Our Employees and Our Name

Job Type: Full Time

Salary: USD 117,100.00 - 135,000.00

Benefits: Full time employees are eligible For Health Insurance, Paid Time Off, and 401k match

The above stated pay range is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. The Company may adjust this range in light of prevailing market conditions and other factors such as location. The Company will work directly with the selected candidate(s) on the final starting salary in accordance with all applicable laws

Notice to applicants applying to positions in the United States

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