Planning Manager - Imperative

Job Description: Planning Manager 

South African Reforestation Carbon Credit Project

About Us 

Imperative is a global carbon project development company that aims to be in the top decile for quality in the carbon projects market. We have a build-own-operate model and specialise in the design, development and operation of carbon credit projects that help combat climate change while promoting biodiversity conservation, economic growth and social development in the countries in which we operate. With a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility, we are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Planning Manager to join our dynamic team.

Position Summary 

As the Planning Manager in the Integrated Project Team (IPT), you will play a crucial role in facilitating the efficient execution of projects within our organisation. You will be responsible for creating and maintaining detailed schedules, coordinating with various teams, and supporting project management efforts to ensure timely and cost-effective project completion. You will also play a critical role in capturing actual physical progress, as well as analysing and disseminating progress and performance data to key stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making and ensuring the achievement of the project’s strategic objectives.

The Planning Manager is a key contributor to the project’s transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement efforts. In this role, you'll be the focal point for project progress reporting as well as reporting on key metrics and data points demonstrating our commitment to cultivating high-quality nature-based project solutions. Your work will directly impact our project execution goals, and overall mission to combat climate change through nature-based solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Schedule Management:

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project schedules that align with project goals and objectives.


• Regularly update schedules to reflect actual progress, identify delays, and recommend corrective actions.


• Work closely with project managers, team leaders, and stakeholders to ensure project timelines are realistic and achievable.

Resource Allocation:

• Collaborate with department heads and team leaders to allocate resources effectively, balancing workloads and ensuring optimal resource utilisation.


• Track resource availability and identify potential bottlenecks or shortages.

Risk Assessment and Mitigation:

• Identify potential scheduling conflicts and risks that may impact project timelines.


• Work with project teams to develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

Data Collection and Analysis:

• Collect and organise data from various sources to track project progress.


• Analyse data to identify trends, areas of improvement, and potential risks.


• Develop and maintain databases and reporting tools for tracking key performance indicators.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather information and ensure data accuracy.


• Communicate progress and performance updates to relevant stakeholders through written reports, presentations, and meetings.


• Facilitate discussions and action plans to address issues identified through data analysis.

Process Improvement & Benchmarking:

• Continuously review and enhance schedule processes to improve efficiency and data quality.

Skills

• Strategic Scheduling & Critical Path Analysis


• Advanced Data Analytics & KPI Reporting


• Dynamic Resource Optimization & Load Balancing


• Proactive Risk Mitigation & Contingency Planning


• Technical Software Proficiency (Oracle Primavera/MS Project)


• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with cross-functional teams.


• Strong organisational and project management skills.

Language

• Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement.

Education, Knowledge & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g. Project Management, Business Management, Industrial Engineering, Data Science).


• Minimum of 10 years of project controls/project management experience, with at least five years working on projects in a leadership role.


• Experience in a carbon or climate project implementation environment, or a related field, is highly advantageous.


• Strong working knowledge and proven experience of project management and planning & scheduling.


• Proficiency in scheduling and data analytics tools and software (e.g. Oracle Primavera, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Syncro 4D)


• Certifications in relevant fields (e.g. project management) are advantageous.

Position Location       

• Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa


• Frequent travel within the Eastern and Western Cape anticipated, including to remote locations. Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate schedules. Work hours may be irregular.

Values 

At Imperative, we are passionate about our values are encourage all team members to embrace them. 

• Integrity: We act honourably and are guided by a strong moral compass. If things go wrong, we put our hand up, admit it and adapt.


• Momentum: Speed matters. We have a bias to action. We think quick, we plan tirelessly, we mitigate risks but above all, we take action.


• Purpose: We are driven by our desire to make the world better, with every interaction, process and project.


• Accountability: We do what we say, and we deliver. We seek to be the best at what we do.


• Collaboration: We celebrate diversity of thought, values and backgrounds and seek to harness the strength of our people and partners to achieve more than we individually can, through teamwork and creativity.


• Tenacity: We are highly ambitious, driven and hardworking. We persist until we deliver impact.