Manufacturing Planning Manager

Title: Manufacturing Planning Manager
Requisition: 2846
Location: Houston, TX
Project Type: Data Center
Pay Range: $54- $92 per hour (Negotiable)
Duration: One Year (12 months) Renewable Overview
The Manufacturing Planning Manager is responsible for leading all planning and scheduling efforts across major Data Center projects. This role develops, maintains, and analyzes integrated project schedules to ensure full visibility into progress, critical paths, constraints, and forecasted completion dates. By identifying early risks and coordinating recovery actions across engineering, supply chain, and construction teams, the Planning Manager drives proactive, informed project decision‑making. Key Objectives

• Develop and maintain realistic, logic‑driven project schedules aligned with project scope and execution strategy.
• Deliver accurate schedule analysis and forecasting to support leadership and project decision‑making.
• Work closely with engineering, supply chain, and construction disciplines to ensure schedule integrity and timely updates.
• Identify schedule risks early and drive mitigation and resolution plans.
• Support continuous improvement in planning tools, systems, and best practices.

Primary Responsibilities & Activities

• Establish and maintain the overall project schedule for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Lead schedule development using Primavera P6, ensuring alignment with the work breakdown structure (WBS) and execution strategy.
• Conduct critical path, float, and what‑if analyses to identify risks, assess impacts, and support project decisions.
• Integrate weekly and monthly progress updates from contractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
• Validate reported progress through site visits and milestone performance assessments.
• Prepare and distribute schedule performance reports, including variance analysis and forecast completion dates.
• Support change management by evaluating schedule impacts for scope, design, or sequence changes.
• Mentor and guide planners and schedulers to ensure consistency, quality, and accuracy in schedule data.

Required Experience

• 10–15 years of project planning and scheduling experience within large‑scale industrial or construction environments.
• Expert‑level proficiency with Primavera P6 and advanced scheduling methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience developing fully integrated EPC or GC‑coordinated schedules.
• Strong understanding of construction sequencing, progress measurement systems, and earned value management.
• Prior experience delivering large‑scale Data Center facilities for major technology clients is highly preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.

• Professional certifications such as PMI‑SP, AACE PSP, or equivalent.
• Experience using advanced schedule analytics tools or visualization platforms such as Power BI.

Work Environment & Physical Demands
This is a primarily site‑based position with frequent coordination alongside field teams and contractors. The role includes regular site walks to validate sequencing and progress. Some travel between project sites or to the Houston office may be required for coordination, reporting, or leadership reviews.


With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.