Job Description
Extraordinary teams building inspiring projects:
Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place.
Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers' objectives to create a lasting positive impact. We serve the Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; Energy; Mining & Metals, and the Manufacturing and Technology markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations.
Core to Bechtel is our Vision, Values and Commitments. They are what we believe, what customers can expect, and how we deliver. Learn more about our extraordinary teams building inspiring projects in our Impact Report.
Project Overview:
Bechtel is the licensing, engineering, procurement, and construction partner on TerraPower’s Natrium team. Selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, Natrium is participating in a DOE initiative to re-establish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy that provides matching funding to industry to design and build an operational advanced reactor. TerraPower, a leading advanced generation technology company founded by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, will be deploying its 345 MWe sodium fast reactor (SFR), called Natrium. The Natrium plant features an advanced, cost-competitive reactor design that is safer, simpler, easier, and less costly to construct, less expensive to operate, and able to provide energy that is competitive with fossil fuels. It also features an innovative molten salt energy storage system designed to be complementary to solar and wind power by evening out the peaks and valleys in production when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing. With the reactor and energy storage output combined, the plant can produce more than 500 MWe of power.
Other Team Natrium partners include GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Energy Northwest, PacifiCorp, and Duke Energy, along with support from a number of national laboratories and universities. This DOE program has the potential to be the largest funding program for advanced nuclear power in U.S. history and will shape the future of nuclear energy for decades.
We invite you to join our team for this very interesting opportunity!
Job Summary:
The Field Lead Planner provides strategic leadership, direction, and governance for all construction planning and scheduling activities supporting the execution of the project. The position typically reports to the Field Project Controls Manager and is responsible for establishing, leading, and continuously improving the construction planning and scheduling organization through all phases of construction execution.
This role directs the development, integration, and maintenance of construction schedules and ensures alignment between engineering, procurement, construction, and startup activities to support safe, predictable project delivery. #LI-EH1
Major Responsibilities:
Leadership and Organizational Management
- Establishes and leads the planning and scheduling organization, including area, discipline, and contractor planners.
- Provides leadership to senior planners responsible for day-to-day execution of planning activities.
- Develops organizational structure, staffing strategies, and workforce development plans aligned with project execution phases.
- Conducts mentoring and capability development for planning personnel.
- Leads workforce scaling from early construction through peak execution and turnover phases.
Planning & Scheduling Governance
- Directs all construction schedule development, integration, maintenance, and monitoring activities.
- Establishes planning and scheduling standards, procedures, and governance aligned with contractual and corporate requirements.
- Maintains configuration control of the approved baseline schedule and supports project change management processes.
- Ensures compliance with Earned Value Management and project controls requirements.
- Oversees schedule quality, logic integrity, and consistency.
Construction Execution Integration
- Integrates planning and scheduling processes with construction execution strategies, including Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), workface planning, and short-interval planning.
- Partners with Construction, Engineering, Procurement, and Startup leadership to ensure executable work fronts and efficient workflow.
- Supports development of construction sequencing strategies to optimize productivity, safety, and milestone achievement.
- Ensures meaningful intermediate milestones are established and performance is effectively measured.
Contractor & Interface Management
- Establishes scheduling expectations and governance for subcontractors and construction partners.
- Directs contractor schedule integration and performance monitoring.
- Leads schedule coordination forums to resolve interdisciplinary and organizational interfaces.
- Identifies and mitigates schedule risks arising from external interfaces, supply chain constraints, or field execution challenges.
Schedule Analysis, Risk & Recovery
- Directs schedule analysis, forecasting, and performance evaluation activities.
- Leads development of schedule recovery and mitigation strategies when required.
- Provides strategic recommendations to project leadership regarding schedule risk and execution options.
- Supports commercial, change management, and claims avoidance/resolution efforts through schedule analysis.
Reporting & Executive Interface
- Oversees preparation and presentation of schedule status, forecasts, and performance metrics.
- Serves as primary scheduling authority supporting senior construction leadership and client reviews.
- Communicates complex schedule issues clearly to management and stakeholders.
- Supports integrated project reporting and decision-making processes.
Education and Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited university (or international equivalent) and 10-13 years of relevant experience or 14-17 years of relevant work experience.
Required Knowledge and Skills:
- Demonstrated experience leading large planning and scheduling organizations on major capital projects.
- Possess the legal right to work and remain in the United States without sponsorship.
- Must be able to pass nuclear security screening requirements and be able to obtain and maintain unescorted access to a nuclear power facility.
- Must be able to complete and pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check including verification of employment, education, and travel.
- Advanced expertise in Primavera P6 applied to complex EPC projects.
- Experience and demonstrated skill in directing construction planning and scheduling functions, including schedule development, control, and analysis, in the field.
- Extensive experience integrating engineering, procurement, construction, and startup schedules.
- Strong understanding of construction execution methodologies and field planning practices.
- Proven ability to establish organizational processes and governance frameworks.
- Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder alignment skills.
- Demonstrated capability to influence senior project leadership and construction execution decisions.
- Experience addressing complex project issues requiring evaluation of multiple variables and competing priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to work with people of varied backgrounds and objectives.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Nuclear power project experience, particularly new-build or first-of-a-kind projects.
- Experience working within regulated or owner-oversight environments.
- Experience implementing Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) or similar execution methodologies.
Total Rewards/Benefits:
For decades, Bechtel has worked to inspire the next generation of employees and beyond! Because our teams face some of the world's toughest challenges, we offer robust benefits to ensure our people thrive. Whether it is advancing careers, delivering programs to enhance our culture, or providing time to recharge, Bechtel has the benefits to build a legacy of sustainable growth. Learn more at Bechtel Total Rewards
Diverse teams build the extraordinary:
As a global company, Bechtel has long been home to a vibrant multitude of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, and life experiences. This diversity has made us a more trusted partner, more effective problem solvers and innovators, and a more attractive destination for leading talent.
We are committed to being a company where every colleague feels that they belong-where colleagues feel part of "One Team," respected and rewarded for what they bring, supported in pursuing their goals, invested in our values and purpose, and treated equitably. Click here to learn more about the people who power our legacy.