Shutdown Planner/Scheduler (Refinery Operations)
- Burlington, ON - Join a Team That Puts People FirstJob SummaryThe Shutdown Planner/Scheduler is a critical technical role responsible for the end-to-end preparation, scheduling, and execution tracking of complex refinery turnarounds, pit stops, and emergency outages. This individual bridges the gap between engineering, maintenance, operations, and external contractors to ensure safe, on-time, and on-budget execution of shutdown events. Relying heavily on Primavera P6 for critical path scheduling and SAP for work order and materials management, the planner ensures every hour of downtime is optimized.
Key ResponsibilitiesPlanning & Scoping- Develop comprehensive work packages for mechanical, piping, electrical, and instrumentation tasks during planned and unplanned outages.
- Extract, review, and manage turnaround work orders using the SAP Plant Maintenance (PM) module.
- Conduct field walk-downs to verify scope, identify potential hazards, and determine accurate labor, material, and equipment requirements.
- Identify long-lead materials and coordinate with procurement to ensure all parts are staged prior to the shutdown window.
Scheduling (Primavera P6) - Build, baseline, and maintain fully integrated, resource-loaded turnaround schedules in Primavera P6.
- Perform Critical Path Method (CPM) analysis to identify schedule vulnerabilities and optimize task sequencing.
- Integrate contractor schedules into the master P6 turnaround schedule.
- Conduct resource leveling to ensure optimal workforce utilization without exceeding site safety or logistical capacities.
Execution & Monitoring - Provide daily (and shift-by-shift) progress updates during the active shutdown phase.
- Track earned value and physical percent complete, updating the P6 schedule daily to reflect actual field progress.
- Facilitate daily shift handover and schedule review meetings with supervisors, contractors, and operations leadership.
- Quickly integrate emergent work/discovery scope into the active schedule without derailing the critical path.
Post-Shutdown / CloseoutArchive baseline vs. actual schedule data for historical benchmarking.
- Close out completed work orders in SAP and ensure unused materials are returned or inventoried.
- Participate in "lessons learned" reviews to improve estimating metrics and workflows for future outages.
Qualifications & Requirements- Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated turnaround/shutdown planning and scheduling experience within a petroleum refinery, petrochemical plant, or closely related heavy industrial environment.
- Scheduling Software: Advanced, proven competency in Primavera P6 (Enterprise Project Portfolio Management). Must be capable of building resource-loaded schedules, managing calendars, and running complex critical path analyses.
- ERP Software: Proficient in SAP (specifically the Plant Maintenance/PM module) for scoping, work order management, and material requisitioning.
- Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of refinery processing equipment (columns, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, rotating equipment, piping).
- Field Competency: Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, isometric drawings, and engineering blueprints.
Core Competencies- Safety-First Mindset: Deep understanding of process safety management (PSM), lock-out/tag-out (LOTO), and confined space entry requirements.
- High-Pressure Execution: Ability to make rapid, data-driven scheduling decisions during fast-paced turnaround execution.
- Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex scheduling data into actionable plans for frontline tradespeople and high-level summaries for plant management.
Note: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not exhaustive. Duties and responsibilities may be subject to change based on business needs and management discretion.
