Senior Scheduler

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Integrated Scheduling Execution

• Develop and issue daily, weekly, and rolling production schedules, incorporating updates from operations, maintenance, supply chain, and market data.

• Validate operational readiness for planned runs, feedstock changeovers, product cut changes, and turnaround overlaps.

• Ensure all short-term schedules comply with medium- and long-term plans issued by the Head Scheduling.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Facilitate daily production scheduling meetings with unit operations, maintenance planners, process engineers, and supply chain coordinators.

• Liaise with economics/planning to ensure crude blends and product specifications align with margin targets.

• Coordinate with the quality control team to manage product specs within agreed tolerances.

Real-Time Adjustments & Contingency Management

• Lead rapid response actions during unplanned events (equipment failure, feedstock variation, quality deviations).

• Run contingency scenarios and recommend viable scheduling alternatives to the Head Scheduling.

• Communicate urgent changes to all stakeholders to prevent off-spec production and minimize losses.

System Ownership and Digital Integration

• Maintain advanced scheduling software (APS, PIMS), ensuring data accuracy, user access control, and troubleshooting.

• Coordinate system upgrades, user training, and software audits with IT and vendors.

• Develop and maintain digital dashboards and reporting templates that monitor plan vs. actual KPIs, downtime, and unit utilization.

Performance Monitoring & KPI Tracking

• Track and report daily schedule adherence, product yield vs. plan, deviation reasons, and mitigation measures.

• Analyze historical scheduling trends and recommend process improvements to the Head Scheduling.

• Propose improvements to scheduling rules, constraints, and data validation processes.

Documentation, Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Ensure all scheduling activities comply with operational safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

• Maintain clear records of schedules, changes, and approvals for internal and external audits.

• Support compliance reviews, risk assessments, and root cause analyses.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise Schedulers by assigning daily tasks, reviewing their schedules, and providing feedback.

• Organize training sessions and practical coaching on scheduling tools, data entry, scenario analysis, and troubleshooting.

• Support the Head Scheduling in workforce planning, recruitment, and succession planning for the scheduling team.

Stakeholder Communication

• Escalate significant deviations or scheduling risks to the Head Scheduling with clear impact assessments.

• Prepare concise daily, weekly, and monthly performance summaries for senior refinery leadership.

• Represent the scheduling team during cross-functional planning, risk, and performance review meetings.

Key Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering

• Experience: Minimum 8-10 years in crude refinery operations, scheduling, or planning environment

Functional Competencies

Technical Competencies:

• 8+ years of refinery operations/scheduling experience with at least 5 years in a supervisory scheduling or planning role.

• Proven proficiency in APS, PIMS, and ERP data integration.

• Strong understanding of production constraints, crude/product markets, trading economics, and refinery operations.

• Skilled in scenario planning, economic netback analysis, feasibility evaluations, and margin variance tracking.

Non-Technical Competencies:

• Advanced analytical and scenario planning skills.

• Strong leadership, mentoring, and coordination capabilities.

• High attention to detail and compliance mindset.

• Excellent communication and crisis management skills.