In an oil refinery, a Job Planner (often called a Maintenance Planner) is the critical bridge between a reported problem and the actual execution of the repair. Their primary goal is to ensure that maintenance work—whether routine daily fixes, emergency repairs, or massive plant shutdowns (turnarounds)—is completed safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to production.
Instead of doing the physical labor, the Job Planner creates the "instruction manual" and gathers all the ingredients needed for the maintenance crews and contractors to do their jobs without delays.
Here is a breakdown of what a Job Planner does in a refinery setting:
Core Responsibilities
- Job Scoping and Field Walk-Downs: When a work order is submitted by operations, the planner visits the physical site in the refinery. They assess the equipment, take measurements, review the environment, and determine exactly what needs to be done to complete the repair.
- Developing Work Packages: The planner builds a comprehensive "job package" for the execution team. This includes step-by-step procedures, technical drawings (like P&IDs or isometric drawings), equipment manuals, and testing requirements.
- Resource and Labor Estimation: They determine which crafts are required (e.g., pipefitters, welders, riggers, electricians, scaffolders) and estimate the man-hours needed for each task.
- Material and Equipment Sourcing: Planners identify all the parts, raw materials, and special tools (like cranes, specialized welding gear, or hydro-testing equipment) required for the job. They coordinate with the supply chain or procurement team to ensure everything is on-site before the job begins.
- Safety and Compliance Integration: Refineries are highly hazardous environments. The planner identifies necessary safety protocols, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) requirements, confined space entry permits, scaffolding requirements, and Job Safety Analyses (JSAs).
- System Management: They heavily utilize Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) like SAP, IBM Maximo, or Oracle to track work orders, order materials, and maintain the historical records of refinery equipment.
The Typical Planning Workflow
- Identification: Operations identifies a faulty pump, a leaking valve, or scheduled preventative maintenance and submits a work request.
- Assessment: The planner reviews the request, verifies the priority, and walks down the job in the field.
- Planning: The planner creates the detailed job package (labor, materials, tools, safety requirements).
- Scheduling: Once the plan is complete and materials have arrived, the job is handed over to the Scheduler, who coordinates when the job will happen based on operations' readiness and labor availability.
- Execution & Feedback: The maintenance team or contractors execute the work. Afterward, the planner reviews feedback to improve future plans for that equipment.
Essential Skills and Background
- Technical Expertise: A strong background in mechanical, electrical, or instrumentation disciplines. Many planners are former tradespeople, technicians, or engineers who deeply understand how industrial equipment works and fails.
- Blueprint Reading: The ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, schematics, and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
- Organizational Skills: Planners must juggle dozens of work orders simultaneously, anticipating roadblocks like delayed parts shipments or labor shortages.
- Communication: They must constantly coordinate between operations (who want the equipment running), maintenance (who need the equipment shut down to fix it), and external contractors.
Why the Role is Critical
In a refinery, downtime costs millions of dollars per day. If a maintenance crew shows up to fix a heat exchanger but lacks the right gasket, a crane to lift the cover, or the proper safety permit, the work stops. The Job Planner ensures that when the wrench turns, everything is perfectly orchestrated so the job gets done safely and correctly on the first try.
Pay: ₹25,000.39 - ₹40,000.00 per month
Benefits:
- Cell phone reimbursement
- Commuter assistance
- Flexible schedule
- Food provided
- Health insurance
- Internet reimbursement
- Leave encashment
- Life insurance
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Provident Fund
- Work from home
Work Location: In person
