Global Planning Manager

Leadership opportunity at Alcoa

At Alcoa, you will become an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress. The way we see it, every Alcoan is a work-shaper, team-shaper, idea-shaper & world-shaper.

As a leader within Alcoa, you can help fulfill our purpose and realize our vision to build a legacy of excellence for future generations. Be part of the team that helps shape a better workplace with flexibility and equal opportunities that help everyone thrive. You have the power to shape things and individuals to make them better.

At Alcoa, this leadership opportunity offers the chance to shape global project strategy across the company’s capital portfolio and build long-term planning capability in a safety-focused, innovation-driven industrial organization. Alcoa is a global team committed to advancing sustainability and delivering excellence and innovation. As a values-led company, it emphasizes integrity, excellence, care for people, and courage in leadership.

About the Role:

The Global Planning Manager is a newly created leadership role established following a review of the Capital Projects organization. The role addresses a critical gap in global capability for project planning and provides subject matter expertise across Alcoa’s entire capital portfolio. This position defines what “good” looks like for planning deliverables across the full project lifecycle and ensures planning practices, standards, and assurance processes deliver safe, predictable, and value-optimized outcomes globally.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide global leadership in planning principles, methodologies, processes, and best practices across the capital project lifecycle.
• Define and govern planning deliverables and lifecycle requirements, scaled appropriately to project size, complexity, risk, and strategic importance.
• Establish and own a planning tier hierarchy and review modalities (Independent Assurance, Formal Peer Review, Peer Support).
• Define an Order-of-Magnitude (OoM) methodology using parametric/analogous approaches and capacity factors for early portfolio screening, with explicit uncertainty ranges and location factors.
• Design approaches to reduce schedule shock as project development through Front End Loading (FEL) occurs.
• Define global scheduling KPIs aligned to industry benchmarks (e.g., DCMA-14).
• Build and maintain an internal and external benchmark database covering major scope elements, productivity, construction methodologies, and planned vs. out-turn performance.
• Develop and maintain a defensible weather allowance modelling approach for weather-impacted activities.
• Define and own a global Planning WBS aligned to Cost Breakdown Structures and ERP systems, enabling seamless tracking from concept through delivery and closeout.
• Define and own the planning competency framework within the broader Capital Projects capability model.
• Lead upskilling and capability development programs to raise planning maturity across regions.
• Establish and lead a global Planning Community of Practice, supported by regional guilds as needed.

What you can bring to the role:

• Deep subject matter expertise in capital project planning within complex, asset-intensive environments.
• The ability to define, standardize, and embed best-practice planning methodologies at a global scale.
• A strong commercial mindset, translating planning rigor into improved decision-making, predictability, and business value.
• Leadership presence and credibility to influence senior stakeholders and align teams across regions, functions, and cultures.
• A structured, data-driven approach that improves outcomes across the entire project and asset lifecycle.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, or related discipline (required). Post-graduate qualification in Business or Project Management (desirable).
• 15+ years’ experience in project planning, with at least 5 years as a Lead Planner on large, complex projects.
• Demonstrated experience across the full EPC lifecycle, from concept and FEL through construction and startup.
• Experience in alumina refining, mining, smelting, or similar heavy industrial environments is highly advantageous.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence at all organizational levels.
• Proven leadership capability, able to align teams and inspire high performance across a global organization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with confidence to challenge appropriately and drive continuous improvement.
• High energy, detail-oriented, and disciplined in approach, with a strong focus on quality and predictability.
• Ability to work systematically in complex, multi-stakeholder environments while maintaining clarity and efficiency.

What’s on offer:

This is a rare opportunity to shape global project strategy for a leading industrial organization committed to safety, innovation, and continuous improvement. You’ll have the mandate and influence to set standards, develop future-ready technology, and build long-term planning capability across a global footprint.