Senior Planner

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, maintaining and assuring complex programme and project schedules, providing accurate progress reporting and supporting the successful delivery of projects against quality, cost and schedule objectives.
This role requires a highly capable planner with strong hands-on experience using Microsoft Project and/or recognised Project Portfolio Management systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain detailed programme and project schedules.
• Create robust Work Breakdown Structures aligned with the technical scope and project delivery lifecycle.
• Build integrated schedules covering project activities, milestones, dependencies and deliverables.
• Maintain portfolios of interdependent project schedules at programme level.
• Work closely with Project Managers, Programme Managers and Work Package Managers to capture all activities required to achieve project objectives.
• Collect, evaluate and validate project progress information.
• Monitor progress against agreed schedules, milestones and delivery plans.
• Analyse project performance, schedule variance and critical path.
• Identify potential delays, constraints and delivery risks, providing clear recommendations to project stakeholders.
• Produce accurate and timely progress reports throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support project reviews and provide clear visibility of project status and performance.
• Identify technical and schedule-related risks and assess their potential impact on project timescales.
• Manage and communicate inter-project dependencies.
• Chair or support formal progress review meetings, challenging schedule updates where appropriate.
• Promote consistent planning processes, controls and best practice across programmes and projects.
• Support the continuous improvement of project planning, scheduling and reporting processes.

Essential Experience and Skills

• Significant experience working as a Planner, Senior Planner, Project Controls Planner or Programme Planner.
• Strong and demonstrable experience using Microsoft Project and/or Project Portfolio Management systems.
• Advanced knowledge of project planning, scheduling and project controls techniques.
• Experience creating and maintaining complex, integrated project schedules.
• Strong understanding of Work Breakdown Structures, milestones, dependencies and critical path analysis.
• Experience managing multiple interdependent project schedules.
• Ability to interpret technical documentation and understand complex project scopes.
• Proven ability to analyse project performance and identify schedule risks, delays and delivery issues.
• Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Confident working with programme and project stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presenting project information.

Qualifications

• A recognised project management, planning or project controls qualification.
• An engineering qualification, technical degree or equivalent relevant industry experience.

Desirable Experience

• Experience using SAP or similar enterprise planning systems.
• Experience working within a complex engineering, infrastructure, defence, technology or safety-critical environment.
• Knowledge of formal project governance and structured project delivery frameworks.
• Experience supporting major programmes involving multiple workstreams and technical dependencies.