Senior/Lead Planner

Our client a £20m SME provides a range of services that include design, construction, installation, and maintenance of various infrastructure projects. 

Specialising within the water treatment industry working on long term design and build frameworks for long standing clients, they now require a Senior Planner to head up their planning function.

This role can be remote working with the requirement to travel to the clients office in Kent once a week.

As the Senior Planner, you will play a critical role in ensuring the successful execution of medium to large scale infrastructure projects. Reporting directly to the Contract Manager and working closely with the delivery team, key stakeholders, and the client, you will lead a planning team and be responsible for developing comprehensive project and resource schedules, monitoring progress, cost-loaded programmes and identifying potential risks and delays. Your expertise and strategic thinking will be influential in optimizing project timelines and resource allocation, enabling the successful completion of our projects within budget and on time.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of planners, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to ensure the successful execution of planning activities.
• Manage the development and maintenance of project schedules using Primavera P6 and MS Project, ensuring accuracy and adherence to project requirements.
• Engage with the delivery team and key stakeholders to define project objectives, deliverables, and timelines.
• Monitor project progress, tracking key milestones, and providing regular updates to project stakeholders.
• Identify potential delays, conflicts, or resource constraints and propose appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Conduct regular progress meetings, coordinating with project teams to ensure accurate reporting and forecasting.
• Understand the contractual arrangements of the programme and ensure that they are not compromised due to planning issues and providing scenario plans for mitigation.
• Providing support and advice to site, construction, and delivery teams.

Person Specification:

• The candidate will have a responsible approach to work, taking ownership for what they do, have a proactive, results-oriented focus; and are able to carry out tasks in a dynamic environment. They are willing and capable of assuming additional responsibilities; to work autonomously, and to commit to stringent deadlines. It is important for this role that the candidate has strong interpersonal skills as they will interact and work with people at all levels in the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Proven experience in a similar role, leading planning activities for medium/large infrastructure projects.
• Experience of NEC 3 construction projects.
• Strong expertise in project planning, scheduling, and resource management.
• Proficiency in using industry-standard planning software (Primavera P6 and MS Project).
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Good understanding of the construction industry and processes, from the design stage through to completion of the projects.