Senior Planner (Project Controls & Programme Planning)

Project overview

Role:Senior Planner (Project Controls & Programme Planning)

Project details

Berkshire

Contract: 18 Months

Working Arrangement: Full-time onsite, with the potential to condense working hours into 4 days per week

IR35 Status: Inside IR35

The Opportunity

We are seeking experienced Senior Planners to join a complex, high-profile engineering and infrastructure environment on an initial 18-month contract.

This is an excellent opportunity for proactive and technically accomplished planning professionals to play a key role in delivering integrated programme planning, project controls and Earned Value Management (EVM) across large-scale, multidisciplinary projects.

The successful candidates will take ownership of planning activities, maintain robust Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) and provide critical schedule analysis to support informed decision-making and successful programme delivery.

Working closely with Project Managers, Engineers, Scientists and senior stakeholders, you will champion planning best practice and drive continuous improvement across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Essential Skills & Experience

Desirable Experience

• Develop, maintain and manage Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), ensuring accuracy, integrity and alignment with programme objectives.
• Lead project planning activities using Primavera P6, providing expert guidance and promoting planning best practice.
• Deliver comprehensive project controls, planning and Earned Value Management (EVM) analysis.
• Undertake critical path analysis, schedule risk assessments and network analysis to identify potential programme impacts.
• Produce accurate schedule forecasts, performance reports and Earned Value variance analysis, including Schedule Performance Index (SPI).
• Support long-term operational and integrated programme planning activities.
• Review and maintain Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), recommending improvements where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with Project Managers, Engineers and technical specialists to ensure effective schedule integration and stakeholder alignment.
• Implement and continuously improve planning processes, procedures, tools and reporting standards.
• Support the development and application of Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS), templates and guidance.
• Provide planning expertise, technical support and peer reviews across multiple projects.
• Identify opportunities to improve programme efficiency, schedule performance and overall delivery outcomes.
• Significant experience as a Senior Planner within complex, large-scale engineering, infrastructure or technical programmes.
• Strong hands-on Primavera P6 expertise, with the confidence to lead planning activities and champion its effective use across projects.
• Proven experience developing and maintaining Integrated Master Schedules (IMS).
• Strong understanding of project controls, Earned Value Management (EVM) and schedule performance reporting.
• Excellent knowledge of planning fundamentals, critical path methodology and schedule/network analysis.
• Experience working within large corporate or highly regulated environments, ideally aerospace, defence, rail, nuclear, engineering or major infrastructure.
• Ability to demonstrate measurable improvements or added value to previous programmes and projects.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Confidence working with multidisciplinary teams, including Project Managers, Engineers and technical specialists.
• A proactive, organised and delivery-focused approach, with the ability to take ownership and drive planning improvements.
• Experience delivering planning activities within complex, safety-critical or highly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of project governance, performance reporting and programme assurance.
• Experience supporting multiple interdependent projects or major integrated programmes.
• Demonstrable experience improving planning methodologies, processes and systems.
• Start: flexible
• Location: Aldermaston, UK, GB