Area Planning Lead

High Speed Two (HS2); Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

HS2 Ltd is seeking an Area Planning Lead based at the Podium, Euston, with a requirement for three days in the office per week. The role focuses on planning leadership for the Area Model, integrating schedules, costs and risks across multiple projects, and driving continuous improvement and aligned decision making.

You will liaise with external bodies such as Network Rail, TfL and DfT while guiding a team of planners to deliver robust plans and effective performance reporting.

Qualifications

• Senior planning experience within complex delivery projects.
• Experience in baseline maintenance, schedule management, cost performance, risk management and reporting.
• Ability to lead teams, develop skills and improve the team working environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead on integration of the P6 programme within Area Model and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with functional Heads to ensure schedule interfaces are managed and aligned.
• Provide insight on performance trends and deliver hierarchical reporting.
• Correlate schedule, cost and risk to influence critical path and robust plans.
• Lead What-if scenario planning to resolve conflicts and drive integrated scheduling.

Skills

Clear Direction

Team leadership

Complex problem solving

Communication

Prioritisation

Decision quality

Influencing stakeholders

Project controls

Tools

Primavera P6

Prism

CEMAR

Job description

Location:The role is based in the Podium, Euston and requires a minimum of three days per week office attendance.

The Area Model aims to establish a single guiding mind with clear accountability to deliver the integrated transport hub for the relevant area programme of works. This role is responsible for providing Planning Leadership to the Area Team to improve efficiency and planning integration across the model. This role plays a key part in bringing` stakeholders together, to build a team that is working together to create a focused, aligned, empowered area-base that enables control, integration and informed decision making.

The Area Planning Lead will evaluate project time for the relevant Area programme of works, lead on proactive interface management, with both key external and internal stakeholder all working towards a common vision, and assist with correlation of cost and risk assessments.

A key aspect will be to identify areas for continuous improvement to drive performance benefits. In addition, this role is also responsible for the application of project planning systems, policies and standards to ensure compliance.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

About the role:

• Lead on the integration of the P6 programme from an Area Model perspective being the key contact with all stakeholders within the multifunctional matrix which consists of both internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead on liaising and collaboration with external stakeholders such as Network Rail, TfL and DfT.
• Collaborate with functional Heads to ensure schedule interfaces are proactively managed between schedules supporting and driving the change process to ensure alignment is maintained.
• Provide insight on historic and future performance to identify trends and mitigations. Provide hierarchical performance reporting.
• Correlate Schedule, Cost and Risk assessment through integrated solutions to influence critical path analysis thus providing robust/quality plans for decision making.
• Lead in What-if scenario planning providing integrated solutions to programme/project conflicts and recoveries. Lead and monitor processes to integrate scheduling from across all projects within the area of work.
• Demonstrate clear and concise communication and presentation skills to different levels of audience utilising appropriate supporting material.
• Accountable for leading the Planning team, setting objectives, reviewing performance and ensuring that employees have the necessary skills and understanding to deliver the team’s objectives.
• Support the Head of Planning and Integration in Baseline management and ad-hoc business requirements.
• Collaborate with project delivery teams, specialist HS2 Directorates, and external stakeholders (including suppliers, regulatory bodies, and the Department for Transport) where necessary to integrate all time, cost and quality information to support the monitoring of project progress.
• Planning Community – Support the Head of Planning and the Project Controls function in leading the planners in relation to setting objectives, reviewing performance and anticipating in selection and promotion decisions to ensure that planners have the necessary skills and understanding to deliver the team's objectives.
• Capture, implement and share best practice Project Planning policy, processes and procedures across the business to drive continuous improvement.
• Actively promoting and embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and supporting and complying with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About you:

Skills:

• Clear Direction - Defining and prioritising objectives, analysing inputs, assessing data, defining strategies and supporting rationales.
• Ability to direct a team of Senior Planners and Planners on the actions needed to manage and mitigate any critical issues.
• Complex problem solving – identifying complex problems; reviewing, analysing and interpreting a wide range of data to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Ability to assimilate large volumes of detail, drawing out the key issues in a clear and concise way, suitable for all audiences.
• Prioritisation – able to manage and plan multiple workstreams and the competing demands of stakeholders.
• Decision Quality - Gathering and synthesising information, identifying options and applying judgement based on logic and reason, making use of a variety of analytical approaches to provide relevant information to suppliers, stakeholders and decision makers using key facts and data.
• Communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and influence colleagues and external stakeholders at all levels, including the Board and Senior Executives.
• Ability to lead and influence decision making within a delivery team environment.
• Ability to effectively manage project controls process and systems.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of planning systems, processes and procedures that are capable of delivering large complex programmes.
• Knowledge of the core Project Controls disciplines, including; Schedule Management, Cost Management, Change Management and Risk Management and an understanding of how they interrelate.
• Understanding of NEC contracts, amendments, early warning notices and the work flows of communications between contractor and client.
• Knowledge of the all stages of the project life cycle.

Type of experience:

• Experience of delivering a senior planning role within complex delivery projects with multiple interfaces.
• Experience in the core project controls functions, including; baseline maintenance, schedule management, cost performance, change management, risk management and performance reporting.
• Experience of working on projects during all stages within the project lifecycle.
• Experience of governance procedures such as re-baselining, funding approval or major contract implementation.
• Experience of leading teams, developing their skills and improving the team working environment.
• Experienced in the management and control of key Project Controls systems (e.g. Primavera P6, Prism, CEMAR, etc.).
• Experience of leading contract progress and schedule change reviews.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process:Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.

Job Info

• Job Identification 260561
• Job Category Engineering & Design
• Job Schedule Full time
• Locations IPT – Euston, London, NW1 2RT, GB
• Permanent or Fixed Term Contract Permanent