Construction Planner

Wates Smartspace; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Structured training and development

Mentoring and coaching

Career progression

Job summary

Wates Smartspace in the United Kingdom seeks candidates with a site background who want to move into Construction Planning. You will work alongside experienced planning professionals, receiving hands-on training, mentoring and support to develop a career as a Construction Planner.

This development role focuses on programme management, sequencing works and delivering projects on time. You9ll collaborate with Project Managers and site teams, learning to create detailed project programmes and

Qualifications

• Site-based construction background
• Ability to understand project requirements and delivery strategies
• Willingness to learn planning skills and processes
• Strong organisational and communication capabilities
• Proactive approach and analytical thinking

Responsibilities

• Support development and maintenance of project programmes across multiple projects
• Collaborate with Project Managers, Site Managers and construction teams
• Assist with programme updates, progress reporting and project controls
• Identify risks, opportunities and constraints
• Learn to create detailed project programmes using planning software
• Support tender and pre-construction planning and logistics

Skills

Site background

Planning software

Programme management

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Job description

At Wates Smartspace, we deliver fast-paced fit out, refurbishment and construction projects across a diverse range of sectors. As our project portfolio continues to grow, we're looking to identify talented individuals who are ready to take the next step in their construction career and transition into Construction Planning.

This is an excellent opportunity for candidates who have a background in Site Management, Site Engineering or Project Delivery and are looking to develop specialist planning skills. Working alongside experienced planning professionals, you'll receive hands‑on training, mentoring and support to build a successful career as a Construction Planner.

If you've spent time delivering projects on site and have a passion for programme management, sequencing works and driving successful project delivery, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Be Doing

• Supporting the development and maintenance of project programmes across multiple fit out and refurbishment projects.
• Working closely with Project Managers, Site Managers and construction teams to understand project requirements and delivery strategies.
• Assisting with programme updates, progress reporting and project controls.
• Identifying risks, opportunities and programme constraints.
• Learning to create detailed project programmes using industry-leading planning software.
• Supporting tender and pre-construction teams with programme development and logistics planning.
• Monitoring project performance against key milestones and delivery targets.
• Participating in project reviews, lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.

About You

We're particularly interested in candidates who have come from a site-based construction background and want to move into a planning-focused role.

Ideal experience includes:

• Previous experience as a Site Manager, Assistant Site Manager, Site Engineer or similar construction delivery role.
• Exposure to fit out, refurbishment, commercial, retail, healthcare, education or workplace projects.
• Strong understanding of construction activities, sequencing and project delivery.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A proactive approach and willingness to learn.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical thinking.

What We’ll Offer You

This role is designed as a development opportunity, providing a clear pathway into a professional planning career.

You'll benefit from:

• Structured training and development from experienced Planning professionals.
• Hands‑on exposure to a diverse range of fast-paced construction and fit out projects.
• Access to industry-leading planning tools and methodologies.
• Ongoing mentoring and coaching to support your professional growth.
• A clear career pathway within one of the UK's leading construction and fit out businesses.
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Our commitments:

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at [e-mail]