Lead Construction Planner

TN United Kingdom; Borehamwood; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the utilities and energy sector is seeking a dynamic Lead Construction Planner to oversee the planning lifecycle of major projects. This office-based role in Borehamwood involves leading a team, managing project programmes, and ensuring timely delivery while collaborating with various stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in construction and delivery planning across complex projects.
• Strong working knowledge of planning tools.
• Ability to operate under pressure in competitive environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and updates of project programmes.
• Manage and mentor a team of Planners.
• Collaborate closely with construction and site teams.

Skills

Communication

Critical Thinking

Construction Methods

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Job description

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Established in 1994, OCU Group is one of the fastest growing utility engineering contractors in the UK, with a long successful track record in delivering customer-focused civil engineering solutions.

Working directly with many of the country’s leading blue-chip power, water, telecoms and rail clients, we are looking for the very best talent to join our growing team.

We pride ourselves on empowering our employees and offering opportunities for them to take control of their own personal development and career progression in a supportive environment.

We believe that being successful is a choice.

We choose to be successful.

We are OCU, ‘One Company United’.

Power up project delivery across the energy sector.

We’re looking for a dynamic Lead Construction Planner to head up our planning construction team and drive the full construction planning lifecycle, from design through to commissioning, across major unregulated energy projects.

You’ll lead a team of planners and be the central force behind the programmes, progress tracking, and reporting, ensuring projects stay on time and on target.

This is an office based role in Borehamwood

What You'll Do:

• Lead the development and updates of project programmes across all phases
• Manage and mentor a team of Planners, driving excellence and consistency across planning practices
• Collaborate closely with construction and site teams to track progress and drive outcomes
• Manage change control processes and analyse impacts of early warnings, CE events, and PM instructions
• Own earned value reporting, including resource, cost loading
• Flag risks, monitor key milestones, and support the Project Manager with planning expertise
• Coordinate inputs from supply chain and stakeholders to keep plans real-time and reliable
• Attend client and project meetings, and be a regular, visible presence on-site
• Reporting to the Head of Planning for Energy

What You Bring:

• Proven experience in construction and delivery planning across complex projects
• Strong working knowledge of Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, and planning tools
• Understanding of construction methods, contract forms such as NEC, FIDIC, and project controls
• Clear communication, critical thinking, and the ability to operate under pressure in competitive bid environments

Why This Role Matters:

You'll play a critical leadership role in shaping some of the most exciting energy infrastructure projects around. It’s a high-impact, high-visibility position that mixes strategy, detail, and collaboration – no two days are the same.

Company Information:

OCU leads the way in end-to-end infrastructure engineering in the utilities, digital, and energy markets, specialising in safely and efficiently delivering complex client requirements. Our breadth of capabilities and depth of operational capacity, paired with our cutting-edge technology, ensure that we are not just part of the market; we are leading it.

Working directly with many of the country’s leading power, energy transition, water, telecoms and digital clients, we are looking for the very best talent to join our growing team.