Lead Planner / Planning Manager

Future Engineering Recruitment Ltd; Taunton; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel Allowance

Bonus

Pension

Private Medical Insurance

Career Progression

Immediate Start

Job summary

Future Engineering Recruitment Ltd is seeking a Lead Planner/Planning Manager in Taunton to own the master construction programme on major mission-critical projects. The role is site-based, with a strong emphasis on real programme ownership, driving delivery from construction through commissioning.

The successful candidate will lead planning efforts on data centres and other large-scale projects, collaborating with senior leaders and site teams.

Qualifications

• Strong construction planning experience on major projects with leadership skills.
• Experience on large-scale, technically complex projects, ideally data centres or high-tech facilities.
• Strong working knowledge of Primavera P6 and/or Asta Powerproject, backed by real construction understanding.
• Critical path, progress and programme variance analysis.
• Confident communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work on site 5 days a week in Somerset.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the master construction programme.
• Work with project managers, engineers and site teams to align programme logic with installation methodology.
• Manage design, procurement, construction and commissioning activities.
• Coordinate complex MEP/CSA sequences and interfaces for mission-critical projects.
• Identify programme risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Track site progress, produce reports, support delivery teams to maintain programme integrity.
• Mentor and guide junior planners within the project team.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

Primavera P6

Asta Powerproject

Project planning

Job description

Lead Planner / Planning Manager
Taunton

£120,000 - £135,000 + Travel Allowance + Bonus + Pension + Private Medical Insurance + Career Progression + Immediate Start

Are you a Lead Planner who wants to own the master programme on a major mission-critical project, not just update it? This role suits someone who understands how projects are actually built, not just sequenced, and wants to work alongside senior leadership driving delivery from construction through to commissioning and handover.

Join one of the fastest-growing leading contractors delivering major construction projects across the UK. They need a Lead Planner in a fast-paced, technically demanding environment where planning sits at the centre of delivery, not in a back-office function, with a strong emphasis on site engagement, technical understanding and real programme ownership.

This Lead Planner role offers real long-term security. The business has a strong pipeline of data centre and mission-critical projects, ensuring a clear next project. Planners here have progressed to Head of Planning / Project Director. You’ll join the senior leadership team in a business that rewards performance, so this is a role to build a career in, not a one-project contract.

Your role as a Lead Planner will include:

• Ownership and management of the master construction programme
• Working closely with project managers, engineers and site teams to align programme logic with real installation methodology
• Managing design, procurement, construction and commissioning activities
• Coordinating complex MEP/CSA sequences and interfaces, ensuring programme certainty on a mission-critical project
• Identifying programme risks, constraints and clashes early, and driving practical mitigation strategies
• Tracking progress on site, producing accurate reports and supporting delivery teams to maintain programme integrity
• Supporting and mentoring planners within the project team

The successful Lead Planner will need:

• Strong construction planning experience on major projects, with leadership skills
• Experience on large-scale, technically complex projects, ideally data centres, industrial or high-tech facilities
• Strong working knowledge of Primavera P6 and/or Asta Powerproject, backed by real construction understanding
• Critical path, progress and programme variance analysis
• Confident communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work on site 5 days a week in Somerset

Keywords: Lead Planner, Planning Manager, Primavera P6, Asta Powerproject, programme, critical path, data centres, MEP, CSA, commissioning, construction, Bridgwater, Somerset, Taunton, Bristol