Managing Planner

Wates Smartspace; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Wates Advanced Manufacturing in Sunderland is seeking an experienced Managing Planner to take on a leadership role across a demanding portfolio, including a major gigafactory project. Based at Sunderland with travel to sites, you will shape how planning operates, build a team, and set the direction for the function.

You will lead 5–10 Planners, oversee resource allocation across pre-construction, tenders and live projects, and drive governance, sequencing, and performance reporting to ensure

Qualifications

• Extensive planning leadership experience on major construction or infrastructure projects.
• Proven track record leading and developing planners teams.
• Strong knowledge of scheduling methods, critical path, and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning across the Advanced Manufacturing division and portfolio.
• Mobilise and shape the planning team across pre-construction, tenders and live projects.
• Establish standards, governance and programme assurance.
• Provide strategic planning leadership on projects valued £100m–£1bn.
• Coach and develop planners and drive capability.

Skills

Leadership

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Programme governance

Stakeholder management

Tools

Asta Powerproject

Job description

Wates Advanced Manufacturing is continuing to grow, and we're looking for an experienced Managing Planner to take a leading role within the division.

Our Advanced Manufacturing business delivers technically complex projects across sectors including advanced manufacturing, battery production, data centres, industrial infrastructure, pharmaceutical and research facilities. The team is currently delivering a major £800m gigafactory at Sunderland's International Advanced Manufacturing Park, demonstrating the scale and complexity of the work within the division.

This is much more than a project planning position.

As Managing Planner, you will become the planning lead for Wates Advanced Manufacturing, with the opportunity to shape how the planning function operates, build your team and put your own stamp on the direction we take.

Depending on project demand, you could be leading and developing a team of 5 to 10 Planners, deploying planning resource across major projects and helping establish the standards, processes and approach that underpin delivery.

With projects ranging from approximately £100m through to £1bn, this is an opportunity to operate at significant scale.

What you'll be doing

You'll take overall leadership of planning across the Advanced Manufacturing division, with responsibilities including:

• Leading, managing and developing a team of approximately 5 to 10 Planners, depending on workload and project requirements.
• Mobilising and shaping your planning team as the division and project portfolio continue to develop.
• Allocating planning resource effectively across pre-construction, tenders and live projects.
• Providing strategic planning leadership across major projects ranging from £100m to £1bn.
• Establishing consistent planning standards, governance, programme assurance and reporting.
• Leading and challenging project programmes, including sequencing, methodology, critical path, phasing, logistics, procurement and design interfaces.
• Working closely with Project Directors, Operations, Commercial, Design, MEP, Procurement and Pre-Construction teams.
• Providing programme assurance, identifying risk and opportunity and challenging project teams where necessary.Supporting projects with mitigation, recovery planning and strategic programme decisions.
• Coaching and developing Planners while building capability within the wider planning function.
• Supporting the continued mobilisation and growth of Wates Advanced Manufacturing.

The role will be based from our Sunderland operation, but travel to projects will form an important part of the position.

What we're looking for

We're looking for an established planning leader who combines strong technical planning knowledge with the ability to lead people and build a function.

You are likely to bring:

• Significant planning experience within a major construction, engineering or infrastructure environment.
• Previous responsibility for leading and developing Planners.
• Experience working on large, technically complex construction programmes.
• Strong knowledge of pre-construction and live project planning.
• Excellent understanding of construction methodology, programme logic, critical path and programme assurance.
• Experience working collaboratively across operational, commercial, design, procurement and engineering disciplines.
• Confidence working with senior project and business leadership.
• Strong working knowledge of industry planning software, ideally including Asta Powerproject.
• The ability to challenge programme assumptions and provide credible solutions when projects encounter complexity or change.
• The flexibility to travel to projects as required.

Our commitments: Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

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].