Planner/Works Programmer

Mears Group; Worcester Park Estate; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Mears Rewards

Employee Assistance Programme

Annual Fun Day

Volunteering leave

Cycle to Work Scheme

Share save scheme

Life Assurance (2x annual salary)

Pension scheme

Job summary

Mears Group in Dartford is seeking an organised and proactive Planner to join our local repairs team. You will schedule operatives and contractors, monitor daily progress, and ensure repairs are completed efficiently and to a high standard.

Role involves liaising with residents, handling damp and mould cases, and ensuring compliance with health and safety.)

Qualifications

• Previous planning experience.
• Experience in building maintenance processes.
• Experience in social housing.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, pressurised environment.
• Strong IT skills for job management and scheduling systems.
• Excellent time management, organisational, and communication skills.
• Customer-first approach with the ability to handle challenging situations.

Responsibilities

• Schedule operatives and subcontractors to optimise resources.
• Monitor and update repair jobs daily including appointments and follow-ons.
• Manage the repairs inbox and liaise with tenants and the client.
• Handle damp and mould cases, liaising with tenants on high-risk properties.
• Support IT systems and ensure correct data entry.
• Communicate clearly with residents, operatives and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with administrators, supervisors and contractors.
• Provide cover for other planners and attend meetings.
• Adhere to company policies and Health & Safety requirements.
• Assist with reporting and KPI target achievement.
• Prioritise emergency and urgent repairs to minimise disruption.
• Maintain accurate records for audits and compliance.
• Suggest process improvements to planning and scheduling.

Skills

Planning experience

Building maintenance

Social housing

IT systems

Time management

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Customer focus

Job description

Annual salary: up to £30,000.00 Planner Location: Dartford Full time / Permanent Salary: £30,000 Per Annum Hours: 42.5 hours Monday - Friday

Mears are the largest provider of repairs and maintenance, and regeneration services across the UK. We are a highly responsible partner, who is committed to; delivering the highest levels of customer service, keeping our promises, creating a great place to work, and tackling issues that matter to people and communities.

We are looking for an organised and proactive Planner to join our local repairs team. You’ll play a vital role in ensuring repairs are scheduled efficiently, works are allocated to operatives, and jobs are completed quickly and to a high standard. As the key link between residents, operatives, and colleagues, you will help deliver a customer-focused, responsive repairs service.

Duties

• Schedule operatives and subcontractors to ensure resources are used efficiently and repairs are completed on time.
• Monitor and update repair jobs daily, including appointments, follow‑on works, and overdue tasks.
• Manage the repairs inbox, dealing with emails from tenants and the client.
• Handle damp and mould cases, speaking with tenants to assess whether their property is high‑risk, liaising with the client, and issuing any required follow‑on letters.
• Support the use of IT systems, ensuring operatives update their PDAs and that schedule‑of‑rates codes are entered correctly.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with residents, operatives, and stakeholders to keep all parties informed.
• Work closely with administrators, supervisors, and contractors to deliver a seamless service.
• Provide cover for other planners when required and attend meetings or training sessions as needed.
• Always Adhere to company policies and Health & Safety requirements.
• Assist with reporting and performance monitoring to ensure KPIs and targets are achieved.
• Help prioritise emergency and urgent repairs to minimise disruption for residents.
• Maintain accurate records, data, and documentation for audits and compliance purposes.
• Support continuous service improvement by suggesting ways to streamline planning and scheduling processes.

Role Criteria

• Pervious Planning experience
• Experience in Building maintenance processes
• Experience in Social housing
• Experience working in a fast‑paced, pressurised environment
• Strong IT skills with the ability to use job management and scheduling systems
• Excellent time management, organisational, and communication skills
• A customer‑first approach with the ability to handle challenging situations

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity (14 weeks full pay, 12 weeks half pay and 13 weeks statutory pay), paternity (2 weeks full pay) and adoption leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - free confidential support and counselling available
• Mears Rewards offering discounts and cashback at leading retailers including travel, household items and shopping
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering leave – up to two days per year to support community initiatives
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Share save scheme
• Recognition and long service awards
• Buy up to 5 days holiday each year depending ond length of service
• Learning and development opportunities
• Career progression opportunities across Mears Group
• Occupational health support
• Green car scheme with Tusker after successful probation period
• Be part of an inclusive workplace with access to a range of colleague networks and support groups focused on diversity, wellbeing and career development. From Disability, Pride (LGBTQ+) and Ethnic Diversity networks to Women in Leadership, the Women Operative Support Group, Women's Health, Men's Mental Health and Armed Forces communities, these groups provide opportunities for support, connection and professional development across our diverse workforce.
• Company Sick Pay
• Life Assurance (2x annual salary)
• 5% employee and 3% employer pension contribution with People pension

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship. Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.

We are the people behind the smile! At Mears we look for people who share our vision and values - to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. We do this by improving homes, improving communities and improving lives. We are proud of our business and the opportunities we provide to colleagues working across the UK. Our Values - Customers / Innovation / Teamwork / Responsibility