Planning Engineer

Cobalt Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

Cobalt Recruitment is seeking Planning Engineers / Project Planners to join a growing team delivering major infrastructure projects in the UK and across Europe. You will manage detailed project schedules using Primavera P6 and MS Project, coordinate with engineers, managers, and clients, and contribute to change control and reporting processes.

Hybrid working and a competitive benefits package accompany the opportunity to work on water, rail, highway, and nuclear schemes within a leading

Qualifications

• Degree holder in Engineering or related field.
• Accreditation or chartership desirable.
• Proficiency with Primavera P6 and MS Project required.
• Experience with schedule QA tools like Acumen Fuse.
• Strong Excel and MS Office skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and update detailed project schedules.
• Collaborate with project managers, engineers and clients to ensure timely delivery.
• Support Change Control processes and progress reporting.
• Produce dashboards and narratives highlighting risks and mitigations.
• Assist with tender input and delivery strategy.

Skills

Project scheduling

Stakeholder collaboration

Critical thinking

Education

BSc in Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Excel

Acumen Fuse

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Title - Planning Engineer

Location - London

Projects - Water, Rail, Highways, and Nuclear

Salary - Up to £65,000 plus an excellent benefits package (Hybrid Working)

The Opportunity

Our client is delivering an ambitious growth strategy across its Projects & Programmes (P&P) offering, which is a core part of its advisory and delivery capability. This growing function includes project controls, PMO, design integration, and strategic delivery support for major clients across the Energy, Water, Transport, Science, and Industrial sectors.

As part of this continued expansion, our client is looking to strengthen its Project Planning capability and is seeking experienced Planning Engineers / Project Planners to support a diverse and high-profile portfolio of work. Successful candidates will be responsible for managing project schedules across a range of complex infrastructure projects, including Water, Rail, Highways, and Nuclear.

You will have the opportunity to work on major programmes both in the UK and across Europe, collaborating closely with national project controls teams and a wider community of planning professionals. This role offers exposure to best‑in‑class planning practices, complex multidisciplinary projects, and long‑term career development within a highly respected consultancy environment.

Our client fosters an inclusive and collaborative culture, encouraging individuality and innovation. The work undertaken is purposeful and impactful, contributing to meaningful outcomes for clients, communities, and the built environment.

The Role

Successful candidates will support consulting and advisory services for public and private sector clients, with a strong focus on project planning and project controls, alongside broader project management support.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing, maintaining, and updating detailed project schedules using Primavera P6 and MS Project, including Integrated Master Schedules
• Working closely with project managers, engineers, construction teams, and clients to ensure accurate programme data and timely delivery of project objectives
• Establishing and supporting Change Control processes throughout the project lifecycle
• Producing regular progress reports, forecasts, dashboards, and programme narratives, highlighting risks, issues, and mitigation strategies
• Supporting business development activities, including tender preparation, programme input, and delivery strategy development
• Carrying out Earned Value Management (EVM), cost and resource loading, schedule performance analysis, and programme health checks
• Integrating project schedules with risk registers and ensuring compliance with internal standards, client requirements, and industry contracts (e.g. NEC4, JCT, RIBA)

Requirements

Our client is seeking professionals with a strong background in project planning and project controls, ideally within major infrastructure or complex engineering environments.

Key requirements include:

• Degree (BSc or equivalent) in Engineering, Project Management, or a related discipline
• Professional accreditation or working towards chartership is desirable
• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6, MS Project, Excel, and Microsoft Office applications
• Experience with schedule quality assurance tools such as Acumen Fuse
• Strong understanding of design and/or development processes for major projects
• Experience managing schedules and progress reporting for multidisciplinary technical teams and/or sub-consultants
• Right to work in the UK (UK passport or valid work authorisation required)