Planning Manager

Nuclearinst; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free medical cover

Flexible working hours

Parental leave pay

Job summary

Amentum is seeking a Planning Manager to lead a team of planning engineers and project controls specialists on decommissioning projects in the UK. You will provide planning services, manage schedules, and ensure alignment with scope, cost, and time constraints.

You will report to the Head of Project Controls, drive improvements, and build strong client relationships while delivering social value within the DNWP framework.

Qualifications

• Holds Professional Qualification in Project Management, Project Controls, Quantity Surveying, or equivalent.
• Proven leadership in planning for major projects and programmes.
• Expert scheduling with Primavera P6 and MS Project.
• Experience in schedule development, forecasting and performance analysis.

Responsibilities

• Management of the planning function, strategy, and delivery across projects and programmes.
• Act as the planning SME, providing leadership and technical guidance.
• Develop team capability through performance management and mentoring.
• Oversee creation, maintenance, and delivery of project schedules with alignment to scope, cost, resources, quality and time.
• Produce and manage baselines, forecasts, progress reporting, and change control.
• Identify risks, schedule slippage, and recovery actions with proactive advice.
• Support project reporting and contribute to successful delivery.
• Ensure compliance with procedures and standards.
• Drive continuous improvement through KPI analysis, process development and new technologies.
• Build client relationships and identify opportunities to improve outcomes and growth.

Skills

Project controls leadership

Planning leadership

Primavera P6 Advanced

MS Project

Schedule development

Risk management

Client liaison

Earned Value Management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Professional Qualification in Project Management

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

EVM tools

Job description

At Amentum, we're not just solving problems; we're engineering the future. Our team is driven by an unyielding commitment to innovation, integrity, and collaboration, tackling some of the most significant challenges in science, security, and sustainability. If you're passionate about making a real impact and want to be part of a community that values ethical excellence, this is the place where your ambition can thrive.

Here, we believe that success comes from continuously pushing boundaries and working together to deliver on our promises. We embrace challenges with confidence and are dedicated to creating a secure and vibrant future for all.

We'll inspire and empower you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed - today and into tomorrow. We offer an exciting range of opportunities to develop your career within a supportive team who always strive to do the right thing for our people, clients and communities.

People are our greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent.

In addition to the benefits you'd expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships.

Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for us. We're happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

Amentum is a Lot 1 key delivery partner within the Decommissioning and Nuclear Waste Partners (DNWP) Framework, a major Sellafield programme worth up to £4.6 billion and running for up to 15 years. The framework is focused on safely accelerating decommissioning, remediation and high-hazard risk reduction across one of the most complex nuclear sites in the world.

Our nuclear team supports the front-end design, engineering, technical leadership and delivery expertise required across the DNWP portfolio. We are looking for individuals with high-value expertise from across regulated and comparable sectors to who can work collaboratively, embrace new challenges and contribute to the mission of safely and efficiently delivering Sellafield's decommissioning and nuclear waste objectives.

About the Opportunity

As a Planning Manager you will be responsible to provide planning services on assigned projects and to lead a team of senior planning engineers, planning engineers and project controls apprentices.

You will typically report directly to Head of Project Controls within the organisation but take direction from projects you are supporting and organisational structure on a day-to-day basis.

Employee will be expected to contribute to the delivery of social value in line with the DNWP framework, supporting positive outcomes for local communities. Voluntary engagement is supported, with up to 16 hours per full-time equivalent allocated.

Key Responsibilities:

• Management of the planning function, strategy, and delivery across projects and programmes.
• Act as the planning subject matter expert, providing leadership and technical guidance.
• Develop team capability through effective performance management, mentoring, and support.
• Oversee the creation, maintenance, and delivery of project schedules, ensuring alignment with scope, cost, resource, quality, and time requirements.
• Produce and manage schedule baselines, forecasts, progress reporting, and change control processes.
• Identify risks, schedule slippage, and recovery actions, providing proactive advice to project teams.
• Support project reporting requirements and contribute to successful project delivery.
• Ensure compliance with company and client procedures and standards.
• Drive continuous improvement through client feedback, KPI (Key Performance Indicators) performance analysis, process development, and adoption of new technologies and methodologies.
• Build client relationships and identify opportunities to enhance project outcomes, client satisfaction, and business growth.
• Provide weekly/monthly progress updates producing BCWP 'Budget Cost of Work Performed' information for earned value, SPI 'Schedule Performance Indices' and SV 'Schedule Variance' for project performance.
• Liaise with the cost capability to accurately assess the financial status of the project to the required level on the project schedule, producing CPI 'Cost Performance Indices' and CV 'Cost Variance' for project performance.
• Prepare for and attend business PARs and potentially support head of profession in coverage of MBRs if requested.
• Support the head of project controls in non-project activities e.g. writing procedures, resource planning, establishing policy, budgeting, recruitment etc., to support the drive to continuously improve and optimise the operation of the department.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Holds Professional Qualification in Project Management, Project Controls, Quantity Surveying, Engineering or equivalent experience
• Proven significant experience of leading and providing project controls leadership, management, and planning for both major projects and multiple-project programmes
• Expert project planning and scheduling experience (Primavera P6 Advanced/MS Project)
• Proven track record of leading planning teams and delivering integrated project schedules.
• Experience in schedule development, resource/cost loading, forecasting, and performance analysis.
• Experience identifying and mitigating project risks and implementing recovery plans.
• Experience working with clients, project teams, and senior stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience producing project forecasts, progress reporting, and performance analysis using EVM techniques.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and continuous improvement capabilities.
• Understanding of how engineering and construction projects are delivered
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Knowledge of project controls, resource planning, forecasting, and change management.

Our Culture

Our values are built on a strong foundation of safety, integrity, and respect for every individual. People are at the heart of our mission, and we believe in supporting one another through a culture of care and collaboration.

We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. Supporting mental wellbeing and fostering a sense of connection are essential to how we work.

When we embrace different perspectives and work together, we become more innovative, more agile, and more successful.

We partner with VERCIDA, for greater online accessibility please visit www.vercida.com to view and access our roles. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact