Planning Manager Power

Balfour Beatty; Derby; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Balfour Beatty seeks a Planning Manager for their Power Transmission & Distribution business. This hybrid role involves strategic oversight of construction projects, optimizing timelines, and leading a planning team to ensure successful project delivery. Candidates should have significant experience in construction project management and demonstrate strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills.

Benefits

Competitive salary + car / car allowance

37.5-hour workweek (Monday to Friday)

Pension scheme: Up to 5% employee & 7% employer contributions

28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Access to professional development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Volunteering opportunities: Up to 2 days per year

Qualifications

• Significant experience in planning and managing large-scale construction projects.
• Extensive understanding of construction project management principles.
• Expert in project scheduling and planning.

Responsibilities

• Oversee strategic planning and scheduling of multiple construction projects.
• Lead planning processes, overseeing the development of programs and reports.
• Manage contracts with subcontractors and monitor performance.

Skills

Analytical and problem solving

Excellent communication skills

Leadership and Mentorship

Negotiation and Conflict resolution

Tools

Excel

MS Project

Primavera P6

Job description

About the role

Balfour Beatty is seeking a Planning Manager to join our dynamic Power Transmission & Distribution business unit.

Location: This is a hybrid role based at our Derby (Raynesway) office, with travel to the Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement project, supporting from the project office in Suffolk. The role offers flexibility in line with Balfour Beatty's Smart Working policy, with a blend of office, site, and home-based working.

Project: National Grid Electricity Transmission is delivering a vital infrastructure project to reinforce the electricity transmission network between Bramford Substation in Suffolk and Twinstead Tee in Essex. This major scheme involves the construction of a new overhead line and underground cable link, strengthening energy resilience and supporting the UK's transition to net zero.

Role Profile:

Oversees the strategic planning and scheduling of multiple construction projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Aims to optimise project timelines, resource allocation and coordination efforts. Fosters efficiency across the construction portfolio, implementing best practices and guiding the planning team to achieve successful project outcomes.

What you'll be doing

Working independently or part of the planning team:

• Expert in identifying planning scope, major constraints, and contract requirements alongside identifying major quantities and factors affecting the programme
• Tender: Lead the collaborative development and agreement on a logical sequence and methodology, overseeing the planning team. Ensure the adoption of the most efficient design, procurement, and construction strategy for the successful delivery of the works
• Lead planning processes, overseeing the development of key deliverables such as programs, planning philosophy, presentations, and reports. Guide planners in formulating Tender Programmes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Drive effective planning strategies to achieve project success
• Contract: Offer strategic guidance throughout the contract stage, overseeing the Senior Planner and planning team in producing, managing, and maintaining the Contract Programme. Ensure meticulous alignment with planning procedures and actively contribute to the project's overall success under the leadership of the Planning/Project Lead
• Displaying and evaluating the project critical path, advising the project team of the results and any appropriate corrective action alongside producing and maintaining project baselines, and execute the change control process as appropriate
• Resource Management: Expertise in managing labour, equipment, and materials efficiently to meet project objectives while minimizing costs and delays
• Contract Management: Manage contracts with subcontractors and suppliers, monitoring performance, and resolving contract-related issues
• Data Analysis: Aid the planning team to produce project data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress, identify deviations, and make data-driven decisions for project improvement.
• Training and Development: Provide leadership and mentorship to less experienced planners and personnel, fostering their professional growth and competence.

Who we're looking for

Skills:

• Analytical and problem solving
• Excellent understanding and management of data and processes
• Excellent communication skills
• Negotiation and Conflict resolution
• Leadership and Mentorship

Knowledge:

• Expert in project management tools and software like Excel, MS Project/Timeline and Primavera P6
• Extensive understanding of construction project management principles, methodologies, and best practices
• Expert in project scheduling and planning, including the ability to develop and manage complex project schedules using industry-standard tools
• Expert in Risk Management in project programmes: TRA, QSRA, etc.
• Understanding of financial aspects related to project planning, including budgeting, cost estimation, Earned Value Management, and analysis to support effective decision-making

Experience:

• Significant experience in successfully planning and managing a variety of construction projects, including large-scale and complex.
• Substantial experience in leading and managing planning resources for construction projects, highlighting a track record of successful project delivery.
• Previous experience in managing relationships with clients, subcontractors, and other stakeholders, demonstrating excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver amazing projects in challenging conditions; developing, managing and maintaining the vital infrastructure and public spaces that modern economies, societies and communities rely on.

• Competitive salary + car / car allowance
• 37.5-hour workweek (Monday to Friday)
• Pension scheme: Up to 5% employee & 7% employer contributions
• Family-friendly policies
• 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave
• 4 weeks full pay for paternity/partner leave
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Professional development: Access to a broad range of learning opportunities, including qualifications
• Employee Assistance Programme for support and well-being
• Volunteering opportunities: Up to 2 days per year

About us

Balfour Beattys Power Transmission & Distribution teams work with regional, national and international electricity network owners and operators to provide technical engineering solutions. With experience and expertise across the full spectrum of the electricity grid our teams have capability across overhead lines, cable tunnels, distribution networks and substations. From scoping and feasibility, to design, construction and on-going maintenance, our in-house experts, flexible resources and industry-leading innovations support clients in the development of some of the worlds most ambitious power transmission and distribution projects.

At Balfour Beatty we are committed to creating a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential, not only because this is the right thing to do, but because it makes us a better business. To ensure we deliver on this commitment, we have a UK Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan which sets out the wide range of targeted, proactive, measurable steps we are taking to make this a reality. You can read our UK Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan in full on the Balfour Beatty website.

To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and Women into Construction. In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role.

Further information on Disability Confident can be found on the Balfour Beatty website.