Principal Planner

ZipRecruiter; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative recruitment firm is seeking a Principal Planner to lead project planning in the nuclear sector. This role involves overseeing project schedules, collaborating with teams, and ensuring effective communication of project metrics. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills and a creative approach to problem-solving, ensuring that project timelines align with commercial objectives. Join a forward-thinking company that values diversity and expertise in the nuclear field, and contribute to shaping a sustainable future in this critical industry.

Qualifications

• Experience across the entire project lifecycle including Engineering, Procurement, and Construction.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to influence others.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Planning team and maintain relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Control and report schedule-related aspects for designated projects.
• Monitor project risk and change status to maintain schedule forecasts.

Skills

Project Planning

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving

Earned Value Analysis

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Education

Membership of a professional institution (APM or similar)

Job description

Job Description

Westlakes Recruit is currently recruiting for a Principal Planner to be engaged on a contract basis (outside IR35 considered). Candidates will ideally be based in Manchester, and hybrid working will be supported.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead the Planning team under the direction of the Project Controls Manager and develop and maintain a good working relationship with the Client and colleagues.
2. Control, monitor, analyse, and report schedule-related aspects for designated projects within a portfolio, liaising with the Commercial Team and the Project Controls Team to assist in the production of key project schedule metrics.
3. Ensure all changes to the baseline on a project are understood and managed appropriately.
4. Continuously monitor Project Risk and Change status to maintain current schedule forecasts.
5. Liaise with Project team members and contractors regarding progress and forecasting, providing 'what-if' analysis on schedules as required.
6. Monitor, control, and analyse project schedule information, identify variances, and communicate these to the Project Manager with possible alternatives.
7. Prepare specific reports to facilitate challenge and analysis to meet the project's specific needs.
8. Challenge schedule variances against the baseline plan with task leaders, contractors, and stakeholders to enable mitigation.
9. During your absence, hand over duties to an agreed delegate with your manager.

Essential Requirements

• Understand the inter-relationship between time, cost, and commercial aspects of the project lifecycle.
• Experience across the entire project and programme lifecycle (e.g., Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation/Commissioning & handover processes).
• Experience in developing, implementing, and maintaining project planning procedures and extensive experience in producing project schedule reports.
• A creative and innovative approach to problem-solving and extensive experience in collating information, preparing reports, processing supplier schedules, and applying company procedures and policies.
• Strong analytical skills, confidence, and ability to influence others.
• Proficient in the interpretation of Earned Value Analysis.
• Excellent MS Office skills, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with experience in report preparation.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience working in highly regulated environments.
• Membership of a professional institution such as APM or similar.

For more information or to register your interest for future updates, please visit our website.

Why We're Different: Westlakes Recruit is a people solutions business specializing in nuclear sector recruitment, emphasizing sectoral knowledge, talent development, and sector-specific expertise.

We do Nuclear. We only do Nuclear. We Power a Diverse Nuclear Future. As an equal opportunities employer, we value applications from all backgrounds.