Principal Planner Canterbury, Ashford area

Arcadis; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy firm in Greater London seeks an experienced Principal Planner to oversee the planning and scheduling of major infrastructure projects. You will manage complex project controls from inception to completion, ensuring that high standards are met while driving continuous improvement within a collaborative environment. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience, a degree related to project management or engineering, and proficiency in planning software. Join us in creating a lasting impact on communities and infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in project planning and scheduling within major infrastructure programmes.
• Strong understanding of the UK infrastructure sector.
• Proficient in planning software like Primavera P6 and MS Project.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and scheduling on complex infrastructure projects.
• Develop and maintain project baseline plans and schedules.
• Monitor progress and implement recovery plans.

Skills

Project planning

Scheduling

Leadership

Communication

Organisational skills

Commercial awareness

Data analysis

Education

Degree in Engineering or Project Management

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Job description

Description

Arcadis is the worlds leading company delivering sustainable design engineering and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 36000 people in over 70 countries dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds together we can solve the worlds most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description

Arcadis Mobility PMCM (Project & Construction Management) is seeking a highly skilled Principal Planner to lead the planning and scheduling of major infrastructure programmes in the Canterbury / Ashford area. This is a pivotal site-based role combining strategic planning team leadership and performance reporting to ensure successful project delivery. You will play a key role in delivering large infrastructure projects and driving continuous improvement.

Role accountabilities

• Lead planning and scheduling on complex infrastructure projects ensuring robust project controls throughout the lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain project baseline plans work breakdown structures and schedules aligned with delivery objectives.
• Monitor progress identify variances and implement recovery and contingency plans.
• Provide expert input into bids estimates and resource planning to support business growth.
• Report on earned value progress and performance to inform financial forecasting and decision-making.
• Analyse project and programme data to identify trends risks and anomalies.
• Ensure compliance with planning standards and lifecycle frameworks.
• Audit contractor plans and monitor adherence to client and regulatory procedures.
• Mentor and support planners fostering skills development and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with clients multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders to deliver value and build strong relationships.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning processes and adopt emerging digital tools.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• 10 year experience in project planning and scheduling ideally within major infrastructure programmes.
• Degree / HNC / HND in Engineering Project Management or a related subject.
• Strong understanding of UK infrastructure sector and project delivery requirements.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proficient in planning software (e.g. Primavera P6 MS Project).
• Excellent organisational commercial and communication skills.
• Experience with project controls cost engineering and financial operations.
• Familiarity with different contracting environments and commercial models.

Desirable

• Membership of a relevant professional body.
• Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification.
• Broad understanding of engineering and investment planning systems.

Why Arcadis

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skills‑based approach where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximise the impact we can make together.

You'll do meaningful work and no matter what role you'll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark on your career your colleagues your clients your life and the world around you.

Together we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality Diversity Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age Disability Faith Gender LGBT and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.

#LI-MT

Required Experience

Staff IC

Key Skills

GIS, JAWS, Military Experience, Business Management, Emergency Management, Joint Operations, Production Planning, Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, ERP Systems, Exercise Planning, MRP

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1