Principal Project Planner

Network Rail; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/hybrid working arrangements

28 days annual leave

Station discounts

Defined benefit pension

Train ticket subsidy

Travel loan

Volunteer leave

Job summary

Network Rail in London is seeking a Principal Project Planner to lead the development and management of integrated schedules across large-scale infrastructure or transformation programmes. You will work with the Programme Director, planning tools, and senior stakeholders to identify risks and dependencies, ensuring on-track delivery and clear insights into progress.

The role offers flexible/hybrid working, a generous annual leave, and a defined benefit pension, with opportunities to shape

Qualifications

• Experience developing integrated programme schedules across multiple workstreams.
• Proficiency in Smartsheet, MS Project and Primavera P6.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to plan and deliver complex infrastructure or transformation programmes.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and develop the programme's integrated schedule to keep multiple workstreams aligned.
• Identify risks, dependencies and issues; escalate where required.
• Support senior stakeholder reporting and information for programme forums.
• Facilitate workshops and guidance on best-practice planning.
• Strengthen governance, reporting structures, and project controls.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Ambiguity navigation

Proactive planning

Tools

Smartsheet

MS Project

Primavera P6

Job description

Join Network Rail - Where People and Connections Matter
At Network Rail, we're dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you're not just part of a team - you're part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway.
We're committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments. We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we'll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process. You can visit Evenbreaks Career Hive for advice on accessibility support.

Duration: This role is offered as a secondment or fixed-term contract until at least winter 2027, with the potential for extension or to become permanent. Please note that secondments are subject to line manager approval, so you should discuss this with them before applying.

Contact : If you require any support with your application,

Some of our great benefits:

Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered.

Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days.

Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass.

Defined benefit pension scheme

75% subsidy on train tickets.

Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets.

Volunteer leave to make a positive impact.

About the role

What does the average day look like?

No two days are the same, but you'll typically be responsible for maintaining and developing the programme's integrated schedule, ensuring activities across multiple workstreams remain aligned and on track. You'll work closely with workstream leads to identify risks, dependencies and potential issues, providing support and escalating concerns where required. Alongside managing programme governance processes, you'll contribute to senior stakeholder reporting, prepare information for programme forums, and utilise planning tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project and Primavera P6 to provide clear and accurate programme insights.

Alongside planning activities, the role is highly collaborative and stakeholder-focused, requiring regular engagement with internal teams across Network Rail as well as external stakeholders across the industry. The planner facilitates workshops, provides guidance on best-practice planning, and supports teams in navigating ambiguity to extract key information that informs programme delivery. They produce and communicate clear reporting on progress, including variance analysis, critical path insights, and resource utilisation, while proactively identifying risks and ensuring the Programme Director has early visibility of any impacts. The role also contributes to strengthening programme governance, reporting structures, and project controls to support effective delivery of complex infrastructure or transformation programmes.

This is a key programme role working closely with the Programme Director across a complex set of interdependent workstreams - from the development of new contracts, codes and policies, through to the design of future processes, capabilities and ways of working. You will bring structure across the programme, ensuring that activity aligns to a clear organisational end state. You will operate at the centre of a broad stakeholder landscape - connecting System Operator, the wider GBR programme and other external partners.

We are looking for a planner who is -

• Curious and proactive in seeking to understand what tasks/steps are required to deliver an outcome and how activities across the programme relate to each other
• Able to constructively challenge-testing, clarifying, and validating delivery team inputs where required
• Strong communicator highly skilled at active listening influencing, and diplomacy
• Outcome-focused - adapts and prioritises proportionate, fit-for-purpose ways of working rather than overly prescriptive or administrative methods
• Able to help others navigate ambiguity when planning and to surface key information from delivery teams that may not be immediately apparent
• Proactive and seeks to understand the implications to the plan, giving Programme Director early sight of emerging risks

If you want to play a central role in shaping the future of Britain's railway - and contribute to a programme that will define how GBR comes to life - we would love to hear from you.

A little bit about the team...

The team is a collaborative and delivery-focused group working across multiple stakeholder to drive the successful delivery of a complex, high-profile programme. It brings together subject matter experts from across Network Rail and partner organisations, all aligned to shared outcomes but operating across different workstreams. There is a strong emphasis on open communication, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving, with team members supporting one another to navigate complexity and maintain momentum.

Working within this environment, the Principal Project Planner plays a key role in connecting the detail across the programme, helping to create a joined-up view of delivery. The team culture encourages constructive challenge, continuous improvement, and proactive risk management, ensuring that plans remain realistic, transparent, and adaptable as the programme evolves.

Next Steps

CV shortlisting will take place after the advert closes, with interviews planned from the week commencing 2nd November, subject to business needs. Early applications are encouraged, as we may close the advert early due to high application volumes.

We encourage you to review our Safety Vision , as safety is an important part of the culture at Network Rail

We are looking for a highly capable and experienced planning professional who thrives in complex, fast-paced but often ambiguous programme environments. The ideal candidate will bring proven expertise in developing and managing integrated schedules across large-scale infrastructure or transformation programmes, with a strong understanding of dependencies, critical path analysis, and resource planning. They will be confident using advanced scheduling tools and able to translate detailed planning data into clear, actionable insights that support effective decision-making at a senior level.

Beyond technical capability, we are seeking someone who is naturally curious, proactive, and comfortable operating in ambiguity. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator with the confidence to challenge constructively, influence stakeholders, and build strong working relationships across diverse teams. They will be outcome-oriented and pragmatic in their approach, balancing attention to detail with the ability to see the bigger picture, and will play a key role in driving clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement across the programme.

• Experience in developing complex programme schedules with many project interdependencies
• High-level of proficiency in using applicable scheduling software
• Experience of major infrastructure or transformation programmes

Key Information

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Fixed-Term

Hours:

Either

Location:

Geographical Area:

London (Inside M25)

Closing Date:

20-OCT-2026

Job Category:

Business, Commercial and Project Management