Program Planner

Doocey Group; England; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Doocey Group, a nationally operating civil engineering contractor, is seeking an experienced Program Planner to develop and manage project programmes using MSP/P6. You will support project teams with time-risk visibility, drive corrective actions, and coordinate with engineers, subcontractors and procurement across multiple sites.

The role requires strong communication, leadership, and analytical skills to produce accurate schedule updates, lookaheads, and claims support, contributing to on-time

Qualifications

• Proven experience in MSP/P6 and related planning tools.
• Strong ability to manage complex schedules across multiple teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, with clear reporting.

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage and report project programmes using MSP/P6 or Primavera.
• Update short-term lookahead programmes and weekly legacy updates.
• Chair planning meetings and coordinate with engineers, subcontractors and procurement.
• Analyse earned value metrics and report SPI/CPI performance.
• Prepare monthly and weekly progress reports for stakeholders.
• Assess variations and compensation events impacting the programme.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Proactive

Attention to detail

Education

GCSEs Grade 9-4 or equivalent

Tools

MSP/P6

MS Project

Power BI

Excel

Job description

We are Doocey Group, a nationally operating civil engineering and utility contractor known for delivering a wide range of infrastructure services including water, drainage, gas, electricity, highways, and structural projects. With a strong commitment to quality, we invest in continuous staff training and uphold rigorous standards supported by ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications, fostering long-term client partnerships built on trust and reliability.

We are currently seeking a skilled Program Planner to join our dynamic team and contribute to the successful delivery of complex projects. If you are passionate about civil engineering and eager to grow in a supportive environment, we encourage you to apply and become part of our dedicated workforce.

As a Projects Planner you will be responsible for developing, managing, and reporting on project programmes in either Microsoft project or P6 Primavera and ensuring all planning and programming aspects are delivered effectively to meet project goals. This role plays a critical part in supporting project management teams by providing visibility of time-related risks and opportunities and advising on corrective actions.

All projects will have a program developed which will be a contractual requirement, the program will need to be updated and circulated on a weekly basis and regular one to one with Project managers will be required, this may be superseded contractually at relevant points.

Responsibilities

• Review daily site reports and integrate relevant information into schedule updates.
• Liaise with site teams to monitor daily progress, identify delays or deviations.
• Update short-term lookahead programmes (1-4 weeks) based on daily site feedback.
• Chair site meetings and provide updates on key milestones or upcoming constraints.
• Coordinate with engineers, subcontractors, and procurement for real-time planning inputs.
• Maintain planning systems and ensure schedule logic integrity in Primavera P6 or MS Project.
• Log critical incidents or delays for potential claims or risk analysis.
• Update the overall project schedule with progress data and re-forecast completion dates.
• Analyse earned value metrics and report performance (SPI, CPI).
• Prepare and distribute planned programmes to site teams.
• Hold weekly planning meetings with construction and design teams.
• Review subcontractor schedules and integrate them into the master programme.
• Update planning logs (procurement, interfaces, design deliverables).
• Generate weekly planning reports for internal stakeholders (e.g., project manager, commercial team).
• Identify and communicate key risks and mitigation plans from a time perspective.
• Work with the Commercial department closely to identify compensation events and early warnings and adjust the programme accordingly
• Provide a 4/8/12 weekly look ahead for issue to the operations team
• Prepare the monthly progress report for client submissions, including visual programme comparisons and narrative.
• Carry out delay analysis for reporting and/or claim preparation (prospective and retrospective).
• Conduct formal progress reviews with stakeholders, comparing planned vs actuals.
• Update the baseline programme (if necessary) in agreement with the client/contract requirements.
• Assess impact of variations, compensation events, or early warnings on the programme.
• Contribute to monthly cost and schedule integration with commercial and finance teams.
• Support risk management meetings by updating schedule-related risk registers.
• Analyse productivity trends and assess forecast durations for major activities.
• Develop tender programmes for new project bids (if applicable).
• Prepare recovery or mitigation schedules when delays occur.
• Support dispute resolution or claims preparation with forensic planning input.
• Perform time impact analyses (TIA) for change events.
• Prepare construction phasing plans or logistics schedules for client/stakeholder reviews.
• Train junior planners or site engineers on planning tools and methodologies.
• Conduct “lessons learned” reviews post-project or at major milestones.
• Coordinate interface programmes for multi-disciplinary or multi-contractor environments.
• Attend external planning meetings or workshops with the client, suppliers, or authorities.
• Assist in the implementation of planning software or digital tools (e.g., 4D BIM, Power BI dashboards).

Technical Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in the same role, or similar within the Civil Engineering sector.
• Self-driven, results-oriented, with a ‘can do' attitude without compromising safety and/or compliance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders, including employees, management, regulatory agencies, and the community.
• Excellent commercial acumen, and ability to make strategic business decisions, to drive business performance.
• Problem-Solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal, including excellent telephone manner.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to be proactive and to use own initiative.
• Ability to manage own diary.
• Excellent organisation skills.
• Excellent understanding of construction methodologies, sequencing, and temporary works
• Strong contractual knowledge (especially NEC3/4, FIDIC)
• Ability to lead and develop project schedules, look-ahead programmes, and mitigation plans
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication
• Team leadership and mentoring junior planners

Qualifications & Training

• Must be highly trained in MSP/P6
• A comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office software, especially Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• GCSE's Grade 9-4 or equivalent.

Our salaries are competitive and reviewed regularly to ensure they remain fair and in line with the wider industry.

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