Project Planner

ZipRecruiter; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A consulting firm in Portsmouth is seeking an experienced Project Planner to support high-profile naval defence programmes. The ideal candidate will have strong planning expertise in a complex environment, requiring SC Clearance. The role includes managing project schedules, supporting performance monitoring, and engaging with stakeholders. This position is a 6-month rolling contract.

Qualifications

• Current or eligible SC Clearance required.
• Proven experience as a Project Planner in the defence sector.
• Strong understanding of WBS and critical path analysis.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage detailed project schedules.
• Support performance monitoring against baselines.
• Identify schedule risks and propose mitigation strategies.

Skills

SC Clearance

Project Planning

Stakeholder Engagement

Primavera P6

Earned Value Management

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Job description

Job Description

Rubicon Consulting is currently recruiting for Project Planner on a 6 Month Rolling Contract, based in Portsmouth.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced SC Cleared Project Planner to support high-profile naval defence programmes in Portsmouth. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary project team, you will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and controlling project schedules, ensuring delivery is achieved on time and within budget. This role sits inside IR35 and requires strong planning expertise in a complex, regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Create, maintain, and manage detailed and fully integrated project schedules.
• Support Project Managers and Programme Managers in monitoring performance against agreed baselines.
• Provide robust schedule reporting, including critical path, progress analysis, and forecast impacts.
• Identify schedule risks and opportunities, proposing mitigation strategies.
• Support Earned Value Management (EVM) by ensuring accurate schedule and performance data is captured.
• Work with engineering, supply chain, and wider stakeholders to ensure alignment across dependencies.
• Ensure schedules comply with internal governance and MOD/Defence standards.
• Contribute to bid and proposal planning where required.

Requirements

• Current or eligible SC Clearance.
• Proven experience as a Project Planner in the defence, aerospace, or maritime/naval sector.
• Advanced user of Primavera P6 (MS Project experience also considered).
• Strong understanding of WBS (Work Breakdown Structures), dependencies, and critical path analysis.
• Experience of working in complex, multi-stakeholder defence projects.
• Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM) and schedule risk analysis.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and deliver to strict deadlines.

Rubicon Consulting is a Talent management consultancy which helps you to optimise business performance and competitive advantage by choosing the right people first time