Resource Planner

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Leeds; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Adler and Allan are seeking a Resource Planner to optimise deployment of people, skills and capability across water & utilities projects in a consultancy setting. The role links project delivery, technical leads and business leaders to forecast demand and ensure right people are assigned to the right projects.

The role contributes to delivery performance, client satisfaction, workforce development, utilisation and profitability, with responsibilities spanning planning, governance and continuous

Qualifications

• Experience in resource planning, workforce planning, PMO, project controls, or consultancy operations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret utilisation, capacity, and forecast data.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working in a management consultancy or professional services environment.
• Understanding of the UK water industry, including capital delivery programmes and framework-based delivery models.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Power BI, and resource-management tools.
• Familiarity with commercial processes such as pricing, margin management, and billing.
• Collaborative: Works well with diverse teams to solve complex resource challenges.
• Proactive: Anticipates resourcing issues before they impact delivery.
• Commercially aware: Understands how resourcing impacts revenue, margin, and client satisfaction.
• Analytical: Uses data and insight to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Organised: Manages multiple requests and priorities with ease.
• Fair & balanced: Advocates for both the business and the consultants’ development needs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an integrated resource schedule covering all active projects, framework commissions, bids, and anticipated work.
• Match resource requirements with consultant skills, experience, availability, location, and development objectives.
• Identify and support the Business Unit Directors to resolve resource conflicts, competing priorities, and scheduling risks before they impact project delivery.
• Support resource planning across multidisciplinary teams including engineering, project management, environmental, digital, and commercial functions.
• Facilitate and lead weekly resource review meetings with discipline leads and project managers.
• Develop and maintain a rolling 3-6 month resource forecast to support short, medium, and long-term business planning.
• Work closely with project managers and business development teams to understand upcoming workload, framework opportunities, and bid activity.
• Monitor utilisation, capacity, and availability trends across the business.
• Identify future skills shortages, resource bottlenecks, and succession planning requirements and recommend actions; contractor hiring, training, upskilling, or reshaping demand.

Skills

Resource planning

Forecasting

Stakeholder mgmt

MS Excel

Power BI

PMO

Data analysis

Organisation

Tools

MS Project

Power Apps

CRM

Job description

The Resource Planner plays a pivotal role in ensuring the effective deployment of people, skills, and capability across the business. Working within a fast-paced consultancy environment, the role is responsible for balancing resource demand and capacity across a portfolio of water & utilities sector projects and programmes.

As a central point between project delivery teams, technical discipline leads, and business leaders, the Resource Planner provides forward-looking visibility of resource requirements, supports strategic workforce planning, and ensures the right people are assigned to the right projects at the right time.

The role contributes directly to delivery performance, client satisfaction, employee development, utilisation, and business profitability.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Resource Planning & Allocation

• Develop and maintain an integrated resource schedule covering all active projects, framework commissions, bids, and anticipated work.
• Match resource requirements with consultant skills, experience, availability, location, and development objectives.
• Identify and support the Business Unit Directors to resolve resource conflicts, competing priorities, and scheduling risks before they impact project delivery.
• Support resource planning across multidisciplinary teams including engineering, project management, environmental, digital, and commercial functions.
• Facilitate and lead weekly resource review meetings with discipline leads and project managers

Capacity Planning & Forecasting

• Develop and maintain a rolling 3-6 month resource forecast to support short, medium, and long-term business planning.
• Work closely with project managers and business development teams to understand upcoming workload, framework opportunities, and bid activity.
• Monitor utilisation, capacity, and availability trends across the business.
• Identify future skills shortages, resource bottlenecks, and succession planning requirements and recommend actions; contractor hiring, training, upskilling, or reshaping demand.

Project Delivery Support

• Support mobilisation planning for new projects and frameworks.
• Assist project managers in forecasting resource requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide resource-related input to project reviews and delivery governance processes.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with delivery teams to understand project timelines, skills required, and dependencies.
• Act as a trusted advisor on resource availability, utilisation, and workforce planning matters.
• Communicate resource constraints, risks, and mitigation options clearly and professionally.

Reporting & Data Analysis

• Maintain accurate data in resourcing tools (e.g., MS Project, Power Apps, CRM, or bespoke systems).
• Produce regular reports and dashboards covering utilisation, capacity, demand forecasts, project allocations, and workforce trends.
• Analyse performance data and provide actionable insights to support operational and strategic decision-making.

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Support the ongoing development and enhancement of resource management processes, systems, and reporting.
• Ensure resource allocation activities comply with internal governance, approval processes, and commercial requirements.
• Contribute to the improvement of workforce planning tools, data quality, and forecasting methodologies.
• Support onboarding and workforce integration activities by identifying suitable project opportunities for new starters

Qualifications

Skills & Experience

• Experience in resource planning, workforce planning, PMO, project controls, operational planning, or consultancy operations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret utilisation, capacity, and forecast data.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working in a management consultancy or professional services environment.
• Understanding of the UK water industry, including capital delivery programmes and framework-based delivery models.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Power BI, and resource-management tools.
• Familiarity with commercial processes such as pricing, margin management, and billing.
• Collaborative: Works well with diverse teams to solve complex resource challenges.
• Proactive: Anticipates resourcing issues before they impact delivery.
• Commercially aware: Understands how resourcing impacts revenue, margin, and client satisfaction.
• Analytical: Uses data and insight to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Organised: Manages multiple requests and priorities with ease.
• Fair & balanced: Advocates for both the business and the consultants’ development needs.

Measures and KPI's

The role will be measured by:

• Achievement of utilisation targets across the business.
• Accuracy of resource forecasts.
• Reduced resource conflicts and delivery bottlenecks.
• Successful mobilisation of projects and framework commissions.
• Positive feedback from project managers and discipline leads.
• Improved visibility of future capacity, skills gaps, and workforce requirements.

Contribution to profitable project delivery and client satisfaction.

Additional Information

Adler and Allan are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We proudly embrace equal opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.If you require any support with your application, whatever the circumstance, please let us know.

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