Senior Planner

Willmott Dixon; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension scheme

Private medical

Life assurance

Incentive bonus

Sustainable car scheme

Job summary

Willmott Dixon seeks a Senior Planner to support the Preconstruction team in the North West. Based from Oldham, the role offers hybrid working with two days per week from home.

You will develop robust tender and construction programmes across multi-sector projects worth £10m–£100m, ensuring programmes are buildable, evidence-based and aligned with customer needs and current legislation.

Qualifications

• Proven planning experience in a main contractor or construction environment.
• Ability to produce accurate programmes, sequencing and logistics plans using Asta Powerproject.
• Understanding of construction methods and tech incl. steel, concrete and timber frames.

Responsibilities

• Produce robust tender and preconstruction programmes.
• Develop planning reports, commentaries and method statements for tenders.
• Prepare auditable programmes based on outputs and supply chain engagement.
• Advise bid teams on programme and logistics impacts of design changes.
• Support live projects with programme management and progress monitoring.

Skills

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Detail-oriented

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder management

Education

HNC/NVQ4 or equivalent

Degree in Construction Management (or related)

Tools

Asta Powerproject

Primavera P6

Job description

Senior Planner

Willmott Dixon is looking to recruit a Senior Planner to support our Preconstruction team in the North West. Based from our Oldham office, this role supports projects across the region, working in a hybrid manner with 2 days per week from home.

Reporting to the Preconstruction Manager, you will play a key role in producing realistic, robust and de-risked programmes for tenders and preconstruction activity across a range of sectors. This is an opportunity to work on complex, high-value and fast-track projects typically ranging from £10m to £100m across the North West.

As Senior Planner, you will work closely with our preconstruction, operational and supply chain teams to develop accurate, evidence-based tender and construction programmes aligned to customer requirements, project scope and current legislation. You will also support the wider bid team by ensuring programmes are commercially informed, buildable and clearly communicated.

Key responsibilities

• Produce robust tender and preconstruction programmes using Asta Powerproject

• Develop planning reports, programme commentaries and method statements to support tender submissions

• Prepare auditable programmes based on outputs, sequencing and supply chain engagement

• Produce site logistics plans and planning information for tender adjudication

• Advise bid teams on the programme and logistical impact of design changes

• Support project presentations and present confidently at post-tender interviews

• Identify opportunities for MMC, innovation and value engineering during tender development

• Support live projects when required, including programme management and progress monitoring

• Undertake site visits and reports, and use as-built data to support benchmarking and productivity improvement

What we’re looking for

• Proven planning experience within a main contractor or construction environment

• Ability to produce accurate programmes, sequencing and logistics plans using Asta Powerproject

• Strong understanding of construction methods and technology, including steel frame, concrete frame and timber frame solutions

• Able to interpret drawings, specifications and technical information

• Good understanding of site set-up, preliminaries and temporary works

• Experience of supporting preconstruction and delivery teams on complex projects

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain programmes clearly to internal teams, customers and consultants

• Analytical, detail-focused and commercially aware approach

• Ideally site-based planning experience

• Relevant Level 4 qualification (HNC/NVQ4 or equivalent) and appropriate CSCS card

• Working towards MCIOB (desirable)

• Awareness of digital construction, 4D planning and emerging planning tools (desirable)

Essential and Desirable Criteria

Essential Criteria

• Solid and proven experience as a Senior Planner within the commercial construction sector.

• Proven experience producing tender and preconstruction programmes for complex projects.

• Strong understanding of the full building lifecycle and site operations.

• Advanced user of ASTA Powerproject (essential).

• Ability to create programmes from first principles rather than relying on templates.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience using Primavera P6 (highly beneficial).

• Operational background in site management or engineering.

• Experience working on projects between £10m and £100m.

• Degree or equivalent qualification in Construction Management or a related discipline.

Additional Information

We reward our people generously with a competitive package that gives you flexible benefits to fit your lifestyle and priorities. This includes but is not limited to an enhanced pension scheme, private medical, life assurance, incentive bonus and access to a market-leading sustainable car scheme. Applicable roles may also benefit from a motoring expenditure allowance (MEA).

At Willmott Dixon, we provide an inclusive and flexible working environment where people can thrive, and we are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme.

About Us

With over 170 years of history, Willmott Dixon is a privately owned business with a purpose beyond profit — delivering brilliant buildings, transforming lives, strengthening communities and enhancing the environment for future generations. In 2025, we were recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Top 10 Big Companies to Work For, ranked in the Top Five of Europe’s 1,000 best workplaces by the Financial Times, and became the first major contractor and developer to win a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.