Senior Planner

Arcadis; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Senior Planner in Manchester to provide planning leadership on major infrastructure programmes. You will develop, maintain and assure integrated project schedules, apply controls, and support informed decision-making across project lifecycles.

Working within a project controls team, you will review contractor programmes, perform critical path analysis, use NEC3/NEC4 contracts, and mentor junior planners to raise standards across the business.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified or equivalent relevant experience.
• Significant experience delivering planning on major infrastructure, utilities, energy, transportation or regulated programmes.
• Expert user of Primavera P6 with experience in schedule development, forecasting, reporting and programme controls.
• Strong understanding of engineering, procurement and construction lifecycles.
• Experience with NEC3 and NEC4 contracts and contractor programme assessment.
• Experience applying earned value management and integrated project controls techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, maintenance and assurance of baseline and schedules across major projects, ensuring compliance with standards.
• Perform critical path analysis and report on milestones, risks, constraints, dependencies and opportunities.
• Review contractor programmes and time-related submissions per contractual requirements (NEC3/NEC4).
• Apply earned value management and integrated project controls for forecasting and decision-making.
• Align reporting with governance and executive decision making.
• Support project teams with planning expertise and assurance.
• Facilitate reviews, workshops and stakeholder engagements to improve delivery.
• Mentor and develop junior planners; drive continuous improvement of standards and tools across the business.

Skills

Primavera P6

Critical path analysis

Earned value management

Stakeholder management

Contract/claims management

Mentoring

Education

University degree

Tools

Primavera P6

Job description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description

As a Senior Planner, you will play a key role in the successful delivery of major infrastructure programmes, providing planning leadership across complex engineering and construction projects. You will be responsible for developing, maintaining and assuring integrated project schedules, ensuring that programme controls processes support effective project delivery and informed decision-making.

Working as part of an integrated project controls and delivery team, you will provide expert planning support throughout the project lifecycle, from early development and tender assessment through to delivery and close‑out. You will work closely with project managers, engineering teams, contractors and clients to develop robust programmes, identify delivery risks and drive performance improvement.

Role accountabilities

• Lead the development, maintenance and assurance of baseline and detailed project schedules across one or more major projects or programmes, ensuring compliance with client and company standards.
• Undertake critical path analysis and provide insightful reporting on programme performance, key milestones, risks, constraints, dependencies and opportunities.
• Review, challenge and assess contractor programmes and time‑related submissions in accordance with contractual requirements, including NEC3 and NEC4 contracts.
• Apply earned value management and integrated project controls principles to support forecasting, performance management and informed decision-making.
• Align programme reporting, management information and schedule dashboards to support governance, assurance and executive‑level decision making.
• Support project teams throughout tender, development and delivery phases, providing planning expertise, independent assurance and programme recovery support where required.
• Facilitate programme reviews, collaborative planning workshops and stakeholder engagements to improve alignment, delivery confidence and project outcomes.
• Mentor and develop Assistant Planners and Planners, while promoting planning best practice and contributing to the continuous improvement of standards, processes and tools across the business.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree qualified or equivalent relevant experience.
• Significant experience delivering planning services on major infrastructure, utilities, energy, transportation or other regulated industry programmes.
• Expert user of Primavera P6, with extensive experience in schedule development, forecasting, reporting and programme controls.
• Strong understanding of engineering, procurement and construction project lifecycles.
• Demonstrable experience in critical path analysis, schedule assurance, programme recovery planning and performance management.
• Extensive NEC3 and NEC4 contract experience, including contractor programme assessment and time‑related submissions.
• Experience applying earned value management, progress measurement and integrated project controls techniques.
• Proven ability to work within integrated client, contractor and consultancy teams and engage effectively with senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience within the electrical transmission and distribution sector is desirable, although experience in other regulated sectors such as rail, nuclear, water or aviation would also be considered.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills‑based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.