(Senior) Planner

First Recruitment Group; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Company car/allowance

Life assurance

Private medical insurance

Health insurance

Cycle to work

Job summary

First Recruitment Group is seeking a Senior Planner in Peterborough on a permanent basis. The role leads planning teams across major infrastructure programmes, delivering robust project plans and proactive risk management. You will engage stakeholders, report progress, and drive continuous improvement in planning practices.

The position offers hybrid working, a competitive salary, and benefits to support a high-impact delivery environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience planning major projects in water/utilities/civil sectors.
• Strong expertise in Primavera P6 and programme management techniques.
• Experience leading planning teams and mentoring staff.
• Excellent stakeholder communication across technical and non-technical groups.
• Analytical and proactive with risk management and improvement focus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust project plans aligned with standards.
• Provide strategic planning insights for resources and risk mitigation.
• Monitor programme performance and identify delivery improvements.
• Communicate milestones and updates to stakeholders.
• Lead planning teams, promoting collaboration and growth.
• Drive accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement.
• Produce accurate planning data and reports for decision making.
• Identify programme risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Champion health, safety and wellbeing in planning activities.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Strategic planning

Risk management

Tools

Primavera P6

Job description

Lead Project Planning Excellence on Major Infrastructure Programmes

Our Client has a requirement for a Senior Planner, who will be required to work on a Permanent basis in Peterborough.

Role Purpose:

• Lead and develop planning teams to deliver planning excellence across projects.
• Ensure project plans and programmes remain on track and proactively manage any mitigating circumstances.
• Build trust and confidence with stakeholders through clear reporting and value-added project insights.
• Provide strategic planning expertise to support successful project delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement and best practice across planning activities.

Job Role Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain robust project plans in line with client and industry standards.
• Provide strategic planning insight to support resource allocation and risk mitigation.
• Monitor programme performance and identify opportunities to improve project delivery.
• Communicate project milestones, progress, and key updates to stakeholders.
• Lead and develop planning teams, promoting collaboration and professional growth.
• Drive accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement across projects.
• Produce accurate planning data and reports to support informed decision-making.
• Identify potential programme risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Champion health, safety, and wellbeing throughout all planning activities.

Experience / Skills / Knowledge / Qualifications:

• Proven experience planning major projects, ideally within the water, utilities, or civil engineering sectors.
• Strong expertise in Primavera P6.
• Experience with collaborative planning processes and programme management techniques.
• Leadership experience managing, mentoring, and developing planning teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience in strategic planning and risk management.
• Passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and project excellence.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary.
• Hybrid working (role dependent).
• Company car or car allowance (role dependent).
• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays.
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional holiday days.
• Company pension scheme.
• Life assurance.
• Health insurance.
• Private medical insurance.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Employee discounts and savings hub.
• Kids Pass and additional employee benefits.

Company information

As part of putting people first, we strive to be an equal opportunities employer and we are always looking to increase the diversity of our workforce, working closely with our clients to ensure everyone is included.