Senior Planning Manager

Rolls-Royce SMR; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 71,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus opportunity

Benefits allowance

Pension plan

Annual leave

Private medical insurance

Life Assurance

Home office grant

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR in the UK seeks a Senior Planning Manager to lead project scheduling for a groundbreaking power-station design. You will report to the Head of Planning within the PMO and guide a planning team to deliver credible plans aligned with contractual and business goals.

You will coordinate with stakeholders, validate dependencies and milestones, and integrate with cost for Earned Value and other metrics while providing senior-management status updates.

Responsibilities

• Lead and ensure development of a schedule which meets all customer contractual and business requirements.
• Ensure sub-contract packages are fully integrated.
• Ensure schedule integrity by validating dependencies, milestones, and critical paths.
• Support the PMO in maintaining scheduling standards and governance frameworks for the organisation.
• Coordinate with lead planners, project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to maintain accurate dependencies and critical path data.
• Prepare and present high-level project status reports to senior management, explaining critical path and float positions.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and industry standards.
• Provide training and support to team members on scheduling best practices and tools.
• Collaborate with teams to anticipate and manage future planning resource demands by gaining a thorough understanding of their needs.
• As part of the Project Controls team, facilitate the integration of schedule with cost for Earned Value Analysis and other performance metrics

Job description

Role Title - Senior Planning Manager
Location - Derby, Manchester, Warrington

Salary: £71,000.00 - £93,200.00 DOE

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

We are now recruiting for the exciting role of Senior Planning Manager, to be involved in industry leading, cutting-edge design project for a new type of power station.

Reporting to the Head of Planning with the PMO, the Senior Planning Manager leading the development and implementation of comprehensive and credible project plans by the team, that align with the overall business and customer goals and objectives of the project. This role ensures that every aspect of the scope is thoroughly understood, captured, and assigned the necessary sub-contracts, resources and estimated labour hours and costs for successful delivery. It also involves identifying and planning all dependencies, key milestones and deliverables, and integration with risk management to maintain a credible critical path to ensure the project stays on track and manage Rolls‑Royce SMR’s business risks.

As the planning subject matter expert, the Senior Planning Manager provides guidance on best practice planning techniques to develop credible plans that meet all contractual requirements and align with RR SMR planning standards. This position requires collaboration with multiple stakeholders from various disciplines and functions across the business and sub-contractors to ensure that plans are well understood and have stakeholder buy‑in.

Additionally, the role includes managing a planning team to ensure that planners adhere to the standards set by the Programme Management Office (PMO).

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and ensure development of a schedule which meets all customer contractual and business requirements.
• Ensure sub-contract packages are fully integrated.
• Ensure schedule integrity by validating dependencies, milestones, and critical paths.
• Support the PMO in maintaining scheduling standards and governance frameworks for the organisation.
• Coordinate with lead planners, project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to maintain accurate dependencies and critical path data.
• Prepare and present high-level project status reports to senior management, explaining critical path and float positions.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and industry standards.
• Provide training and support to team members on scheduling best practices and tools.
• Collaborate with teams to anticipate and manage future planning resource demands by gaining a thorough understanding of their needs.
• As part of the Project Controls team, facilitate the integration of schedule with cost for Earned Value Analysis and other performance metrics

Key Results and What Can Be Achieved in the Role

• Support the Delivery of an integrated schedule with alignment across all project phases.
• Support the planning teams meet contractual deadlines.
• Enhanced visibility of programme timelines for senior stakeholders through accurate reporting.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch, we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Pay And Benefits

We anticipate paying a salary of between £71,000.00 - £93,200.00 DOE plus:-

• Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 17%
• Benefits Allowance – £5,000 per annum, enabling you to create a bespoke package
• Pension - 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Holidays - 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) and the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.
• Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover health care
• Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay
• £250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases

Pay Range:

£

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

• A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch – we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check