Senior Project Planner – HV Substations
GE Vernova
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
GE Vernova in Stafford, United Kingdom, is seeking a Senior Project Planner to lead erection and commissioning schedules for HV substations across the UK and Europe. You will interface with factories, regional teams and customer sites to deliver integrated plans that meet contractual milestones.
The role requires hands-on use of Primavera P6 or MS Project, strong planning fundamentals and travel to project sites. It offers a permanent, hybrid working model based in Stafford.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience in project planning and schedule management within construction, commissioning or complex equipment projects.
- Practical experience using Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project.
- Experience developing, maintaining and monitoring project schedules from planning through execution.
- Strong understanding of planning principles, including WBS, critical-path, schedule logic, dependencies, progress measurement and forecasting.
- Experience coordinating inputs across multiple teams, organisations and geographies.
- Ability to translate project/site information into clear execution plans.
Responsibilities
- Develop construction, erection and commissioning schedules during ITO and project execution phases.
- Coordinate with regional and factory Project Managers to understand equipment manufacturing, delivery, installation and commissioning requirements.
- Integrate factory activities, equipment deliveries, site readiness, civil works and milestones into a coordinated project schedule.
- Build and maintain detailed schedules using Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project.
- Ensure clear schedule logic and linkages between functions, units, customers and contractors.
- Maintain alignment between detailed site schedules and the wider master schedule.
- Visit project sites to assess readiness and validate progress.
- Obtain regular updates and maintain forecasts throughout construction and commissioning.
- Analyse critical paths, dependencies and resource constraints and their impacts.
- Develop mitigation and recovery plans when delivery is at risk.
- Produce weekly and monthly look-ahead schedules showing priorities and risks.
- Identify prerequisites early to avoid blockers.
- Develop what-if scenarios to evaluate execution strategies.
- Resource-load schedules where appropriate.
- Track impacts from site delays and non-conformities.
- Provide schedule information for delay analysis and contractual discussions.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Do you want to take ownership of the schedules that turn complex high-voltage equipment projects into successful site delivery?
GE Vernova is looking for a Senior Project Planner to join our Grid Solutions team in Stafford. You will play a central role in planning the erection and commissioning of high-voltage substation equipment across the United Kingdom and Central and Northern Europe.
With more than 130 years of experience and proven innovation, GE Vernova is leading a new era of energy. We are electrifying the world while working to decarbonise it.
Our name reflects our mission. “GE” carries a legacy of quality and ingenuity, “Ver” represents Earth’s ecosystems, and “Nova” signals the new era of lower-carbon energy we are helping to deliver.
Focused on the future, GE Vernova is accelerating the transition to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy. We help customers power economies and provide the electricity that is vital to health, safety and quality of life.
Our Electrification businesses modernise grids, support renewable integration and strengthen energy systems. From advanced grid technologies to power conversion and energy storage, we help create smarter and more resilient electricity networks.
As Senior Project Planner – HV Substations, you will lead the development and coordination of erection and commissioning schedules for high-voltage equipment projects, including gas-insulated switchgear, air-insulated switchgear and power transformers.
You will work at the interface between our factories, regional project teams and customer sites. Combining equipment-production information with site-readiness requirements, you will create practical and fully integrated execution plans that support our contractual delivery commitments.
You will be involved from the tender and early-planning stages through site establishment, equipment erection, commissioning and final handover. As a key member of the project team, you will provide Project Managers and Site Managers with accurate schedule information, clear forecasts and early visibility of risks.
This is a senior individual-contributor role with significant cross-functional influence. You will work closely with Project Managers, factory teams, site teams, customers, contractors and other project partners across Central and Northern Europe.
- Develop construction, erection and commissioning schedules during the ITO and project-execution phases.
- Work with regional and factory Project Managers to understand equipment manufacturing, delivery, installation and commissioning requirements.
- Integrate factory activities, equipment deliveries, customer-site readiness, civil works and contractual milestones into a coordinated project schedule.
- Build and maintain detailed schedules using Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project.
- Ensure clear schedule logic, sequencing and linkages between all contributing functions, business units, customers, contractors and third parties.
- Maintain alignment between detailed site schedules and the wider project or integrated master schedule.
- Visit project sites to assess readiness, gather information and validate reported progress.
- Obtain regular updates from project contributors and maintain accurate forecasts throughout construction and commissioning.
- Analyse critical paths, dependencies, resource constraints and potential schedule impacts.
- Challenge progress and planning assumptions constructively, agreeing realistic forecasts with the wider project team.
- Develop mitigation, recovery and catch-up plans where delivery is at risk.
- Produce weekly and monthly look-ahead schedules that clearly communicate priorities, risks and upcoming requirements.
- Identify engineering, procurement, logistics and site prerequisites early, helping the project team anticipate and remove potential blockers.
- Develop what-if scenarios to evaluate alternative execution strategies and support project decision-making.
- Resource-load project schedules where appropriate.
- Track schedule impacts arising from site delays, downtime and non-conformities.
- Provide factual schedule information to support delay analysis, claims and contractual discussions.Act as a key planning and communication link throughout the project lifecycle, from initial tender planning through to commissioning and handover.
You will be an organised and confident planning professional who is comfortable working across technical, project and site teams.
You will bring:
- Demonstrable experience in project planning and schedule management within construction, commissioning, engineering or complex equipment projects.
- Practical experience using Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project.
- Experience developing, maintaining and monitoring project schedules from planning through execution.
- A strong understanding of planning principles, including work breakdown structures, critical-path analysis, schedule logic, dependencies, progress measurement and forecasting.
- Experience coordinating inputs across multiple teams, organisations and geographical locations.
- The ability to interpret project and site information and translate it into a clear, practical execution plan.
- Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and influence without direct authority.
- An analytical and factual approach to identifying risks and supporting project decisions.
- A practical, proactive and solution-focused mindset.
- The autonomy and reliability to manage your responsibilities while remaining closely connected to the wider project team.
- A strong customer focus and the resilience to operate in a changing project environment.
- The ability and willingness to travel regularly to customer and project sites.
Experience in one or more of the following areas would be particularly beneficial:
- High-voltage substations or power-transmission projects.
- Gas-insulated switchgear, air-insulated switchgear or power transformers.
- Electrical or mechanical equipment erection and commissioning.
- Planning complex equipment from manufacture and delivery through installation and handover.
- Site construction, commissioning or project-management activities.
- Connecting factory schedules with site-readiness and customer-delivery plans.
- Recovery planning, delay analysis or claims support.
- Resource-loaded schedules and scenario planning.
- Major EPC, electrical-infrastructure or industrial-engineering projects.
Direct substation experience is preferred, but relevant experience from comparable electrical, power or complex engineering environments may also be considered.
A degree in engineering, project management or a related discipline, or equivalent knowledge and experience gained through a relevant technical or project-delivery career, would be beneficial.
- Approximately 30% travel is expected.
- Travel will primarily be to project sites within the United Kingdom, with occasional travel across Central and Northern Europe.
- Some assignments may require overnight stays away from home.
- The role involves working in active construction and commissioning environments and requires compliance with all relevant site and safety requirements.
This is a permanent position based at our Stafford office.
When you are not travelling to a project site, you will follow our current hybrid-working model, typically spending three days per week in the Stafford office and two days working remotely.
The balance between office, home and site working may vary depending on project requirements.
Every action shapes our future. That is why our north star is a culture of impact, where everyone is empowered to thrive and achieve.
Addressing the urgent need to build a more sustainable electric-power system while improving the trajectory of climate-change emissions is a global priority, and we take our responsibility seriously.
Our technology helps generate approximately 25% of the world’s electricity today, and we are working to help power the rest.
If you want the future of energy to be different, join us and be the difference. Together, we are the Energy of Change.
We believe strong careers are built through varied experiences, meaningful connections and continuous development.
We are committed to providing you with the tools and support to shape a career journey that reflects your personal and professional goals. Your People Leader and trusted mentors will support you as you develop within the organisation.
We also prioritise fair pay, performance-based rewards and wellbeing programmes for you and your family. With opportunities to move across teams and functions, your career can continue to evolve while sustainability remains at the heart of everything we do.
We are passionate about creating an inclusive working environment. By valuing the ideas, experiences and contributions of a diverse workforce, we help everyone grow, succeed and raise the bar.
GE Vernova is an equal-opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
Join us at GE Vernova, where results are achieved by creating a community in which everyone belongs.
Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes
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