Lead Scheduler / Planning Manager

Rent a Recruiter; Cork; On-site; EUR 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Rent a Recruiter is seeking an experienced Lead Scheduler / Planning Manager to join its Project & Programme Management team in Cork, Ireland. You will lead planning and scheduling across major pharmaceutical and life sciences capital projects for a global client, providing clear visibility of programme performance and risks.

Responsibilities include developing integrated schedules, driving planning standards, and leading workshops with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience in project planning and scheduling.
• Delivery of complex capital projects, ideally in pharma/life sciences.
• Knowledge of integrated scheduling, critical path analysis and schedule risk management.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary project teams and contractors.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to challenge and drive programme performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage integrated project schedules across the full project lifecycle.
• Establish robust planning standards, procedures and governance.
• Lead schedule development and planning workshops with key stakeholders.
• Integrate engineering, procurement, construction, CQV and operational readiness activities.
• Review contractor schedules and monitor performance against requirements.
• Lead critical path analysis and identify schedule risks and delays.
• Develop recovery plans and mitigation strategies to keep projects on track.
• Produce project controls reports, dashboards and executive-level schedule updates.
• Analyse productivity, schedule performance and forecasting trends.
• Assess programme impacts arising from scope changes and variations.
• Facilitate planning meetings and provide expert advice to project teams.
• Work closely with client leadership, project managers, consultants and contractors.

Skills

Integrated scheduling

Project planning

Stakeholder management

Schedule risk mgmt

Cross-functional collaboration

Leading workshops

Tools

Primavera P6

Job description

A leading global engineering and project management organisation is seeking an experienced Lead Scheduler / Planning Manager to join its growing Project & Programme Management team in Cork.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering major pharmaceutical and life sciences capital projects for a global client. Working as part of an Owner’s Representative team, you’ll provide planning leadership across projects ranging from process equipment installations and brownfield modifications to large-scale manufacturing facilities and infrastructure programmes.

The Role

You will lead planning and scheduling activities, providing project teams and senior stakeholders with clear visibility of programme performance, risks and delivery.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and manage integrated project schedules across the full project lifecycle.
• Establish robust planning standards, procedures and governance.
• Lead schedule development and planning workshops with key stakeholders.
• Integrate engineering, procurement, construction, CQV and operational readiness activities.
• Review contractor schedules and monitor performance against agreed requirements.
• Lead critical path analysis, identifying schedule risks, opportunities and emerging delays.
• Develop recovery plans and mitigation strategies to keep projects on track.
• Produce project controls reports, dashboards and executive-level schedule updates.
• Analyse productivity, schedule performance and forecasting trends.
• Assess programme impacts arising from scope changes and project variations.
• Facilitate planning meetings and provide expert advice to project teams.
• Work closely with client leadership, project managers, consultants and contractors.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong experience in project planning and scheduling.
• Experience delivering complex capital projects, ideally within pharmaceutical, life sciences or advanced manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of integrated scheduling, critical path analysis and schedule risk management.
• Experience working with contractors and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• The confidence to challenge, influence and drive programme performance.
• Experience with Primavera P6 or similar planning software.

Make Your Mark

Join a high-performing team delivering some of the most exciting pharmaceutical and life sciences projects in Ireland.

This is a role where your planning expertise will directly influence project outcomes, helping clients deliver complex programmes safely, efficiently and on schedule.

Ready to lead the plan and shape the delivery of world-class projects?