Hands on Head of Planning/Project Controls (Expression of Interest)

We are Laminar Projects! We are an award-winning consultancy that implements technology to improve the delivery of complex construction projects. Improving construction strengthens the very foundation of human civilization. We also have a separate product team, Shape Construction, that takes the deep understanding of the projects we work on to develop construction management software products. The core of all this is our true secret sauce; people. We only recruit kind and authentic people who are fast learners. We are deeply focused on designing a new type of place that is optimized for the flourishing of the people in the team first and foremost. This approach has allowed us to grow from just 2 people in 2017 to over 200 today, and we are still very much at the beginning! Joining us isn’t just some “job”; we challenge you to be your best self in all aspects of life.

Our vision is designed to align how we operate with the fundamental aspects that enable anyone to have a fulfilled life:

• Connects us with meaningful relationships
• Inspires us to develop ourselves to become better humans
• Empowers us to pursue our own learning adventures

4 core values for a good life: We believe a life of human flourishing is all about meaningful relationships with others and challenging yourself to create a positive impact. Our four core values are grow yourself, care about people, execute to greatness, and build civilization. This philosophy goes much deeper, and you can see more on our website.

We are achieving this vision through the following two missions:

• To fully digitize the construction of human civilization
• To create a new type of organization that enables human flourishing while delivering a huge positive impact on society

Laminar Projects is proud to be recognized as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in Construction, Engineering & Property for 2024! Join a team where learning, collaboration, and growth are at the core of everything we do, and where solving big challenges is part of the fun.

The Role: We are currently looking for a top-notch Head of Planning to join our team. As a dynamic and tech-driven start-up, curiosity and ingenuity are two of the main traits that we love about our applicants! You will be a key leader involved in setting the direction of our fast-growing team! At Laminar, a Head of department is responsible for 3 key things:

• Ensuring we deliver the absolute best impact and keep innovating
• Coaching our people to reach their true potential
• Setting and pushing the direction of the business towards our shared vision

Department Heads at Laminar can switch easily between being very hands-on and delegating, depending on the scenario. Our clients include major Owner/Operators, Main Contractors, and Subcontractors, with project values between £1m and £1B+ UK and Europe wide. Some travel is required to stay connected with clients and spend time with your team.

For this role, an ideal candidate would have:

• Demonstrated history of implementing innovation to create real impact (Required)
• Demonstrated history of leading large teams at department level (Required)
• A relentless and dynamic approach to dealing with people and be able to influence them to take the best approach. (Required)
• A passion for helping others to learn and grow both professionally and personally (Required)
• Strong communicator in English (Required)
• 10+ years of experience in the delivery of engineering & construction projects (Required)
• Full Right to work in the UK (Required)
• Expert level Primavera P6 or Asta skills (Required)
• Expert level Excel skills and strong interest in data (Required)
• Coding skills (Nice to have)

Laminar isn’t the place for you if any of the following is true:

• You want an easy, chilled-out role without much challenge
• You like to be the smartest person in the room
• You don’t like continuously receiving honest candid feedback
• You prefer to do your own thing rather than work with a team

At Laminar we value diverse experiences and perspectives, empowering each member to contribute their unique expertise towards our collective success, so if you don’t think you meet all the criteria but are still excited about this role, we encourage you to apply anyway!

Salary and Benefits: Competitive salary dependent on location and capability. Paid Annual Leave 25 days + statutory Bank Holidays. Pension (Match contribution up to 7%). Private health insurance. In-House Coaching Sessions. Discretionary bonus scheme for all team members.

The Life-Changing Stuff:

• Flexibility: Getting things done is what really matters, not what time of day you do it. That means you don’t have to ask permission for things like picking up your kids or going to the doctor; just keep your team in the loop if you think they will be affected.
• Grow your whole self: Our leaders are more like coaches and one of our main objectives is to give 5 years’ worth of learning and development for every 1 year with us. You have a coach, mentor, well-being therapist and a development-oriented environment: That’s literally what our vision is all about and the primary reason Laminar exists.
• Be surrounded by the best: We only hire and retain the very best people. You might be used to being the smartest in the room, but that won’t be the case in Laminar. You will be surrounded by people you can learn from. We are 100% meritocratic, so fast progression is the norm. You will be supported to excel in whichever areas you are most interested in! With Laminar, development is unbounded.
• Long-term impact: We are focused on solving the biggest issues in construction project delivery in a way that can spread and outlast us.

Application: We get thousands of applications, so please write us a letter as part of your application explaining:

• Why do you want to join us?
• What do you think you bring to the team?

We aren’t a giant faceless corporation; we really care about the people who want to join our team, so all letters will be read thoroughly. You must be located and have the current right to work in the UK/EU. We can support the transfer of existing UK visas but cannot sponsor new visas. In terms of application, we usually start with an intro call to tell you what we are all about in a casual conversation. That helps you to know us a bit better and tell us a bit about yourself.