Planning Manager - London

Planning Manager - London

London Full-Time 54000 - 66000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead strategic planning and drive continuous improvement in project delivery.
  • Company: Join Costain, a leader in smart infrastructure solutions across the UK.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, career development, and a supportive work culture.
  • Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on major infrastructure projects and innovate with digital technologies.
  • Qualifications: Experience in planning for major projects and strong stakeholder management skills.

The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.

As a Planning Manager, your responsibilities will include:

  • Leading the development, transformation, and continuous improvement of the SCS Planning Function.
  • Acting as a strategic partner to various teams to ensure planning standards, governance, reporting, and systems are consistently applied across SCS.
  • Driving planning excellence and embedding the 'One Team' planning culture.
  • Improving visibility of planning across the business and integrating digital technologies and AI-enabled solutions.
  • Providing strategic leadership for Clause 32 processes, programme governance, planning standards, reporting development, Power BI integration, and cross-functional collaboration.

The Strategic Planning Manager is responsible for:

  • Supporting the development and implementation of the SCS Planning Strategy and Planning Improvement Roadmap.
  • Leading the transition of planning processes and governance arrangements to align with the Delivery Unit (DU) structure.
  • Assessing and recommending improvements to Clause 32 processes, programme reviews, planning governance, reporting frameworks, P6 structures, and planning assurance requirements.
  • Developing long-term improvement initiatives that support successful project delivery and completion.
  • Acting as a trusted advisor to the Head of Planning on planning strategies.
  • Driving the implementation of a 'One Planning Team' approach across SCS.
  • Developing and maintaining consistent planning procedures, standards, templates, working methodologies, and assurance arrangements.
  • Leading planning lessons learned, best practice reviews, and maturity assessments.
  • Facilitating planning workshops, collaboration forums, and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Promoting consistency of planning outputs, reporting, and programme management practices across all Delivery Units.
  • Leading the development of modern planning solutions and digital reporting capabilities.
  • Collaborating with IT and Data teams to enhance reporting through Power BI, develop data warehouse integration, improve planning automation, and reduce manual reporting effort.
  • Investigating and implementing AI opportunities within planning, reporting, and project controls.

Required Experience, Qualifications & Skills:

  • Significant experience in planning and project controls within major infrastructure projects.
  • Extensive knowledge of NEC contracts and programme management.
  • Experience in Clause 32 programme submissions, programme governance, change management, PMO integration, risk management, and reporting development.
  • Advanced Primavera P6 capability.
  • Experience developing planning standards and procedures.
  • Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills.
  • Degree qualified in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Controls or similar discipline.

About Us:

Costain helps to improve people's lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK's energy, water, transportation, and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising, and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK's leading smart infrastructure solutions company.

We appreciate the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at the application phase. We do share individual feedback following an interview.

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that discloses they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.

Planning Manager - London employer: Costain

Costain is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that prioritises employee growth and development within the vibrant environment of London Heathrow. As a leader in smart infrastructure solutions, we provide our team with unique opportunities to engage in transformative projects that contribute to a sustainable future, while fostering strong relationships across diverse stakeholders. Our commitment to safety, inclusivity, and professional advancement makes us an attractive choice for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers.

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Contact Details:

Costain Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Planning Manager - London

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We think you need these skills to ace Planning Manager - London

Strategic Planning
Project Controls
Change Management
Programme Governance
Stakeholder Management
Primavera P6
Reporting Development

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How to prepare for a job interview at Costain

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