Director Planning & Scheduling in London

Director Planning & Scheduling in London

London Full-Time 75000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
GlaxoSmithKline

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead strategic planning and scheduling for high-priority capital projects using tools like Primavera P6.
  • Company: GSK manufactures high-quality medicines and vaccines, impacting the health of millions globally.
  • Benefits: Offers a hybrid working model based in the UK or USA with opportunities for professional development.
  • Other info: Position reports to the Head of Project Controls and involves stakeholder engagement.
  • Why this job: Join a pivotal role shaping planning culture across GSK’s global capital portfolio.
  • Qualifications: Requires a degree in engineering or Project Management and extensive experience in project controls.

The predicted salary is between 75000 - 100000 £ per year.

We manufacture and supply reliable, high-quality medicines and vaccines to meet patients’ needs and drive our performance. Our network of 37 medicines and vaccines manufacturing sites delivered 1.7 billion packs of medicines and 409 million vaccine doses in 2024 to help make a positive impact on the health of millions of people. Our supply chain is not just core to our operations; it’s vital to bringing our innovations to patients as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible. Technology is transforming how we manufacture medicines and vaccines, enabling us to increase the speed, quality and scale of product supply. We need the very best minds and capability to help us on our journey to make more complex products, harnessing the power of smart manufacturing technologies including robotics, digital solutions and artificial intelligence to deliver for patients.

As Director of Planning & Scheduling within GSK’s Project Controls function, you will lead the strategic planning and scheduling efforts across high-priority capital projects. You will ensure robust schedule governance, drive consistency in planning methodologies, and provide expert oversight to ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope. This role is pivotal in shaping the planning culture across GSK’s global capital portfolio. This role will directly report to the Head of Project Controls (PC) and will be part of Global project controls leadership, which manages both project-based PC deliveries and functional responsibilities for key processes within GCP.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the development and implementation of integrated project schedules across large-scale capital projects.
  • Ensure alignment with GSK’s Project Management Framework (PMF), including tools, templates, and best practices.
  • Oversee schedule risk analysis using Monte Carlo simulation and other quantitative methods.
  • Benchmark schedule performance and establish KPIs for time-related project metrics.
  • Provide expert input into project reviews, health checks, and independent project assessments.
  • Ownership and management of Schedule management tools such as Primavera P6, MS Project, Oracle Primavera Cloud etc.
  • Responsible for Front End Studies Planning and Scheduling and Level 1 schedules.
  • Responsible for Schedule assurances and independent project reviews (IPRs).

Leadership & Governance

  • Act as functional lead for planning professionals across the Global Capital Projects (GCP) portfolio.
  • Coach and mentor planning and scheduling staff to build internal capability.
  • Drive standardization of planning practices across projects and regions.
  • Collaborate closely with cost, risk, and contract leads to ensure integrated project controls.

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Interface with project managers, engineering leads, and senior executives to ensure schedule transparency and accountability.
  • Present schedule performance insights and schedule trend analysis to GCP Leadership teams.
  • Support change management processes by assessing schedule impacts of scope changes.

Qualifications/Skills

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, Project Management, or related field.
  • Extensive years of experience in project controls, with significant leadership in Planning & Scheduling, Quantitative schedule risk assessments, Schedule assurance etc.
  • Expert knowledge of Planning tools such as Oracle Primavera P6, Oracle primavera cloud, MS Project etc.
  • Strong senior stakeholder management and influencing capabilities.
  • Proficiency in good data analysis, statistical analysis and report preparation.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • MSc or PhD or other Chartered / Professional Qualification in a relevant discipline.
  • Excellent management, communication and interpersonal skills, with comfort cooperating with individuals internally and externally at all organisational levels.
  • Understanding of how different functions interface on GSK projects.
  • Solid knowledge of GSK project process, User requirement management, quality and compliance requirement, site project completion and pre-start processes, and how these impact engineering and design, construction, commissioning, and qualification contracts.
  • Familiar with the GCP Project Management Framework (PMF), relevant engineering standards and compliance requirement as well as Quality Management Systems.
  • PMP (Project Management Professional) or PMI-SP (Scheduling Professional) or Lean Six Sigma or similar process improvement credentials.

Work Location:

This role is based in the United Kingdom (GSK HQ, London) or King of Prussia, Upper Merion, USA and offers a hybrid working model, combining on-site and remote work.

Closing Date for Applications: 26th June 2026

Please take a copy of the Job Description, as this will not be available post closure of the advert. When applying for this role, please use the ‘cover letter’ of the online application or your CV to describe how you meet the competencies for this role, as outlined in the job requirements above. The information that you have provided in your cover letter and CV will be used to assess your application.

How to apply:

We want to hear from you. Please send your CV and a short note explaining why this role matters to you and how your experience matches the role. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage people who value inclusion to apply.

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines. We focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases – to impact health at scale.

People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we’re committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people.

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

Director Planning & Scheduling in London employer: GlaxoSmithKline

GSK is a global biopharma company headquartered in London, aiming to positively impact 2.5 billion lives by 2030. The team focuses on innovative specialty medicines and vaccines, fostering an agile working culture and offering professional growth opportunities.

GlaxoSmithKline

Contact Details:

GlaxoSmithKline Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Director Planning & Scheduling in London

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We think you need these skills to ace Director Planning & Scheduling in London

Strategic Planning
Scheduling
Project Management
Schedule Risk Analysis
Monte Carlo Simulation
KPI Establishment
Primavera P6

Some tips for your application 🫡

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How to prepare for a job interview at GlaxoSmithKline

Master the Case Study Game

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