Project Planning and Coordination Manager

Project Planning and Coordination Manager

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
MSC Cruises

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead planning and coordination for exciting cruise ship projects from concept to delivery.
  • Company: Dynamic shipbuilding company committed to innovation and inclusivity.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
  • Other info: Join a team that values diverse perspectives and fosters personal growth.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in the shipbuilding industry while collaborating with diverse teams.
  • Qualifications: Degree in Engineering and 6-8 years of relevant experience required.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

Your Purpose

We are excited to be hiring for a Planning Manager to join our dynamic and growing New Building and Technical Engineering & Guarantee department in London. This is a key role providing coordinated planning, scheduling, and reporting support across the full shipbuilding lifecycle — from concept and design through shipyard delivery and the guarantee period. You will play a central role in integrating planning activities across project management, architectural design, engineering, and technical teams, while acting as the primary interface with shipyard planning systems. The Planning Manager ensures accurate scheduling, workload planning, progress tracking, and reporting to support timely execution of design approvals, production, testing, and post‑delivery activities.

Your Impact

  • Provides planning, coordination, and reporting support for multiple large‑scale cruise ship newbuilding projects from concept through delivery and guarantee.
  • Acts as the focal point for developing, maintaining, and optimizing integrated schedules covering architectural design, engineering, technical, and guarantee activities.
  • Coordinate planning inputs from multiple internal stakeholders, including: Architectural Design teams, Plan Approval and R&D Engineers, Factory and Harbour Acceptance Test (FAT/HAT) participants, Technical Engineering and Guarantee teams, Cross‑functional departments and external partners.
  • Tracks progress against key milestones, deliverables, and critical paths, providing regular status updates, forecasts, and risk assessments.
  • Monitors shipyard production and delivery schedules and assesses impacts on the overall newbuilding program.
  • Supports the Architectural Design function by planning and tracking internal design phase milestones and deliverables.
  • Supports the Technical Engineering & Guarantee teams by planning and tracking post‑delivery technical issues, corrective actions, guarantees, and claims.
  • Integrates planning data with project controls, dashboards, and reporting systems to define resource requirements and workload forecasts.
  • Facilitates planning and coordination meetings, ensuring alignment across internal and external stakeholders.
  • Provides scenario analysis, simulations, and impact assessments for changes in scope, schedule, or resources (forecast vs. actual).
  • Tracks residual work and overall project progress against milestone plans, providing forward‑looking insights.
  • Ensures compliance with internal planning standards and contributes to continuous improvement of planning methodologies, tools, and reporting.
  • Adapts planning approaches in response to changing priorities and project conditions.
  • Performs duties independently with minimal guidance and takes ownership of planning deliverables.
  • Undertakes additional reasonable duties as required to support the department and assigned newbuilding programmes.

Your Journey so far

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all organisational levels.
  • Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a structured and data‑driven mindset.
  • Solid understanding of engineering and shipbuilding workflows (preferred), including: Design and plan approval processes, FATs and HATs, Technical documentation, Guarantee and after‑delivery support activities.
  • Ability to quickly learn and navigate complex technical databases and project systems.
  • Proven ability to independently develop planning approaches, identify critical‑path risks, analyse large data sets, and provide actionable recommendations.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate and influence within a multicultural, multi‑disciplinary environment.
  • Strong organisational, administrative, presentation, and data‑visualisation skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced project environment.
  • Comfortable interpreting complex technical information, schedules, diagrams, and numerical data.
  • Able to clearly present planning data, reports, and forecasts to senior management, peers, shipyards, vendors, and shipboard teams.

Your Essentials

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or a relevant technical discipline.
  • Minimum 6–8 years of experience in a similar planning or project controls role within construction, engineering, or technical services environments.
  • Experience in a shipyard or marine/offshore environment is a strong advantage.
  • Proficiency in: Monday.com, MS Project, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Power BI, Visio, Primavera P6 (advantageous).
  • Strong working knowledge of digital reporting, dashboards, email, and internet‑based tools.
  • Fluent in English; additional languages are an advantage.
  • Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a regular basis.
  • Existing right to live and work in the UK.

Our Commitment

We are committed to building a future that values diverse perspectives, embraces the world beyond borders, and fosters an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued, respected and empowered to be their authentic selves. Our commitment extends to taking meaningful, measurable actions that have a long‑term positive impact on our guests, our employees and our planet.

Project Planning and Coordination Manager employer: MSC Cruises

Join our innovative team in London as a Project Planning and Coordination Manager, where you will play a pivotal role in the shipbuilding lifecycle. We pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative work culture that values diversity and inclusion, offering ample opportunities for professional growth and development. With competitive benefits and a commitment to employee well-being, we ensure that every team member feels empowered and supported in their journey with us.

MSC Cruises

Contact Details:

MSC Cruises Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Project Planning and Coordination Manager

Join Construction Networks

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Show Off Your Skills on Site

If you’ve done any hands-on work, whether it's through internships or personal projects, make sure you can showcase it. Consider volunteering for local construction projects or getting involved in community build days; it’s a solid way to demonstrate your skills and build connections.

Utilise Construction Job Sites

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Tailor Your Application for Full-Time Roles

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We think you need these skills to ace Project Planning and Coordination Manager

Planning and Scheduling
Project Management
Progress Tracking
Risk Assessment
Data Analysis
Communication Skills
Interpersonal Skills

Some tips for your application 🫡

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Include Certifications and Qualifications:Don’t forget to list any certifications relevant to construction, like CSCS cards or other safety qualifications. These can really set you apart from other candidates and show that you’re serious about health and safety on-site.

Tailor Your Cover Letter to Construction:When writing your cover letter for a construction role, focus on your problem-solving capabilities and teamwork. Construction relies heavily on collaboration, so mention how you’ve worked successfully with others to complete projects on time and within budget.

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How to prepare for a job interview at MSC Cruises

Brush Up on Technical Knowledge

For a construction role, it's crucial we have a solid grasp of industry standards, safety protocols, and specific tools used on-site. Make sure you're familiar with relevant regulations and can talk confidently about them, as these often come up in interviews.

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Since this is a full-time position, be ready to discuss any previous construction projects you've worked on. Bring a portfolio or have detailed descriptions that highlight your role, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them—this’ll show you’re not just book-smart but also practically savvy.

Understand the Team Dynamics

Construction is all about teamwork, so prepare to discuss how you interact with different stakeholders like architects, engineers, and contractors. Maybe think of examples from past experiences to illustrate your ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.

Prepare for On-the-Spot Problem Solving

Be ready for some practical questions or scenarios where you'll need to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Interviewers might present you with a hypothetical construction issue to solve, so practice articulating your thought process clearly and logically—this could really set you apart!