At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead project planning and estimating for complex projects, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking team at a leading project controls company.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Dynamic workplace with opportunities for innovation and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on meaningful projects while growing your skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in planning or estimating with strong analytical and communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
We’re hiring: a Senior Planner and a Lead Estimator. We’re growing our Project Controls capability and are looking for two talented professionals to join our team. If you’re passionate about delivering high‑quality project outcomes and want to play a key role in shaping how we plan, forecast, and deliver, we’d love to hear from you.
Senior Planner
Location: NWS Offices (Cumbria, Warrington or Harwell)
Contract Type: Permanent
What You’ll Do:
- Own the integrated programme schedule — develop, maintain and baseline the fully resource‑ and cost‑loaded master schedule, integrating all project plans with consistent logic, coding and dependencies.
- Manage dependencies and governance — identify and control internal/external interfaces, milestones and constraints, ensuring schedule change, actuals and forecasts follow NWS governance.
- Provide expert planning leadership — act as SME for Primavera P6 and programme planning, assuring planning standards, data structures, quality and alignment with NDA IPC, IPA and APM best practice.
- Deliver high‑quality analysis and insight — produce robust schedules, critical path and scenario analysis, and clear planning insight for governance, regulators, government and performance reporting.
- Lead and develop the planning team — line manage planners, oversee outputs, mentor capability, and ensure consistent, high‑quality planning products across the programme.
What we’re looking for:
- Extensive planning leadership — significant experience leading planning and scheduling on large, complex or regulated programmes, with strong dependency and critical‑path management capability.
- Advanced Primavera expertise — deep practical knowledge of P6 (PPM & EPPM), including administration, Deltek Fuse 360 and DCMA 14‑point schedule assessment.
- Integrated programme controls — proven ability to build and manage integrated programme schedules across multiple projects, with strong understanding of cost, risk, change and performance reporting.
- Strong communication & reporting — able to present complex schedule insights clearly to senior stakeholders, including metrics such as critical path, float erosion and earned value.
- Team leadership & professional development — experience line managing planners and developing capability, supported by relevant project/programme management qualifications (e.g., PMQ, MSP, PRINCE2).
Lead Estimator
Location: NWS Offices (Cumbria, Warrington or Harwell)
Contract Type: Permanent
What You’ll Do:
- Provide estimating leadership — represent NWS as the Estimating Lead, role‑model company values, support the estimating community, and champion an inclusive culture.
- Lead and develop the function — manage and grow the Estimating & Cost Modelling team, oversee performance and capability development, and act as design authority for estimating training.
- Own estimating processes — develop, implement, and continuously improve estimating methodologies, governance, tools, and frameworks aligned with best practice and regulatory expectations.
- Deliver high‑quality estimates — produce transparent, auditable baseline and scenario estimates across GDF & NWS projects, supporting business cases, risk analysis, and decision‑making.
- Integrate and assure cost intelligence — integrate estimating with planning, risk, and change control; lead assurance, validation, and bid evaluation; and ensure value for money through strong commercial challenge.
What we’re looking for:
- Major programme experience — proven background delivering cost estimating within large, complex projects or programme‑level project controls environments.
- Professional competence — professionally qualified or equivalent experience, with membership or progression toward bodies such as ACostE or APM.
- Advanced analytical capability — skilled in analysing complex cost models, challenging assumptions, and identifying key cost drivers, risks, and opportunities.
- Strong communication & collaboration — able to interpret complex data and communicate insights effectively while building strong relationships across multidisciplinary teams.
- Technical estimating expertise — advanced proficiency in estimating software, cost methodologies, and integration with scheduling, risk, and change management, including strong Microsoft Office skills.
Why Join Us
You’ll be part of a collaborative, forward‑thinking team working on complex and meaningful projects. We offer opportunities to innovate, influence, and develop your career in a supportive environment. We also offer a competitive benefits package.
Lead Estimator and Senior Planner Vacancies in Warrington employer: Nuclear Waste Services
Join our dynamic team at NWS, where we prioritise collaboration and innovation in delivering high-quality project outcomes. With a strong focus on employee development and a competitive benefits package, we foster a supportive work culture that empowers you to grow your career while working on complex and meaningful projects in the beautiful locations of Cumbria, Warrington, or Harwell.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Estimator and Senior Planner Vacancies in Warrington
✨Join Construction Networks
Get yourself involved in local construction networks or industry events. They often have job boards, and networking can lead to unadvertised positions. Plus, it’s a great way to meet potential future colleagues!
✨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
Don't just rely on the big job boards. Look at niche construction job sites—many companies prioritise these for full-time roles. Apply through these sites, but don’t forget to reach out directly to companies you admire, like Nuclear Waste Services, to express your interest!
✨Tailor Your Application for Full-Time Roles
Make your application stand out by tailoring it specifically for full-time positions. Highlight how your previous projects align with the company's work. At StudySmarter, we encourage you to demonstrate your commitment and long-term interest in the industry when applying for roles like Lead Estimator and Senior Planner Vacancies at Nuclear Waste Services.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Estimator and Senior Planner Vacancies in Warrington
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:In the construction industry, it's essential to highlight any hands-on experience you have. Whether it’s past projects you've worked on or specific roles you've held, make sure your CV emphasises your practical skills and contributions to construction sites.
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.
Adapt Your CV Format to the Field:Ensure your CV is clear and easy to read, with sections dedicated to skills such as project management, technical abilities, and site supervision. Construction roles often require a blend of technical know-how and soft skills, so make sure both are highlighted effectively.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nuclear Waste Services
✨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.
✨Showcase Your Projects
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!
