At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead planning for major water projects, optimising processes and driving continuous improvement.
- Company: Join Arcadis, a leader in water optimisation with a commitment to innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Embrace diversity and inclusion in a dynamic work environment focused on innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on essential water infrastructure while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in project planning, ideally in the water or complex infrastructure sectors.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
The Arcadis Water Optimisation team delivers AMP8 Water projects across our clients’ portfolios within clean and wastewater schemes within infrastructure & non‑infrastructure. This strategic role will develop and implement robust planning governance, processes, and systems; integrate programme schedules; and drive continuous improvement in delivery performance.
Our Programme & Project Management team is seeking an experienced Senior Planning Engineer to join us as a leader who will build and mature our planning capability, while also providing hands‑on planning leadership for major delivery across the Water sector.
In this role, you will provide expert advice to project teams and senior leadership on earned value management, resource requirements, programme risks, performance reporting, and out‑turn cost forecasting. You will collaborate closely with portfolio leads, discipline leads, and business stakeholders to optimise resource forecasting, align plans with delivery capabilities, and strengthen financial and schedule control. Additionally, you will support tendering activities by delivering comprehensive programme inputs, resourcing strategies and cost forecast data to improve bid accuracy and deliverability. Your leadership will be critical in maturing planning capability, enhancing predictability, and enabling the successful delivery of complex resilience infrastructure programmes.
Role accountabilities:
- Leading on planning capabilities that support major water AMP8 programmes, defining roles, standards and capability uplift.
- Design, implement and embed new planning processes, procedures and tools to standardise delivery across tender, project and portfolio levels.
- Own integrated baseline programmes, WBS and schedule hierarchies, ensuring alignment with scope, milestones, regulatory requirements and client expectations.
- Oversee schedule health checks, earned value analysis and variance management; drive recovery, contingency and re‑forecast actions as required.
- Produce and present timely reports on schedule performance, earned value, resource utilisation and out‑turn cost forecasts to inform senior leadership decisions.
- Provide strategic input to tender programmes, including programme assumptions, resource plans, risk assessments and cost forecast data to improve bid deliverability.
- Maintain portfolio‑level resource forecasts and capacity plans to support business unit resourcing strategy and recruitment priorities.
- Embed planning governance, data integrity and configuration control in planning systems; assure compliance with standards and auditable baselines.
- Facilitate integrated planning and risk workshops to identify programme risks, opportunities and mitigation measures, escalating critical issues to leadership.
- Drive continuous improvement and digital adoption in planning and reporting to enhance predictability, efficiency and decision support across the business.
Qualifications & Experience:
Essential:
- Sufficient years’ experience in project planning and scheduling, ideally within the water sector but open to complex infrastructure sector.
- Degree/HNC/HND in Engineering, Project Management or a related subject.
- Strong understanding of UK infrastructure delivery contexts, including governance, regulatory and stakeholder requirements across the environment sector and local authorities.
- Proven ability to lead and develop teams in a fast‑paced environment.
- Proficient in planning software (e.g., Safran, Primavera P6, MS Project).
- Excellent organisational, commercial and communication skills.
- Experience with project controls, cost engineering and financial operations.
- Familiarity with different contracting environments and commercial models.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging:
We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together, diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.
Senior Planner - AMP8 Water employer: Poutrix
Arcadis is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation and collaboration thrive. As a Senior Planner in the AMP8 Water team, you will benefit from a culture that prioritises continuous improvement and professional development, alongside competitive remuneration and comprehensive benefits. Located at the heart of the UK's infrastructure sector, Arcadis provides unique opportunities to lead impactful projects that enhance community resilience and sustainability.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Planner - AMP8 Water
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the water sector and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. Attend industry events or webinars to meet potential employers and showcase your expertise.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of project planning and scheduling tools like Safran and Primavera P6. Be ready to discuss how you've led teams and improved delivery performance in past roles.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! When you get the chance, share examples of how you've driven continuous improvement and digital adoption in previous projects. This will highlight your ability to enhance predictability and efficiency.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Planner - AMP8 Water
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Planning Engineer role. Highlight your experience in project planning and scheduling, especially within the water sector or complex infrastructure projects. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Mention specific experiences that demonstrate your leadership in planning capabilities and your understanding of UK infrastructure delivery contexts.
Showcase Your Software Skills:Since proficiency in planning software like Safran, Primavera P6, or MS Project is essential, make sure to mention your experience with these tools. We love seeing candidates who can hit the ground running with the right tech skills!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Poutrix
✨Know Your Planning Processes
Make sure you’re well-versed in the planning processes and tools mentioned in the job description, like earned value management and resource forecasting. Brush up on your knowledge of planning software such as Safran or Primavera P6, as being able to discuss these confidently will show your expertise.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Since this role requires leading teams and developing planning capabilities, prepare examples from your past experiences where you successfully led a project or improved a process. Highlight how you’ve motivated teams and driven performance improvements in a fast-paced environment.
✨Understand the Water Sector
Familiarise yourself with the current trends and challenges in the water sector, especially regarding AMP8 projects. Being able to discuss relevant regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations will demonstrate your commitment and understanding of the industry.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to manage risks. Think about potential challenges you might face in this role and how you would address them, particularly in relation to schedule health checks and variance management.
