Assistant Planner - SPN

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This Assistant Planner – SPN will report to the Project Controls and Data Excellence Manager and will work within Capital Programme based in our Maidstone office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary of £42,005 and a bonus of 3%. This role can also offer blended working after probationary period (6 months) – 3 days in the office and 2 remote

Close Date: 07/09/2025

We also provide the following additional benefits

• Reservist Leave – Additional 18 days full pay and 22 unpaid
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit Scheme, Season Ticket Loan
• Tax efficient benefits: Cycle to Work, Home & Tech, and Green Car Leasing Schemes
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers\’ products
• Discounted gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme

Job Purpose and Dimensions

The assistant planner manages and maintains lower value projects assigned under the guidance of planners/lead planners in the team. They sit client side and support the delivery team (Programme Managers, Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Designers, Consents and more) to record progress/costs and forecast milestones, activities and costs utilising their existing and developing knowledge of project controls and P6 activity planning/cost forecasting.

Assistant planners also support and shadow planners/lead planners on major projects, learning and developing their core capabilities and working towards the capability to plan and manage their own large/major projects independently.

Assistant planners will undertake a Level 3 Project Controls Apprenticeship seeing it through to completion, cementing, developing, and advancing their existing knowledge of projects controls and planning practices.

P6 is utilised as the hub of reporting within UKPN Capital Programme for forecasting project costs, activities and milestones. It is also used for recording actual cost to date by activity. As a member of the planning team, the assistant planner is aware of and understands the data in their projects. For each month end reporting cycle, you will focus on data integrity of your projects ensuring that all actual costs are recorded and coded correctly in your projects and that milestone, activity and cost forecasts for the month, next month, in year and to completion reflect the best view of the project team.

Principal Accountabilities

• Manage and maintain lower value projects assigned under the guidance of planners/lead planners in the team
• Learn and improve own capability in Primavera P6 to manage major projects. Expectation of self-led and motivated learning.
• Maintain schedules in Primavera P6 and consistency with approved UK Power Networks WBS/OBS/CBS
• Maintain P6 schedules to the required standard following the Project Control Handbook
• Provide accurate programme data to meet UK Power Networks project control requirements; support Earned Value Management reporting.
• Maintain currency of programme plans and schedules following the Capital Programme performance reporting timetable
• With the assistance of other planners, provide schedule impact of proposed change and integrate approved changes into baseline updates.
• Support other planners oversee the progressing major projects.
• Support schedule risk analysis where required by the delivery team
• Work with the Lead Planners to identify the correct data entry requirements for each project and taking responsibility for cost and progress data on the full programme of assigned projects
• Influence project partners to ensure submission of progress and milestone achievement updates
• Learn and subsequently maintain compliance with UK Power Networks project delivery and programme governance procedures.
• Flag any schedule anomalies to the relevant Planner, including data entry errors or project performance outside of accepted tolerances.
• Obtain support to the schedule from project teams and co-ordinate schedule interfaces between the different control areas.
• Work with the commercial team to ensure alignment of cost information across all systems and reports (SAP, Unifier, P6)
• Work with the local finance team for monitoring relevant project and programme information, P6 data integrity, income, expenditure.
• Undertake a Level 3 Project Controls Apprenticeship seeing it through to completion

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English grade 5 or higher (or equivalent)
• Foundation level qualification in project management / control (such as APM or Prince2) is desirable

Experience:

• Knowledge of work scheduling for construction projects; experience with Primavera P6, MS Project or similar packages desirable
• Knowledge of the principles of Earned Value Management; able to apply these principles to organise and improve project data sets
• Work with multiple team members, ensuring regular updates and data entry as part of a monthly performance reporting schedule
• Familiarity with database and data organisation principles
• Strength in communicating with a large community of internal and external personnel
• Good oral, written and presentational skills with experience presenting data for analysis and review
• Familiarity with standard office software including Project, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook
• Work with team to obtain information and commitment to formulating schedule whilst commanding respect from all team members through technical and personal credibility

Nature and Scope

Managing the project data entry, cost loading and progress updates for a programme of projects across the Capital Programme portfolios.

Provide data entry support to the wider P6 Planner workforce.

Undertake a course of professional development with a view to a role as a Project Planner, including study or training in:

• Project planning / P6 planning
• Project management and controls
• Earned value management

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

If you have any queries in connection to this vacancy or your application, please contact us at careers@ukpowernetworks.co.uk quoting the vacancy reference number and a member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

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