Senior Planning Engineer

Westlakes Recruit are currently recruiting for a Senior Planner to be engaged on a permanent basis in West Cumbria (travel and subsistence will be available).

Role Purpose

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Planner to lead the planning and scheduling function for one of the main mechanical packages. This role is pivotal in developing, integrating, and maintaining robust project schedules that support successful delivery. You will provide expert planning support to project and programme management teams, ensuring alignment with project objectives, governance requirements, and both internal and client standards. Your insights will be critical in identifying schedule risks, opportunities, and performance trends‑enabling informed decision‑making and proactive management of time‑related outcomes.

What you’ll be doing

• Build and maintain effective relationships with customers, project teams, and delivery partners.
• Implement project planning requirements in line with procedures and the Business Management System.
• Ensure programme content complies with planning procedures and internal guidance.
• Define planning scope, major constraints, and contract requirements.
• Establish and integrate key construction methods, sequencing, installation, and commissioning into schedule logic.
• Incorporate material quantities into schedule activities to enable quantity tracking and reporting.
• Apply construction norms to schedule activities for resource optimisation.
• Produce and document planning deliverables including programme submissions, planning philosophy, presentations, and reports.
• Develop and maintain the overall programme, circulate for review, and implement feedback, innovation, and best practices.
• Reconcile company and subcontractor plant, labour, and major material elements; apply resource levelling techniques as needed.
• Interface with third parties to identify and resolve planning issues.
• Analyse schedule performance and produce detailed Earned Value reports for client submission.
• Evaluate integrated schedule movements and collaborate with delivery partners to produce cohesive narratives.
• Interpret and demonstrate Critical Paths and multiple sub‑critical paths to understand schedule complexity.

Who we’re looking for

Personal Qualities & Experience

• Minimum 5 years of hands‑on experience in construction planning on major projects.
• Proven ability to take ownership, work independently, and make confident decisions.
• Extensive experience in planning services within large, complex construction and engineering environments.
• Proficient in planning techniques and toolsets, including Primavera P6.
• Strong understanding of delay analysis and entitlement demonstration methods.
• In‑depth knowledge of NEC contract documents and specifications.
• Skilled in various planning, programming, and progress monitoring methodologies.
• Solid grasp of risk and opportunity management in planning contexts.
• Familiarity with construction market trends, methods, plant, equipment, and labour requirements.
• Experience conducting site walk‑downs and interpreting site drawings and 3D models.
• Relevant CSCS Card.

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Why We’re Different:

Westlakes Recruit are a people solutions business that understands the complexities of nuclear and the importance of our clients’ mission‑critical objectives. Smarter, faster, more agile – we have a laser focus on nuclear, with deep sectoral knowledge. We develop nuclear talent pools before you know you need them! We do Nuclear. We only do Nuclear. We do all of Nuclear.

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