Project Planning Lead in Leeds

We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience, £52,955 - £67,891.

Annual incentive related bonus – £1000 maximum Bonus Opportunity for the Performance Year.

Attractive pension scheme – up to 12% company contribution.

Development opportunities in line with the Project Planning Lead progression plan.

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus two extra wellness days!

Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary.

A great benefits package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.

Retail savings scheme, online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: Buttershaw, Bradford /hybris working (1-2 office days per week), pending office move to Leeds (LS10) from Summer, 2026.

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Project Planning Lead to join the Project Controls team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers.

What we do: Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The Project Controls team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators.

The Project Planning Lead will be responsible for working with the team to ensure consistency in approach and data across the AMP 7 and 8 programme, and in particular will work closely with the Project Control lead on their assigned projects to ensure a fully integrated approach to assessing and reporting project performance.

You will coordinate and lead the planning process, within the assigned Sub-Programme, for new and refurbished assets across the programme in AMP7 and into AMP8 via collaborative working between Yorkshire Water (YW) Asset Planning, YW Service Delivery and the Delivery partner teams.

As our Project Planning Lead you will:

• Provide assurance on schedules submitted by Delivery Partners, ensuring they can be accepted based on the NEC guidelines.
• Create end to end Project and programme baselines.
• Measure progress and schedule impact on key milestones.
• Chair regular scheduling sessions to discuss milestone movement, seeking solutions to mitigate any schedule risk.
• Carry out ‘what-if’ scenario planning of sites to ensure the optimum schedule is achieved.
• Work closely with Project controls lead and wider cost, risk and change management teams to provide a fully integrated performance approach.
• Work as part of the programme team to deliver excellent performance by understanding how their individual performance links into achieving the team’s wider objectives.
• Support the Project Delivery teams with compensation event analysis.
• Proactive approach to managing interfaces and potential blockers, working with project teams to reduce schedule risk.
• Understanding and developing best practice and innovation supported with measuring & monitoring the implementation of new ideas.
• Other work as needed in support of successful project delivery.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Significant experience in all aspects of planning and scheduling in P6 including but not limited to; Work Breakdown structure creation, preparation and update of logic linked programme, baseline management, critical path analysis, preparation of periodic reports.
• An understanding of Risk management and change management.
• Experience or knowledge of resource loading programmes, progress measurement, earned value analysis, completion forecasting and status reporting.
• Ability to challenge undesired behaviours appropriately.
• Experience of utilities or large Infrastructure projects.
• Good IT skills and the ability to operate professional planning tools, specifically P6.
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships across the wider teams.

You will also benefit from having:

• Experience of driving sustainable performance against challenging business targets.
• Previous experience in a commercially orientated environment.
• Previous experience gained within the water industry or within the broader utilities, process or manufacturing industry sectors.
• Knowledge of Project Controls tools and principles.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If you’ve got experience in Project Planning and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Just a Heads-up: We may close this campaign as soon as a suitable candidate is found. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.