Senior Planner

Job Description

Your new roleHere at Highways England it is imperative we deliver in line with time, cost, quality and safety standards ensuring all customers are not adversely affected. As Senior Planner you will directly impact successful delivery in line with time and cost by maintainingproject schedules for the Smart Motorways Programme - the scheme delivering innovative technology driven solutions to tackle congestion, improve journeys and much more!Reporting to the Head of Planning you will join a small team where you will be accountable for the development, delivery and maintenance of project schedules using Primavera P6. You will partner with stakeholders including external Design and Delivery teamsto lead on schedule development, reviewing and assessing schedule progress and highlighting areas of concern. As a senior member of the team the role will also see you offering specialist guidance and encouraging development to your peers, driving excellencein Project and Programme Planning across the business.This role could be worked from any of our Major projects offices, however weekly travel to Birmingham and/or project sites is required.As National Highways moves into the next Roads Investment Strategy 2020-2025 we have established the Smart Motorways Alliance creating a diverse delivery environment of shared ownership, enhanced collaboration and improved outcomes for our customers. Ifyou are seeking a role in a progressive organisation investing billions across the strategic road network, please apply now!What youll be leading on:

1. Work independently within SMP on the production, updating, monitoring, reviewing and analysing of project schedules using Primavera P6 in the NH Oracle EPPM system.
2. Ensure appropriate coordination and input into the schedule from the National Highways Team, the Design and Delivery Partners and the wider project team by taking the lead on schedule development.
3. Ensuring the production of up to date schedules throughout the duration of projects.
4. Reviewing and assessing schedule progress and construction output in accordance with the Major Projects Planning and Scheduling Processes and in accordance with the SMP requirements, with input from the wider project team, to produce contemporaneous reportsas necessary.
5. Update the schedule monthly in accordance with the Major Projects Planning and Scheduling Processes and in accordance with the SMP requirements.
6. Highlight areas of concern in regard to construction output and review mitigation measures with the Project Team. This includes contract change events and the cause and effect these may have against the baseline.
7. Assist and support Programme Managers and Project Leaders as directed with planning and schedule related matters and attend meetings as required with programme teams.
8. Take the lead on managing stakeholders schedule communication information to ensure alignment of information.
9. Team management of project planning team, including supply chain planning team members.

To be successful:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills and experience in managing a small team of planners.
• Have good working knowledge in the use of Primavera P6 and be competent with other planning software, combined with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, ideally in an Integrated Project Controls environment.
• Have a good working knowledge in the use of Earned Value Management and how to apply this in a Major Project environment, to mitigate Programme delays and forecast overruns.
• Experienced with both project manager and contractor elements of a contract, ideally NEC4 Alliance Contract and/or experience with the NEC3.
• Experience of undertaking Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA) is desirable.

A bit about us:The Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) within the Major Projects directorate of National Highways is a client organisation that is leading in the use of technology within the civil infrastructure environment. It has expanded a great deal since it started bothin terms of number of projects and capabilities. It has developed several key disciplines in the project controls arena and wishes to advance this further to match the expanded programme of works.The Planning function falls under the SMP Programme Management Office (PMO) where the increased reliance on forecast data has highlighted the importance of quality project programmes. The schedule is also being aligned with other service facility software,for instance in risk, and as a result the Planning function is expanded to match the emphasis on quality project programmes.