Senior Planner

Around the world, SYSTRA’s specialists plan, design, integrate, test, commission, project manage and deliver mass transit and mobility solutions that are relied on by more than 50 million people every day.

For more than 60 years, the Group has been committed to helping cities and regions contribute to their development by creating, improving and modernising their transport infrastructure with sustainability, accessibility and innovation at the heart of our designs. With over 10,300 colleagues globally and around 1000 in the UK & Ireland we are growing significantly and seeking out the very best talent to join the SYSTRA signature team and be part of leading the way in infrastructure design.

SYSTRA Ltd is looking for a Senior Planner to join its UK/IRE project controls team based in the Birmingham, providing technical planning expertise on bids and live projects to ensure accurate programmes and robust project control materials are in place.

This role is well suited to an ambitious and committed planning professional with strong leadership and interpersonal skills, commercial awareness and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, performance-driven team. With a focus on UK/IRE infrastructure projects, the successful candidate will contribute to a diverse portfolio of work for a wide range of clients.

• Provide primary systems experience in UK Rail and the wider infrastructure industry.
• Lead and mentor early career professionals and other members of the planning team.
• Build relationships with internal and external clients and maintain regular client contact.
• Represent Project Controls and attend client and progress meetings.
• Produce compliant programmes that are logically robust, cost and resource loaded and cover the full project scope across all stages of the project lifecycle.
• Provide project performance data, project schedules and reports in a concise and timely manner.
• Ensure all planning processes and procedures are fully implemented on the project.
• Identify project risks, deviations and slippages, reporting and communicating issues to senior members of the Project Controls and Project Management teams.
• Understand the workload, priorities and allocation of team members.
• Identify and manage key input and output milestones.
• Identify key internal interfaces and third-party interfaces.
• Check programme achievements and provide constructive feedback, leadership and management.
• Analyse current and future workloads to ensure planning commitments can be achieved.
• Conduct risk workshops and undertake schedule risk analysis, presenting results and trends clearly.
• Ensure earned value management processes are followed and data analysis is carried out effectively.
• Provide regular supervision to junior members of the team as required.
• Experience and provide trend record of successfully fulfilling planning roles on complex multidisciplinary contracts.
• Demonstrate a proactive and flexible approach, seeking support when required.
• Travel to client sites and other SYSTRA offices as required.
• Produce comprehensive and professional programmes and project controls materials for bids and projects in line with required timescales.
• Ensure baseline programmes are in place and accepted by the client to support change management and demonstrate cause and effect.
• Analyse project performance and planning and project control material, advising the project team on likely impact and recommended improvements or mitigation.
• Ensure the project team is aware of and understands the programme, project drivers, key deliverables, critical path and sub-critical paths.
• Implement and maintain the requirements outlined on projects and bids.
• Undertake any other related responsibilities as directed by the Project Controls Director.
• Represent the function and business with stakeholders, including clients, suppliers and internal business functions.
• Coach and mentor junior team members within the planning function.

• Strong experience in planning within the UK Rail and infrastructure sectors.
• Competent user of Primavera P6.
• Membership of the Association for Project Management (APM) is desirable.
• HNC or degree in a relevant industry subject.
• Flexibility to work long hours where required to meet the demands of the role.
• Willingness to travel to client sites and other SYSTRA offices as required.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capability, with the ability to support and develop junior professionals.
• Good commercial awareness and the ability to work effectively in a…