Project Planner

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Location: Renfrew, Scotland, United Kingdom, PA4 8XJ

At Howden Compressors, we deliver complex, high-value compressor packaging projects for customers around the world. As our Project Planner, you'll play a critical role in ensuring these projects are planned effectively, resourced appropriately and delivered successfully.

This is more than a traditional scheduling role. You'll contribute to project controls activities including forecasting, performance reporting, resource planning and Earned Value Management, helping drive successful outcomes across a portfolio of complex engineering projects.

You'll typically support 3-4 concurrent projects, ranging in value from £2 million to £20 million, with a strong focus on international delivery. The role also offers opportunities to collaborate across the wider Howden network, supporting global planning initiatives and sharing best practice with colleagues around the world.

For ambitious professionals, this position offers excellent long-term development opportunities. Working closely with Project Managers, Engineers, Procurement specialists and business leaders, you'll gain broad exposure across the full project lifecycle, creating a strong foundation for future career progression within Project Management, Project Controls, Engineering, Procurement or other operational leadership roles across Howden.

As Project Planner, you'll be responsible for developing and maintaining integrated project schedules and resource plans across a portfolio of package build projects.

Key responsibilities include:

• Creating, maintaining and continuously improving project schedules from pre-contract award through to project completion.
• Working closely with Project Managers and cross-functional teams to ensure schedules accurately reflect project scope, priorities and resource requirements.
• Identifying schedule risks, critical path activities, resource constraints and delivery bottlenecks, proactively developing solutions to minimise project impacts.
• Facilitating and supporting structured project review cycles, ensuring progress updates, schedule changes and project movements are accurately captured and communicated.
• Consolidating project schedules and resource plans to provide visibility across the wider project portfolio.
• Producing meaningful project performance reports, KPIs and Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics to support informed decision-making.
• Monitoring project progress and supporting on-time delivery through effective forecasting, planning and risk management.
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives that reduce lead times, improve workflow efficiency and enhance project execution.
• Working collaboratively with engineering, procurement, manufacturing, commercial and leadership teams to support successful project outcomes.
• Supporting planning and project delivery activities across the wider Howden network, including international collaboration opportunities.
• Promoting a culture of safety, quality and operational excellence in line with Howden standards and policies.

We're looking for someone who combines strong planning expertise with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

You will likely have:

• Proven experience in project scheduling, planning or project controls within a manufacturing, engineering or project-based environment.
• A strong understanding of project planning and scheduling principles.
• Experience using scheduling and planning software, with Smartsheet experience highly desirable.
• The ability to identify and mitigate schedule, resource and delivery risks before they impact project performance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience driving process improvements across cross-functional teams.
• A proactive, customer-focused approach and a commitment to delivering high-quality outcomes.
• APM, PMI or other project management/planning…