Senior Planner

Dowds is a long established, multidisciplinary engineering and construction Building Services Engineering company headquartered in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1978, our expertise spans the full lifecycle of complex-built environments from initial design and systems integration through to installation, commissioning, and handover. Across specific sectors: life science, commercial, education and healthcare.

Operating at a gold standard for best managed company and investors in people, our vision is to set the standard for excellence, driving progress, responsibility, and lasting impact. While keeping our clients and our people at the heart of what we do.

Dowds is seeking a Senior Planner to support the successful delivery of projects through the development, management, and monitoring of detailed construction programmes across the full project lifecycle.

This role plays a critical part in ensuring projects are planned, coordinated, and delivered to programme, working closely with project teams to provide insight, analysis, and practical programme solutions that support commercial and operational objectives.

• Develop and maintain detailed tender, baseline, and construction programmes across multiple projects
• Work collaboratively with project managers, design teams, commercial, procurement, and site teams to produce integrated and realistic project schedules
• Monitor and track progress against programme, ensuring timely updates, reporting, and analysis
• Prepare weekly and monthly reports, including progress narratives, KPIs, and lookahead programmes
• Identify programme risks and delays early, proposing mitigation and recovery strategies
• Support project teams with short-term planning, sequencing, and coordination of activities on site
• Analyse the impact of variations, delays, and changes, supporting EOT submissions and programme adjustments where required
• Participate in planning and progress meetings with internal teams, subcontractors, consultants, and clients
• Contribute to continuous improvement of planning standards, methodologies, and processes across the business
• Support digital planning initiatives, including 4D planning, BIM integration, and programme visualisation

• Significant experience in a planning role within construction (preferably MEP or building services)
• Strong understanding of design, procurement, construction, and handover processes
• Proven ability to develop logic-linked, resource-driven programmes
• Proficiency in planning software such as Asta Power project, Primavera P6, or MS Project
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Experience delivering progress reporting, delay analysis, and programme management
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working on large-scale or complex MEP projects (e.g. healthcare, pharma, commercial)
• Understanding of 4D planning / BIM-linked programming
• Experience in earned value management (EVM)
• Working towards or holding a recognised professional qualification (CIOB, AACE, PMI)

• 41 Days Holiday
• Gold Investor of People
• Early Finish Fridays
• Private Medical
• Bonus
• Pension
• Work from home

Dowds is an Equal Opportunities Employer