Senior Planner - Rail/Transport

Senior Planner -Rail and Transport

Location: Flexible, Manchester/Birmingham or Bristol

A leading engineering and infrastructure consultancy is seeking an experienced Senior Planner to join its Transportation Division in Birmingham. This is an excellent opportunity to work on major rail and highway infrastructure projects, supporting the successful delivery of complex, multi-million-pound programmes across the UK.

The successful candidate will play a key role within a high-performing Project Controls team, providing planning expertise, programme management, and project control support to both project teams and clients. Reporting to the Project Controls Manager, you will take ownership of project programmes while supporting effective project delivery through robust planning and control processes.

The Role

The Senior Planner will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and monitoring project and tender programmes across large-scale transportation projects. Working closely with project stakeholders, you will provide accurate programme data, identify risks and opportunities, and ensure project performance is effectively reported and controlled.

This position offers the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most significant transportation infrastructure projects while being part of a respected and experienced project controls team.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage all aspects of project planning, scheduling, and project controls.
• Develop, update, and maintain project and tender programmes using Primavera P6.
• Provide programme performance reporting, project schedules, dashboards, and progress updates.
• Monitor project progress, identify deviations and delays, and communicate impacts to project leadership teams.
• Facilitate programme review meetings and support client-facing project controls activities.
• Deliver regular programme updates, highlighting changes, risks, and delays on a reporting period basis.
• Produce resource-loaded programmes and resource histograms.
• Implement and manage Earned Value Management (EVM) processes.
• Support budget monitoring, change control, trend analysis, and work package management.
• Assist in schedule risk analysis, cost analysis, and claims management activities.
• Provide planning expertise throughout engineering design, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Mentor and support junior planners, providing guidance, task allocation, and performance feedback.
• Build strong relationships with clients and key project stakeholders.
• Support project teams in achieving programme, cost, and performance objectives.

Requirements

• Significant experience planning large transportation infrastructure projects within Rail and/or Highways.
• Expert user of Primavera P6.
• Strong understanding of project lifecycles including design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Experience programming multidisciplinary engineering projects.
• Detailed understanding of transportation infrastructure disciplines including:
  • Signalling
  • Track (P-Way)
  • Structures
  • Bridges
  • Tunnels
  • Earthworks and Embankments
  • Buildings and Access Structures
  • Electrification & Plant
  • Telecoms
• Experience working under NEC and other standard forms of contract.
• Proven experience producing and managing project programmes with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge of project controls techniques including:
  • Earned Value Management (EVM)
  • Budget and cost control
  • Change management
  • Trend analysis
  • Schedule risk analysis
  • Work package management
• Experience working on projects valued up to £50 million.
• Previous experience mentoring or managing junior planners is desirable.
• Experience with enterprise project management systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Degree-qualified in Mechanical or Civil Engineering preferred.
• Membership of the Association for Project Management (APM) desirable.