Job Title: Principal Project Planner
Location: Ashton Vale, Bristol + Hybrid Working Arrangements
Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF
At Babcock we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Project Planner at our Ashton Vale, Bristol site.
The Role
As a Principal Project Planner, you’ll be at the heart of some of the UK’s most complex and critical defence programmes. You’ll lead the schedule management approach for high-impact projects, ensuring alignment between integrated scheduling tools and financial/material demand systems.
Your work will directly influence national security and innovation in aerospace and engineering, while accelerating your own career development and leadership growth.
Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:
1. Develop and maintain robust integrated project schedules.
2. Collaborate with Control Account Managers, project controllers, and senior stakeholders.
3. Drive performance measurement and delivery focus across programmes.
4. Embed governance and assurance into schedule management.
5. Champion project outcomes and mentor junior planners.
This role is full time, 37 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with days onsite and days working from home.
Essential Experience of the Principal Project Planner
6. Extensive recent experience in a similar role within defence, engineering, or complex project environments.
7. Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6.
8. Experience supporting Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (e.g. Monte Carlo).
9. Proven ability to create and maintain governance artefacts (e.g. Project Management Plans).
10. Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
Qualifications for the Principal Project Planner
11. Relevant professional qualifications in project planning or engineering.
12. Preferred: Certifications in project management methodologies (e.g. APM, PMI).
Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.
Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at .
What We Offer
13. Generous holiday allowance
14. Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
15. Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
16. Employee share scheme
17. Employee shopping savings portal
18. Payment of Professional Fees
19. Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
20. Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually
21. ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
22. Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing