Planning Manager
South Wales, UK - Site Based | Senior Role | Multi‐Year Programme
We are working with a major industrial client embarking on a complex, multi‐year capital investment programme. This involves large‐scale construction, significant engineering interfaces, and delivery environments where uncertainty, change and pressure are part of daily life.
Our client is seeking an experienced Planning Manager to lead programme‐level planning standards, governance and direction. This is a senior, influential position — not a desk‐based scheduling role — where your work will directly inform decision‐making across delivery and executive teams.
If you're motivated by challenge, complexity and genuine impact, this role provides the opportunity to shape outcomes on a programme of national significance.
The Opportunity
This is a role for someone who understands how major capital programmes really operate — long timescales, multiple contractors, interdependent workstreams, and high levels of change. You will set the planning approach across the programme, establish governance, and provide insight into progress, risk and recovery options.
You'll bring clarity to senior leaders who need direct, evidence-based answers, and guide delivery teams on what is achievable and how to stay on track. This is a leadership role where influence, challenge and credibility are as important as technical skill.
Key Responsibilities
In this role, you will:
* Lead the planning strategy, standards and governance across a complex, multi-year capital programme
* Provide programme‐level insights that inform executive and delivery decision-making
* Develop and maintain integrated master schedules, ensuring alignment across multiple contractors and workstreams
* Analyse schedule performance, risks, interfaces and recovery options
* Work closely with engineering, delivery, commercial and contractor teams to ensure realistic and achievable planning inputs
* Challenge assumptions constructively to ensure plans reflect real-world delivery constraints
* Support schedule impact assessments and alignment with contract requirements (e.g., NEC)
* Provide leadership to planning teams, driving consistency, discipline and high standards of reporting
This is not a technical scheduler position: it's a senior planning leadership role with genuine influence over how the programme is directed and delivered.
About You
You will bring substantial experience of planning and controls on large, complex capital programmes — ideally within sectors such as industrial, infrastructure, energy or major engineering environments.
You will have:
* Deep expertise in Primavera P6, integrated schedules and schedule analytics
* Strong understanding of critical path method, earned value management and schedule risk analysis
* Experience supporting or assessing programme impacts under NEC or similar contract frameworks
* Confidence presenting to senior leadership, with the ability to translate complex schedule information into clear, actionable insight
* A practical mindset — someone who balances governance with delivery and optimism with realism
* Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence, challenge and lead across diverse teams
Relevant qualifications in engineering, planning or project management are desirable, along with membership of a relevant professional body. Development support is available where needed.
What's on Offer
* A senior leadership role on a major UK capital programme
* The chance to shape planning standards and strategy at programme level
* Significant long-term exposure to complex engineering and construction delivery environments
* A competitive compensation package, aligned to experience and seniority
* The opportunity to make a lasting impact on a major transformation programme
Interested?
If you're an experienced Planning Manager who thrives in complex, multi‐disciplinary environments and wants a highly influential role, we'd welcome your application.