Job Title: Senior Planner – HVDC Converter Station (Fast Track to Planning Manager)
Location: Kilsyth (until August 2027), then Beauly (near Inverness) – approximately 2 weeks/month onsite
Salary: Up to £85,000 per annum + £5,000 car allowance
Contract Type: 2-Year ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) – Temp-to-Perm Considered (Project runs to 2032)

BENEFITS:

• £5,000 annual car allowance
• Fast track career progression to Planning Manager
• Generous pension scheme
• Private healthcare (subject to eligibility)
• Annual discretionary bonus
• Ongoing training and professional development (including chartership support)
• Flexible working arrangements (when offsite)
  About the Role
  We are seeking a seasoned Senior Planner to join our ECI team for a landmark £300 million HVDC Converter Station project at Beauly. Reporting to the Head of Planning, you will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and optimizing the overall project schedule during the pre-construction phase and into early works. Based out of our Kilsyth office until at least August 2027, you will then transition to site-based planning support (Beauly) approximately two weeks per month from August 2027 onwards.
  This role sits at the heart of programme delivery—liaising with civil, structural, MEP, and commissioning teams—ensuring that tender submissions, sequencing options, and value-engineered programmes align with cost, quality, and client expectations. In recognition of exemplary performance, you will be fast-tracked to the Planning Manager position, taking on broader leadership responsibilities and team management.

Key Responsibilities

• Master Programme Development & Control:
• Create, maintain, and optimize the integrated project schedule across all disciplines (civil, structural, MEP, commissioning).
• Produce detailed CPM (Critical Path Method) schedules, logic networks, resource histograms, and progress curve forecasts.
• Perform “what-if” analyses to evaluate sequencing options, constraint impacts, and risk mitigations.
• Tender & Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) Planning:
• Lead the planning input for tender packages: define sequence, resource loading, durations, and milestone logic.
• Coordinate with cost estimators, design engineers, and procurement to align schedule assumptions and highlight key risks.
• Identify and propose value-engineering opportunities to optimize programme duration and cost.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting:
• Serve as the primary planning interface with clients, design consultants, tier-1 and tier-2 contractors, and CDM Duty Holders.
• Facilitate regular programme review sessions, risk workshops, and look-ahead planning meetings.
• Prepare and issue clear, actionable progress reports, updates to the Integrated Master Programme, and highlight reports for senior leadership.
• Site-Based Planning Support (from August 2027):
• Mobilize to Beauly for approximately two weeks per month to oversee contractor progress, update baseline schedules, and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor site productivity, update earned value metrics, and forecast delays or accelerations.
• Collaborate with the Project Controls team to ensure time-cost integration and accurate change management.
• Fast-Track to Planning Manager:
• Mentor junior planners and engineers, provide training on Primavera P6 (or equivalent), and establish planning best practices.
• As Planning Manager, you will develop departmental KPIs, manage a team of planners, and own the end-to-end scheduling function.
• Partner with commercial and contract managers to integrate programme risk register with commercial risks, ensuring a consolidated view of project health.

Candidate Requirements

• Experience & Qualifications:
• Minimum 10 years’ planning experience on large-scale infrastructure/EPC projects (ideally > £100 million value).
• Prior experience working for or within tier-1 contractors on civils-intensive programmes.
• Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6 (or equivalent), including schedule risk analysis (SRA), resource levelling, and progress percentage techniques.
• Proven track record producing tender and live-project schedules, including baseline and revised programmes.
• Sound knowledge of CDM regulations and ability to integrate HSE milestones into the project schedule.
• Chartered Planner (Society of Project Managers) or pursuing chartership in planning/engineering disciplines is highly advantageous.
• Strong commercial acumen: familiarity with cost/schedule integration (EVM) and change management processes.
• Exceptional communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership and clients.
• UK driving licence required (for regular travel between Kilsyth and Beauly).
• Skills & Attributes:
• Analytical mindset with a detail-orientated approach to identifying critical path constraints and risk exposures.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders and facilitate consensus on sequencing and resource allocations.
• Ambitious, career-focused, and motivated by fast-tracked advancement to Planning Manager.
• Collaborative leadership style: adept at coaching junior staff, fostering a “one-team” environment.
• Flexible with travel—prepared to be onsite in Beauly two weeks per month from August 2027.

What We Offer

• Competitive Package: Up to £85,000 basic salary (dependent on experience) plus £5,000 car allowance.
• Fast-Track Career Progression: Clear pathway to Planning Manager within the first year, with expanded leadership responsibilities.
• Long-Term Opportunity: Potential transition from 2-year ECI contract to permanent role through to project completion (anticipated 2032).
• Professional Development: Full support for chartership, advanced planning certifications, and attendance at industry conferences.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Private medical insurance, life assurance, contributory pension scheme, and annual discretionary bonus.
• Work–Life Balance: Flexible/hybrid working when office-based and a structured site-visit schedule.
• Collaborative Culture: Join a high-performing project controls function, mentoring opportunities, and involvement in a landmark infrastructure programme.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £70,000.00-£85,000.00 per year

Application question(s):

• Do you have a minimum of 10 years’ planning or civil-engineering scheduling experience on large-scale infrastructure or EPC projects?
• Have you previously worked for (or directly with) a tier-1 contractor on civils-intensive programmes (e.g., multi-£100 M infrastructure)?
• Are you proficient in Primavera P6 (or equivalent CPM scheduling software) for developing and maintaining detailed project programmes?
• Can you be based in Kilsyth (until August 2027) and then spend approximately two weeks per month onsite at Beauly (near Inverness) from August 2027 onwards?

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Inverness IV3 8NZ
Reference ID: Senior Planner - Invernes

• Master Programme Development & Control:
• Create, maintain, and optimize the integrated project schedule across all disciplines (civil, structural, MEP, commissioning).
• Produce detailed CPM (Critical Path Method) schedules, logic networks, resource histograms, and progress curve forecasts.
• Perform “what-if” analyses to evaluate sequencing options, constraint impacts, and risk mitigations.
• Tender & Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) Planning:
• Lead the planning input for tender packages: define sequence, resource loading, durations, and milestone logic.
• Coordinate with cost estimators, design engineers, and procurement to align schedule assumptions and highlight key risks.
• Identify and propose value-engineering opportunities to optimize programme duration and cost.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting:
• Serve as the primary planning interface with clients, design consultants, tier-1 and tier-2 contractors, and CDM Duty Holders.
• Facilitate regular programme review sessions, risk workshops, and look-ahead planning meetings.
• Prepare and issue clear, actionable progress reports, updates to the Integrated Master Programme, and highlight reports for senior leadership.
• Site-Based Planning Support (from August 2027):
• Mobilize to Beauly for approximately two weeks per month to oversee contractor progress, update baseline schedules, and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor site productivity, update earned value metrics, and forecast delays or accelerations.
• Collaborate with the Project Controls team to ensure time-cost integration and accurate change management.
• Fast-Track to Planning Manager:
• Mentor junior planners and engineers, provide training on Primavera P6 (or equivalent), and establish planning best practices.
• As Planning Manager, you will develop departmental KPIs, manage a team of planners, and own the end-to-end scheduling function.
• Partner with commercial and contract managers to integrate programme risk register with commercial risks, ensuring a consolidated view of project health