Senior Principal Planning

About the role

The Senior Planning Consultant will act on behalf of Mott MacDonald or as a Clients Representative and is responsible for overseeing the planning and schedule management a range of projects and programmes.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience developing and implementing schedule management best practices including development of work breakdown structures and robust performance baselines, establishing progress monitoring methods and report. They will and possess the ability to perform and assure schedule analysis communicating recommendations clients and key stakeholders. The candidate will also have experience in establishing and managing planning teams including development functional strategies and recruitment to achieve growth.

Main responsibilities but not limited to:

• Responsible for the delivery of an effective planning capability and resources within a defined area or across major projects and programmes.
• Work with account and programme leads support business development and stakeholder management activities across a range of customers and opportunities
• Manage and development of a team of professional planners including line management, career development and continuous professional development
• Act as a company recognised Subject Mater Expert as needed
• Working with Excellence Leads, identify specify and support improvements to the scheduling and planning capability and service offering.
• Oversee and provide programme and portfolio level master planning on complex stakeholder environments.
• Oversee and undertake the development and evaluation of tender documents for bids.
• For complex projects or programmes facilitate interactive planning workshops to facilitate portfolio, programme and project planning alignment.
• Establish methods for quantitative progress measurement alongside Critical Path Methodology (CPM), resource loading and forecasting, cost loading and Earned Value Management (EVM).
• Design and deliver reporting frameworks for delivery and Senior Leadership reporting, ensuring clear controls and concise reporting of schedule performance is available to support early decision making.
• Where assigned, act as the planning manager for critical / major contracts including creation, approval and management of project schedules generating high quality schedule data (dates, interfaces, resources, materials, costs) to support schedule risk management, senior leadership decision making and predictability.
• Manage performance by comparing cost/resource curves to actuals, tracking float consumption, performing schedule health (integrity) checks, monitoring performance and carrying out variance analysis to support Baseline and Change Management procedures.
• Identify and mitigate threats to the project schedule, initiate and close out of corrective actions with project teams.
• Oversee and perform schedule assurance reviews, perform and oversee Time Impact Assessments, Schedule QRA’s and responses to Extension of Time (EoT) claims.

Candidate specifications

• Experience in Team Leadership and management of professionals.
• Experience providing planning and scheduling management leadership across a wide range of industries such as Utilities, Transportation, Energy, Water, Defence, and Building.
• Able to rapidly establish credibility and lead on ‘all things planning’
• Demonstrate track record of dealing with complex situations while maintaining professional integrity.
• Experienced in Stakeholder Management, able to summarise complex situations into concise and effective communication using an array of methods such as written and verbal to a senior executive audience.
• A strong commitment to delivery: on time, to standard, within agreed resources.
• Confident, articulate, with the ability to build effective working relationships across a range of stakeholders to influence and constructively challenge.
• Excellent communication skills and able to simplify complex issues into concise communication using written, visual and data driven means. · Experience of Earned value and Critical Path management and control.
• Experience of planning in a range of contractual environments. NEC3/4 is desirable.
• Development, deployment and continuous improvement of planning processes, procedures and systems.
• Team leadership – Can demonstrate effective management and leadership skills covering both direct line management situations and as a functional leader.
• Demonstrate a commitment to CPD including progression of chartership / membership of professional bodies. · The candidate needs to have a logical mindset, methodical approach and excellent organisational skills.
• Demonstrate time management of self and others. Also demonstrate experience in mentoring and professional development of early and mid-career professionals.
• Expert level knowledge of Primavera and MS Project
• A proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications
• Experienced and skilled using various risk and reporting tools such as Safran, PowerBI.

Our Purpose
At Mott MacDonald, our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do; relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of our organisation. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate, rather take positive steps towards creating a diverse and inclusive working environment.

Flexible Working
At Mott MacDonald, we support our staff to create work-life balance which works for them and welcome candidates looking for career flexibility. We are open to discussing flexible working at interview stage.

We can offer:

• 90 calendar days’ paid maternity leave
• Competitive annual leave
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Annual company performance bonus scheme – Subject to company performance