Planning & Project Controls Lead
Planning & Project Controls Lead
London, Bristol or Cardiff
Perm
Competitive salary, with Travel Allowance + Flexible Benefits
The role
We are looking for a Planning & Project Controls Lead to join our regional Senior Leadership Team and take ownership of a high-performing planning and project controls function.
This is a pivotal leadership role where you will drive data-led decision making, enhance project delivery performance, and ensure robust planning, risk management, and governance across a diverse portfolio of complex engineering projects.
If you’re a strategic thinker with deep technical expertise and a passion for delivering excellence in project controls, we want to hear from you.
Key deliverables in this role are:
Lead and develop the Planning & Project Controls function across the full project lifecycle (Win → Plan → Do → Handover)
Act as a key member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, influencing business strategy and performance
Align stakeholders across Delivery, Commercial, SHEQ, Procurement, and Technical teams
Own and assure contract baseline programmes using Primavera P6 or Asta Powerproject
Lead regional resource planning, ensuring capability aligns with future demand
Drive consistency and excellence in planning standards and processes
Embed and monitor key KPIs (SPI, CPI, Earned Value, productivity)
Deliver clear, data-driven reporting and dashboards for senior stakeholders
Conduct forecasting and trend analysis to support proactive decision-making
Lead advanced schedule risk analysis (Monte Carlo, TIA, SRA)
Ensure effective change control across all programmes
Maintain robust, auditable risk registers and mitigation strategies
Support bids with robust planning, sequencing, and risk assessments
Collaborate with Business Development to strengthen win strategies
Ensure all activities align with contractual obligations (e.g. NEC), internal processes, and legislation
Maintain accurate and auditable project data and records
Champion a Safety First culture across all projects
Drive compliance with HSEQ standards and continuous improvement
To be successful in this role you will have:
Proven leadership experience within Planning / Project Controls
Strong expertise in Primavera P6 and/or Asta Powerproject
Experience working under NEC contracts
Background in major infrastructure or energy sectors (Rail, Nuclear, Power, Water)
Advanced knowledge of earned value management (EVM) and performance analytics
Expertise in risk modelling and forecasting techniques
Experience managing planning at a portfolio or regional level
Project Management qualification (APM, PMI or equivalent)
Relevant engineering / construction qualification or apprenticeship
Leadership/management qualification (Level 5 or equivalent desirable)
Who You Are
A strategic and influential leader who can inspire teams and stakeholders
Data-driven, comfortable translating complex data into actionable insights
Resilient and solutions-focused, able to navigate complex challenges
A collaborator, fostering a high-performance, team-first culture
Benefits
25 days holiday per annum, plus bank holidays
Pension with leading provider and up to 8% employer contribution
Private healthcare
Free 24/7 365 Employee assistance program to support mental health and wellbeing (including counselling sessions and legal advice)
Discounts
Personal development programme
Flexible Benefits
Travel allowance