Planning Lead – Airports

Reports to: Head of Planning

Location: London - Heathrow Airport (All Terminals)

Contract Type: Permanent

Introduction to role

As a Planning Lead, reporting to the UK & Ireland Head of Planning, you will lead planning activities across complex airport and automated material handling projects throughout the full project lifecycle. You will be responsible for developing, maintaining and assuring integrated project programmes, providing clear visibility of project performance, key milestones, risks, opportunities and delivery strategy. Working closely with Project Managers, Engineers, Customers, Suppliers and Subcontractors, you will act as the planning lead on your projects, driving programme performance and supporting successful project delivery.

Role Responsibilities

As a senior member of the Planning function, you will support the UK & Ireland Head of Planning in the management and development of the planning function across the business. This includes supporting planning governance, resource management, capability development, recruitment, continuous improvement initiatives and deputising for the Head of Planning when required. This role supports projects across the UK and Ireland and will require collaboration with project teams, customers and stakeholders across multiple locations. Travel may therefore be required as part of the role.

Role Responsibilities

You will be involved throughout the full project lifecycle, including bid support, design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, installation, testing, commissioning and handover.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and maintaining integrated project programmes from project initiation through to completion, including building schedules from first principles and establishing robust and achievable delivery strategies.
• Identifying critical path activities, programme risks, constraints and opportunities, and providing proactive schedule analysis to support effective mitigation, acceleration and recovery strategies.
• Reviewing, challenging and assuring subcontractor and supplier programmes to ensure alignment with project objectives, delivery strategy and contractual requirements.
• Coordinating project schedules across internal and external stakeholders, managing complex interfaces across engineering, procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and customer teams.
• Acting as the primary planning interface between project teams, customers, suppliers and subcontractors, providing planning leadership, challenge and strategic advice to Project Managers and senior stakeholders.
• Leading planning activities across one or more complex projects simultaneously, ensuring programmes remain integrated, accurate, achievable and aligned with project delivery objectives.
• Developing programme reporting, schedule updates, performance metrics and management information to provide clear visibility of project performance, key milestones, risks and opportunities.
• Supporting programme governance, schedule assurance and planning standards across the Airports business.
• Mentoring, coaching and supporting the development of planners and wider project teams, promoting consistent planning standards and best practice.
• Supporting the continuous improvement of planning processes, templates, governance, reporting and tools across the business.
• Supporting the UK & Ireland Head of Planning in the management and development of the planning function, including resource planning, recruitment, capability development and workload management.
• Deputising for the UK & Ireland Head of Planning during periods of absence, acting as the senior planning point of contact for project teams, functional stakeholders and senior management.
• Promoting planning best practice across the Airports business and contributing to the continued development of the wider Planning function.

Role Qualification and Skills

• Minimum 7 years' planning experience within a project delivery environment.
• Minimum 3 years operating as a Senior Planner, Lead Planner, Planning Lead, Planning Manager or equivalent within a complex project environment.
• Significant experience working for a Tier 1 contractor, major consultant, systems integrator or project delivery organisation.
• Experience delivering complex infrastructure, aviation, logistics, automated systems, rail or major construction projects.
• Expert Primavera P6 knowledge and strong understanding of programme management principles and NEC contracts.
• Demonstrable experience developing integrated project programmes from first principles and managing programmes through the full project lifecycle.
• Strong programme assurance and schedule management capability, including critical path analysis, programme risk, delay mitigation and recovery planning.
• Proven ability to review, challenge and assure contractor, supplier and subcontractor programmes.
• Experience leading planning activities across multiple concurrent projects, complex multidisciplinary interfaces and competing stakeholder priorities.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of an organisation.
• Proven planning leadership experience, including team leadership, workload management, coaching, mentoring and professional development.
• Demonstrable experience supporting planning governance, standards, reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience supporting senior planning leadership, with the ability to deputise for the UK & Ireland Head of Planning during periods of absence.

Desirable

• Aviation, airport, baggage handling or intralogistics project experience.
• Experience working within live operational environments.
• Resource-loaded and cost-loaded planning experience.
• Project Controls and performance reporting experience.
• Power BI or other data visualisation tools.
• Experience supporting resource and capacity planning across a multi-project planning function.
• Delivery integration and programme assurance experience within major programmes.
• Experience working within a matrix or multi-project environment.
• Understanding of, or experience in, Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA).

What we offer

• 28 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)
• Bupa Medical Cover
• YuLife – Wellbeing membership with fast access to GP appointments, promotion of health and wellbeing along with daily quests to gain Yucoins that can be swapped for shopping vouchers
• A challenging work environment with lots of opportunities of career progression.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Yellow Nest is a salary exchange scheme that reduces childcare costs for parents and employers
• Pension with Aviva
• Access to Achievers an award-winning recognition platform that inspires to recognise your coworkers Where points are awarded that can be exchanged for a range of goods and discounts.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age marital status or disability status. If you feel there is a barrier that potentially prevents you from applying, we are always happy to discuss or explore, any reasonable adjustments can be made to support your application.

re, any reasonable adjustments can be made to support your application.

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