Project Planner Position

Job Opportunity: Planning Director

We are seeking an experienced Planning Director to lead our team in delivering complex projects across Ireland, the UK, and mainland Europe. Our focus sectors include Data Centres, Pharmaceutical, and large Life Sciences projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide high-quality project management support for multi-disciplined and multi-sector project delivery work.
• Mentor and guide Planners/Juniors as required.
• Review contract documentation and highlight key schedule and tracking requirements.
• Develop construction schedules based on high-level target schedules and Work Breakdown Structures received from Project Managers.
• Support client schedule negotiations.
• Load labor and metrics into the schedule based on hours and quantities received from the Commercial Team.
• Develop required trackers and reporting templates.
• Develop fully integrated construction schedules in conjunction with Main Contractors and Project Managers.
• Measure and track weekly progress and efficiency in consultation with Site Teams and validate this formally with the Commercial Team every 2-3 weeks.
• Highlight potential risks and roadblocks to project teams and lead planners on an ongoing basis.

Planning Director Role Expectations:

In conjunction with your project team, you will be responsible for executing various stages of a project, including:

• Business Unit Support: Point of contact for Project Managers for all project-related planning issues.
• Develop Schedules and Histograms for Bid Support as required by Lead Planners.
• Programme Co-ordination (Planning Phase of Project Life Cycle): Support the implementation of the Planning Process.
• Review Contract documentation concerning Schedule and Reporting Requirements and ensure they are met.
• Facilitate Planning Meetings where required.
• Validate High-Level Target Schedules as received from PM considering current emerging project information.
• Optimize build schedules and develop Pinch Point Registers identifying areas of disagreement with Main Contractors/CMT schedules.
• High-Level Labor Loading of Target Schedules to be completed and S-Curves to be produced.
• Submit Schedules and S-curves (&all subsequent schedules) for review and approval to Lead Planners.
• Negotiation strategies to be developed to deal with Main Contractor schedule risk influences favorable outcomes for Key Performance Indicators.
• Organize with PMs and attend meetings with Main Contractors/CMT to negotiate and agree optimum build schedules, circulate updates.
• Revised/developed schedules with agreed levels of detail.
• Assist Main Contractors/CMT in developing overall integrated schedules.
• Ensure schedules are Labour Loaded and aligned with Commercial Department Budgets, highlighting weeks with significant progress forecasted to PMs, Lead Planners, and Planning Managers.
• Produce Build Methodology/Phasing Drawings.
• Present the latest version of the schedule to the Construction Team to ensure thorough understanding.
• Support Risk identification & mitigation.
• Status and Performance Advisor (Controlling Phase of Project Life Cycle): Provide clear communication of early warnings to project management teams obtained from progress reports and knowledge of project field conditions.
• Advise project teams on ways to improve performance.
• Monitor package progress and efficiency (direct and subcontract), provide estimate at completion on labour man-hour spend in conjunction with the Commercial Team.
• Chair and facilitate weekly Look Ahead Meetings on site with SMs as required.
• Progress Measuring/recording & collating actual installation progress for installation progress reporting.
• Weekly Spent/Earned man-hours efficiency reporting in conjunction with the Commercial Team.
• Compilation of and issuing of period progress reports (internal/external).
• Produce Weekly Drop-line Schedule cw. 2 week look ahead and 2 week retrospective.
• Schedule management, revision, and maintenance.
• Escalation of risk items to Lead Planners & Planning & Risk Manager.

Essential Qualifications:

A third-level qualification in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or a strong trades background coupled with technical ability may be considered.

Eight plus years of experience/demonstrate ability to develop and implement plans, monitor and control work.

Must be capable of producing project plans from design and commercial information.

Must be capable of coordinating the development of multiple project plans.

Microsoft Project/P6 or Equivalent Planning Software, Microsoft Office tools – Excellent report writing skills.

Time management essential to satisfy demands of busy schedules.