Lead Planner

Fawkes and Reece are hiring for x1 Lead Planner to start in January.

To provide development, tendering and construction planning expertise for Construction Projects. Identify and implement continuous process improvements on all planning related activities and complete assurance duties to ensure there is a consistent approach with consistent outputs to enable data capture and performance reporting. Develop and implement efficient end to end processes, including critical path and total float analysis, earned value management techniques, and leading indicators for risk mitigation to ensure the successful delivery to time, and within allowances.

Provide the Project Manager with programme insights & opportunities with recommendations following month end analysis that assist timely decisions for corrective action. Oversee and complete the analysis of planning variances identified during site visits and assessment of the contractor performance against planned work to provide the project manager with information that will improve delivery performance.

Duties:

• Working directly for the Project Controls Manager to develop and manage project plans / programmes with key deliverables through all phases of the project (end to end)
• Own all aspects of the planning process including, for example, the integrated programme(s), the critical paths, the National Grid programmes and the analysis and acceptance of the Contractor programmes to ensure all are accurate, realistic and practicable
• Ensure compliance with cost loading of programmes, as applicable, in line with the latest National Grid procedure and WBS structure, and to the appropriate level of cost and progress (for example, earned value) capture to enable unit cost reporting
• Monthly contractor programme analysis and feedback to Project Manager including update on run rates, schedule risks and mitigation measures / opportunities
• Understanding of and ability to lead all aspects of contractual management for programme related events, for example the programme acceptance process and the analysis of programme related compensation events. Provide recommendations to the customer and their team on the best action to take Version 1.0 December 2015
• Create, update and maintain integrated programmes during the delivery and closure phases in order to capture and manage interfaces between different interdependent contractor and third-party programmes of work
• Planning assurance activities across the team's workbook, ensuring process compliance and robust data capture to ensure consistency and support regulatory reporting requirements
• Accurate assessment and communication of progress against baseline to the customer as well as the wider business. Able to identify and articulate the key programme issues and identify an action plan.
• Co-ordinating the Planning resources allocated to their specific projects and recommending optimum planning resource levels to the Commercial Manager to ensure planning support is available for delivery on time and to the quality required
• Accountable for managing and communicating across the main project interfaces, both to the National Grid and Contractor teams
• Accountable for developing the project management skills of the wider project team, the project controls resources assigned to the programme as well as themselves
• Ensure planning input in other project support functions as required, for example working closely with the risk and change functions to provide accurate programme inputs. Lead planning input in interdisciplinary processes, for example Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA)
• Ability to communicate schedule management approaches, analysis results and mitigation actions
• Develop and build external relationships with counterparts in other utilities and the construction industry, to enable greater insight, learning and development
• Develop internal relationships to resolve issues, develop internal learning and identify opportunities for collaboration

Candidate Requirements:

• Experience of managing a wide group of stakeholders & effective communication skills with all levels of management
• Advanced knowledge of P6 or equivalent application
• Skilled, demonstrable capability to assess change and its impact on programme. Use of Forensic Analysis techniques to assess change. Skilled in float management and reporting
• Experience of delivering for customers in a major project, high pressure environment
• Experience of leading and developing people in a matrix organisation Technical or Specialist
• Have an advanced knowledge of project and programme management, project controls and how these are applied in National Grid
• Advanced knowledge of project planning skills and advanced user of primavera planning software, earned value management and have a clear understanding of NG's Planning requirements to be able to explain them to our contractors and suppliers
• Competent in WBS Cost management & cost loaded programme management

Please contact Oli at Fawkes and Reece (South) on (phone number removed) for more information.