Senior Planning Manager

London Source: WhatJobs

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Overview

Location: Thames Valley / London Hybrid

Base pay range: This range is provided by Alexander Associates Technical Recruitment. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Join the planning team behind one of Thames Water’s most ambitious capital delivery projects.

We are working with a leading organisation delivering a critical, high-value infrastructure programme on behalf of Thames Water. You’ll take ownership of the programme planning strategy, controls and reporting for a single, high-profile project designed to support long-term resilience and environmental outcomes across the Thames Valley.

This is an exciting opportunity for a planning professional to step into a role with real visibility and long-term impact, where your input will shape delivery timelines, risk mitigation and senior stakeholder decisions.

Your Mission

Develop, maintain and oversee a detailed Primavera P6 programme for a complex, multi-year water infrastructure project, from early contractor involvement through to commissioning
Work closely with the project director, planners, engineers and commercial teams to align programme outputs with business objectives and contract requirements (NEC3/4)
Lead all planning and scheduling functions on the project – including baseline creation, schedule risk analysis, earned value reporting, and what-if scenario planning
Prepare executive dashboards, detailed reports and programme commentary to drive governance reviews with both internal leadership and client-side teams (including Thames Water stakeholders)
Manage and mentor a small team of planners, while acting as the technical lead for all programme control activities
Act as the planning conscience on the project – challenging assumptions, flagging risk, and maintaining a transparent and data-driven approach to delivery forecasting

About You

You bring significant planning experience (ideally 5+ years) in delivering major construction or infrastructure projects – water, utilities, energy, civils, rail or similar
Strong command of Primavera P6, with the ability to build programmes from first principles and drive data-led decision-making
You’re fluent in the language of NEC contracts, and understand the importance of planning as a commercial tool as much as a scheduling one
A confident communicator who can hold your own in project reviews, client updates and board-level reporting
Previous experience delivering planning for a flagship or complex, single-project programme is highly desirable
A natural leader – whether you’re mentoring junior planners or influencing senior stakeholders, you take ownership of your area and drive performance

What’s in it for You?

Join a project of national significance with direct exposure to one of the UK’s largest water projects
Work with a high-performing and technically strong delivery team committed to excellence
Car allowance , bonus scheme, and comprehensive benefits package
Hybrid working (approx. 2–3 days on site or in the project office in Thames Valley area)
Long-term project pipeline with career progression opportunities into leadership roles or wider capital delivery programmes

Interested?

This is a rare opportunity to play a pivotal role in the successful delivery of a flagship water project. If you're a planning professional ready to take on a high-impact role with autonomy, visibility and purpose – we'd love to hear from you.