Planning Manager

About the Role

The Strategic Planning Manager will lead the development, transformation, and continuous improvement of the SCS Planning Function, ensuring planning remains a key enabler of project delivery, programme assurance, change management, and project completion.

The role will act as a strategic partner to the Head of Planning, Delivery Units, Project Controls, Risk, Commercial, Technical Services and PMO teams to ensure planning standards, governance, reporting and systems are consistently applied across SCS.

About Us

SCS JV combines three of the largest construction companies in Europe: Skanska, Costain and STRABAG. Together, SCS JV is delivering the London tunnels section of HS2, a high-speed rail network that will connect 30 million people.

Responsibilities

• Support development and implementation of the SCS Planning Strategy and Planning Improvement Roadmap.
• Lead the transition of planning processes and governance arrangements to align with the Delivery Unit (DU) structure.
• Assess and recommend improvements to:
• Clause 32 processes
• Programme reviews
• Planning governance
• Reporting frameworks
• P6 structures
• Planning assurance requirements
• Develop long-term improvement initiatives that support successful project delivery and completion.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Head of Planning on planning strategies.
• Drive the implementation of a "One Planning Team" approach across SCS.
• Develop and maintain consistent:
• Planning procedures
• Standards
• Templates
• Working methodologies
• Assurance arrangements
• Lead planning lessons learned, best practice reviews and maturity assessments.
• Facilitate planning workshops, collaboration forums and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Promote consistency of planning outputs, reporting and programme management practices across all Delivery Units.
• Lead development of modern planning solutions and digital reporting capabilities.
• Collaborate with IT and Data teams to:
• Enhance reporting through Power BI
• Develop data warehouse integration
• Improve planning automation
• Reduce manual reporting effort
• Investigate and implement AI opportunities within planning, reporting and project controls.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Controls or similar discipline.

Required Skills

• Significant experience in planning and project controls within major infrastructure projects.
• Extensive knowledge of NEC contracts and programme management.
• Experience in:
• Clause 32 programme submissions
• Programme governance
• Change management
• PMO integration
• Risk management
• Reporting development
• Advanced Primavera P6 capability.
• Experience developing planning standards and procedures.
• Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills.