Lead Planning Manager

Lead Planning Manager

Are you an experienced Planning Manager looking to Grow with Gatwick?

To support our growth, our construction team is expanding. The Construction Department comprises several programme and project teams, along with technical support functions and is accountable for the delivery of the airport CIP and strategic growth over the next 5 years, encompassing projects across the campus to deliver fit for purpose critical infrastructure.

What is the role?

The Lead Planning Manager will play a key role in supporting the Head of PMO in delivering the strategic aims and objectives of the business through definition of clear and unambiguous processes for programme planning and schedule control to enable clear external benchmarking of project timescales

Responsible for defining processes covering the full lifecycle of projects from initial schedule estimate prior to TG2 approval through design (up to TG4), delivery on site (beyond TG4), handover and closeout (up to TG7) and capture of historic schedule benchmarks to facilitate future estimates.

What will you do?

• Lead and develop a high performing team of planning specialists that provide the best possible support to project teams, ensuring that sufficient levels and competencies of planning resources are available to support project teams as necessary.
• Lead the development and maintenance of the planning elements within the department's integrated project management system for the delivery of construction projects that integrates best practices sourced from outside the airport to drive improved project outcomes.
• Lead the development and implementation of clear, unambiguous and efficient processes for planning and scheduling of projects delivered by Gatwick Airport. Ensure that such standard procedures are followed across all programmes and the quality of schedule information is maintained to enable high quality monthly reporting and benchmarking. Develop and incorporate processes for expressing range and uncertainty in schedule estimates using statistical methods where most appropriate.
• Lead the continuous improvement of planning processes and procedures to ensure the delivery of consistent and high-quality project outcomes. Identify external best planning practices which can be applied in Gatwick for the improvement of capital programme delivery. Take accountability for the implementation of such planning practices into business as usual working.
• Lead the development of the planning team(s); set standards, manage, motivate, coach and mentor staff within the team and wider department. Recognise talent and develop those with high potential.
• Implement measures to identify quality levels in planning and scheduling processes, including schedule effectiveness and predictability, trends over time and highlighting any areas of the project system that require re-training or redesign to be more effective.
• Implement measures using the schedule to track project progress, implementing industry good practices to provide Project Managers and Sponsors with early warnings of production issues.
• Ensure that planning functional inputs to the project process are in place to meet governance process requirements (for example, cost benchmarks, schedule diagnosis, Monte Carlo risk analysis).
• Ensure all Programme Planning Managers and Planners are appropriately trained in the application of planning and scheduling processes to ensure alignment of processes.
• Support the development and implementation of a project controls methodology for monitoring and controlling live projects within the
• Support the development of systems and processes for capturing and utilising historic project information regarding cost and schedule. Ensure that this knowledge is applied in the Planning function within the Construction team for future projects.
• Support the production, and delivery to, Monthly Cost Forecasts (expected to be within a 5% accuracy band month-on-month) using the cost plan, activity schedules and referencing the project/programme schedule.
• Support the management of the Programme/Project Risk and Opportunity Register to identify and deliver efficiencies, and value the likely time consequence of each risk/opportunity
• Support the development and maintenance of a culture of world class health, safety, and environmental standards across the Programme and its associated contractors to deliver the highest levels of health, safety and environmental performance achievable.

Do you have what we are looking for?

• Educated to Degree/Post-Grad level or equivalent in construction or business related field.
• Membership of a professionally recognised cost organisation such as RICS.
• Experience as a senior planner/planner on multi-year programmes/projects with a value typically in excess of GBP50m in a relevant industry including experience of leading small teams of up to 3-5 people.
• Experience of implementing strong project controls frameworks in a construction project environment highly desirable.
• Experience of leading the Planning function in capital programme delivery for a large capital-intensive organisation (typically involving capital programmes of over GBP100m+ per annum) including experience of leading teams of up to 10-15people highly desirable.
• Significant experienced of Primavera P6.
• Experience of planning programmes of work including multiple, interfacing, concurrent projects highly desirable.
• Experience in planning infrastructure programmes/projects in a live operational environment desirable.
• Strong continuous improvement mindset, with clear experience of driving change to improve business outcomes.
• Sound commercial and financial awareness. Knowledge and understanding of NEC suite of contracts highly desirable.
• Good leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to motivate, coach, facilitate and create opportunities for learning for others.
• Good communication skills with the ability to articulate and present complex ideas in a simple way, including to senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge and understanding of airport environment desirable.
• Personal resilience and the ability to manage ambiguity

What's it like to work here?

Our people tell us that working here is something special. No day is like another as there are so many moving parts that make air travel possible. And it's only possible because of the people who work here.
We want exceptional people to help us deliver the great service our passengers have come to expect. You can be part of helping Gatwick to rebuild and grow.

Ready to join us?Click apply and complete your application. We'll be in touch soon

Our employees enjoy a range of personal, health and financial benefits, including annual leave as standard.

PLEASE NOTE: We have a number of roles within Construction, if you have applied for a similar role recently we are reviewing all CVs and will be in touch, there is no need to re-apply.