Principal Planner
Principal / Regional Planner
Laing O'Rourke is seeking an experienced Principal / Regional Planner with an MEP background to support projects across the South West region. The role is responsible for leading planning and project controls activities from tender stage through to project completion, ensuring robust programme management, accurate reporting, and successful delivery of project objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead planning and coordination activities across multiple projects.
- Develop, maintain, and monitor project programmes throughout all project stages.
- Support tender planning, work-winning activities, and construction strategy development.
- Ensure programmes comply with project and contractual requirements, including NEC3 Option C contracts.
- Analyse project performance, identify risks and delays, and recommend corrective actions.
- Coordinate time-related information with clients, stakeholders, partners, and the supply chain.
- Implement project controls, forecasting, reporting, and milestone tracking.
- Integrate programme schedules with 3D/4D modelling and construction methodologies.
- Provide leadership, mentoring, and development support to planning teams.
- Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and best practice across planning functions.
Key Requirements
- Significant experience in construction planning and project controls.
- Strong knowledge of NEC contracts, procurement, construction methodologies, and programme management.
- Proven ability to lead planning functions on major projects and manage stakeholder relationships.
- Experience in resource planning, cost allocation, risk management, and performance reporting.
- Proficient in planning and project management software.
- Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline (preferred).
- CIOB membership desirable.
Personal Attributes
- Strong leadership and communication skills.
- Commercially aware and contractually astute.
- Proactive, analytical, and solutions-focused.
- Able to manage multiple priorities and work collaboratively across teams.
- Committed to quality, safety, and successful project delivery.
About us:
We are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.
Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.
As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term health conditions and disabilities through the ‘Offer an interview scheme'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know prior to interview what adjustments are required as well as discussing how we can support you in the workplace.
We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you need the application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please email resourcingteam@laingorourke.com
