Principal Planner

Principal Planner – Work Winning | Power Sector
Location: Dartford HQ

Power up your career with Laing O'Rourke.
We're looking for a Principal Planner to play a pivotal role in securing and shaping some of the UK's most iconic power and energy infrastructure projects.

This is a senior opportunity to lead planning across our work-winning and bid activities in one of Laing O'Rourke's priority growth sectors: Power. While direct bid experience is not essential, you must have delivered complex power sector projects (HVDC experience highly valued). Successful bids may offer the chance to remain involved through delivery.

What you'll do

As a Principal Planner, you'll combine sector expertise, commercial awareness and strategic foresight to develop robust, competitive programmes that win work and set projects up for success. You will:

• Lead planning input to tender submissions, ensuring compliant, logical and competitive programmes.

• Shape construction strategies that optimise time, cost, risk and delivery.

• Provide leadership in planning and coordination processes across bid teams.

• Contribute to risk analysis, opportunities assessment and commercial strategy.

• Present complex programme information with clarity to clients, stakeholders and internal teams.

• Support procurement strategy development, including systems and control measures.

• Mentor and train colleagues in planning best practice.

• Where required, transition successful bids into the delivery phase and support ongoing programme development.

What we're looking for

We want a planner who thrives on challenge, brings deep sector knowledge, and can think both strategically and practically. You'll need:

• Proven planning experience on major power sector projects (HVDC desirable).

• A degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering or similar discipline (preferred).

• Chartered or working towards membership of CIOB.

• Proficiency in Asta and/or Primavera P6 (ideally both) with 4D modelling experience.

• Strong understanding of pre-contract planning and work-winning processes.

• Ability to develop and maintain contract and build programmes.

• Commercially astute, with knowledge of different forms of contract and forensic programme analysis.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to produce high-quality programme material for client-facing submissions.

• A collaborative leader, capable of mentoring others and building effective relationships.

About Us

Laing O'Rourke is at the forefront of delivering transformative infrastructure. Joining us means being part of a team that is driving the UK's transition to a low-carbon energy future. You'll be empowered to lead, innovate and leave a lasting mark on projects of national significance.

We offer a competitive remuneration package (base salary + car/travel allowance) with access to Private Medical Insurance; enhanced pension and parental leave schemes; Life/Dental/Critical illness insurance and income protection; 33 days holiday inc. bank holidays + 1 paid day for volunteering; professional development opportunities and more!       

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

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