Job Description

The Project Planner will own the project delivery schedule on behalf of the Portfolio/ Project Manager and will work closely with the project team to accurately report schedule progress and associated metrics. Critically the Project Planner will ensure that Baseline and Forecast data; logic, duration and critical path; Earned Value (EV) & resources reflect realistic delivery outcomes and, wherever possible, achieve the customers' required completion dates.
Main Responsibilities:

• During project mobilization, undertake handover of tender schedule from tender planner and work with PM, Trinity & Cost Engineer to establish first baseline of project schedule(s), resources, WBS and budgets to agreed estimates and timescales and working with PM/ client achieve acceptance of first programme with the client
• Completion of schedule progress updates on a weekly or fortnightly basis (frequency directed by the PM on project by project basis); obtain feedback from budget holders on performance against the baseline plan
• Production and issue of timely and accurate internal schedule reports (e.g. weekly progress updates in the form of P6 Gannt reports or schedule inputs to monthly project dashboards) in accordance with monthly project controls reporting cycle
• Attendance of weekly project 'trinity' reviews held by PM with attendance of key project stakeholders (PM + Nominated Engineer + Manufacturing Project Engineer = Trinity, Project Quality Engineer, Buyer, Commercial Manager), which include an interactive review of 4-6 week look-ahead schedules in P6, with discussions on any late activities & identifying/ proposing mitigating actions required to bring schedule back on-time
• Analysis of project resource demands, availability; assessment of man-hours and associated costs, purchasing costs and expense costs on a weekly basis; assessment of committed and actual purchase costs/forecasts
• Week to week comparisons; identify mitigating actions to bring any reported delays back on schedule
• Comparisons and performance measurement against previous forecasts
• Earned Value (EV) Analysis & reporting; ensure that the monthly profile of the planned value in the baseline is correctly weighted in terms of the assignment of costs to each activity and that a standard set of rules of credit are implemented, as appropriate, on each project so there are stable, reliable and consistent EV data metrics reported each week
• Set-up and maintain project cost codes in P6 and IBS financial system
• Critical Path Analysis & reporting & Resource Analysis & reporting
• Production of timely and accurate Client schedules/reports and liaison with client planners and project personnel as required
• Production of "what-if" schedule scenarios to assist the PM and Commercial Manager during impact assessments of variations per the Variation System, and following approval, implementation of approved changes in P6 via re-baselines; also to ensure variations are tracked separately via dedicated cost codes
• Participation in Risk Management process and inclusion of mitigating action in the schedule where appropriate
• Support PMO Leads and Head of PMO on initiatives (e.g. at Project Controls/ PMO Forums) to review/ improve internal reporting, KPIs, standard planning activities (in P6 etc) with the aim of continuous improvement
• Take direction from the Portfolio Manager/Project Manager for any ad-hoc planning/reporting or assessments
• Maintain planning standards in accordance with company processes, within the identified area of responsibility
• Monitor all P6 schedules on nominated projects within the required company EPS structure (e.g. once data date moved on each month, a copy of plan is archived for record purposes every single month and is stored in a dedicated area of the EPS).

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Demonstrate extensive and effective knowledge of project scheduling, resourcing and costing. Extensive experience in using Primavera P6 software essential and some experience also of Microsoft Project software. Fully conversant in all aspects of Earned value Analysis and project cost controls. Good understanding of project management principles and processes. HNC/HND in engineering or similar. Understanding of all project controls (including cost engineering, change control and risk management). Data manipulation skills particularly within MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Access. Excellent IT skills (MS Excel, Access, PowerPoint), numeric and analytical skills. Primavera Risk or similar risk analysis software (desirable). Qualified to graduate level in an engineering or similar based degree (desirable). Working within the Nuclear Industry (desirable).