Planning Manager

Designer Group is seeking an experienced Planning Manager to lead and oversee the planning function across a portfolio of high-value, complex M&E projects. This is a senior role within the business, responsible for providing strategic planning direction, supporting project delivery teams, managing and mentoring planners, and ensuring consistent planning standards across live projects and tenders. The successful candidate will act as a trusted planning advisor to senior management, project teams and clients, helping to drive programme certainty, manage risk, and support the successful delivery of major engineering projects. Key responsibilities will include : Lead, coach and develop a team of planners, promoting collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement. Allocate planning resources across projects to ensure effective support for delivery teams. Drive consistent planning processes, templates, reporting standards and best practice across the business. Oversee the development of detailed, resource-loaded and cost-loaded project programmes using Primavera P6 and/or MS Project. Ensure project programmes align with contractual requirements, budgets, milestones and delivery strategies. Review, challenge and sign off project schedules before client submission. Support tender and bid teams with robust planning input and programme strategy. Work closely with Project Directors, Commercial Managers, clients, consultants and main contractors to agree and optimise build strategies. Represent Designer Group in programme reviews, planning workshops and schedule negotiations. Identify schedule risks, pinch points and resource constraints, developing mitigation plans where required. Lead programme impact analysis relating to design changes, scope variations, delays or unforeseen events. Monitor progress against baseline programmes and provide forecasts on labour, cost and completion dates. Ensure early warnings, change control and time-impact analysis are applied consistently. Produce planning reports, dashboards and executive summaries for senior management and clients. Champion digital planning tools, data-led reporting and continuous improvement across the planning function. Support business growth by contributing to bid and tender planning strategy.