Specialist Planner - Airports

Reports to: Group Leader (Planning)

Location: London - Heathrow Airport (All Terminals)

Contract Type: Permanent

Introduction to role

As a Specialist Planner, reporting into the Planning Manager, you will be responsible for planning all project activities. You will clearly set out decision moments and turnaround times for and with all disciplines involved in a project. You will construct and set up project plans, ensuring that any opportunities and/or threats are identified in good time. Armed with your information and reports, project managers, project leaders and subcontractors and their teams will be in a position to set or adjust their course promptly, wherever they are in the world. You will play a leading role in the projects in which you are involved. You will report to project management and be required to produce monthly project reports. Project planners are part of the Airports and Parcels Operations Team.

Role Responsibilities

You will set priorities, identify problems, and take the necessary steps to resolve them (as part of a multidisciplinary approach). You will be involved in every phase of a project: from engineering, supply and shipping to the commissioning of systems. As a Specialist planner, you will work closely with other disciplines, such as sales, project management, project engineering and the supply chain. You will be the key person in a project, as which you will maintain an overview of the consequences of the difference between the expectations of project management and the possibilities offered by the supply chain. You and your team will ensure that projects are completed successfully.

Your responsibilities and activities will be:

• Effectively translating the scope of a project into an overall project plan, sometimes with minimal input from others.
• Identifying the critical path in a project plan and the corresponding opportunities and risks
• Coordinating a project plan with the customer and subcontractors, so that an integrated project plan is achieved.
• Liaising with all of the internal and external parties involved in a project.
• Reporting on the progress being made with a project to the relevant Project Manager.
• Analysing and giving solicited and unsolicited advice on overall project plans
• Preparing complex plans in consultation with project team members, subcontractors, suppliers, customers and stakeholders.
• Willing to give guidance and mentoring to more Junior members of the team.
• Leading on one or multiple complex projects and have strong experience in building programmes from scratch.

Role Qualification and Skills

• Experience of working in a project organization
• A minimum of 7+ years Planning experience with at least 3 being carried out in at least a Senior planning role. Aviation and/or baggage experience is advantageous but not essential.
• Expert Primavera 6 knowledge is essential.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to liaise at different levels. You will have the ability to involve people and to convince them of the importance of sharing and receiving information in order to identify and maintain common project interests.
• Ability to lead the planning function on complex projects.
• Strong Excel skills
• You will have the ability to work under (time) pressure and set priorities appropriately.
• Have an excellent understanding of the NEC process.
• Understanding of technical planning techniques such as cost loading, critical path analysis etc.
• Have experience throughout the project life cycle (i.e tender to completion).
• Delivery integration experience would be beneficial

What we offer

• 28 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)

• Bupa Medical Cover
• YuLife – Wellbeing membership with fast access to GP appointments, promotion of health and wellbeing along with daily quests to gain Yucoins that can be swapped for shopping vouchers
• A challenging work environment with lots of opportunities of career progression.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Yellow Nest is a salary exchange scheme that reduces childcare costs for parents and employers
• Pension with Aviva
• Access to Achievers an award-winning recognition platform that inspires to recognise your coworkers Where points are awarded that can be exchanged for a range of goods and discounts.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age marital status or disability status. If you feel there is a barrier that potentially prevents you from applying, we are always happy to discuss or explore, any reasonable adjustments can be made to support your application.