Laing O'Rourke
Principal Planner
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Principal / Planning Manager
Location: Stansted Airport, Essex, United Kingdom
We're looking for an experienced Principal / Planning Manager to play a key role in the delivery of the LOR project at Stansted Airport, working within a complex and live operational airport environment.
This is a senior planning role responsible for leading the planning function across design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover. You'll work closely with the Client, airport stakeholders, project teams, designers, subcontractors, and supply chain partners to establish and maintain robust programmes that drive successful project delivery.
What You'll Do
- Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Contract Programme and Programme to Build.
- Develop and maintain integrated programmes covering design, procurement, construction, logistics, testing, commissioning, and handover.
- Establish and manage the project baseline, critical path, key milestones, and programme logic.
- Provide planning input into construction methodology, sequencing, logistics, and delivery strategies.
- Manage programme interfaces within a live airport environment, including access, security, operational constraints, and stakeholder requirements.
- Monitor programme performance, identify delays and risks, and develop effective mitigation and recovery strategies.
- Coordinate programme information across the Client, airport stakeholders, project teams, and supply chain.
- Integrate procurement and long-lead activities into the overall programme.
- Provide clear programme reporting and planning advice to senior project and commercial teams.
- Maintain an auditable record of programme changes, risks, delays, and impacts.
- Provide planning input into contractual matters, including delay and extension of time assessments.
- Lead planning reviews and collaborative planning sessions.
- Mentor and support planners, promoting planning and project controls best practice.
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What we're looking for
- Proven planning experience on major construction, infrastructure, aviation, or complex projects.
- Experience leading planning/project controls on a major project or programme.
- Strong experience developing Contract Programmes and detailed construction programmes.
- Good understanding of construction methodology, sequencing, logistics, and resource requirements.
- Experience working within complex stakeholder or live operational environments.
- Strong understanding of critical path, programme risk, delay, change, and mitigation.
- Strong commercial and contractual awareness.
- Proficiency in Primavera P6 and/or Asta Powerproject.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to present programme information clearly to senior stakeholders and Clients.
- Experience mentoring and developing planners.
- Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a similar discipline is preferred.
- Membership of CIOB, APM, RICS, or equivalent is desirable.
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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
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