Canal & River Trust
Programme Planner
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Join Our Team: Programme Planner opportunity Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
*** Fixed term or internal secondment contract until July 2027 ***
Our Infrastructure and Programmes Directorate, Programme Planning Team, are looking for a new Programme Planner to join their team.
Working with the Hire Desk team within Direct Services, you will play a key role in establishing, maintaining, and coordinating programmes of work across all regions nationally. Working closely with Delivery Managers, Regional Construction Managers, Construction Managers, and operational teams, you will support the effective delivery of both planned and reactive works, ensuring resources, schedules, and priorities are aligned to meet operational requirements across the Trust's network.
Whilst the nature of programme planning is all about looking ahead and ensuring effective planning of works to optimise budget and resources, we also expect that every day unscheduled urgent tasks arrive and we need to assess and prioritise those activities alongside our planned works to ensure our accessibility of our waterways and safety of our users/visitors. This may include programme planning for our various departments across the Trust - immersing yourself in the world of project planning, forecasting, and working with SAP to manage and get information to support the programme planning process.
See how your work can have a real impact here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuHAG2Mz7j8
To find out more about our organisation and the fantastic and varied work we do, visit our website by clicking here or search for https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us
Working Hours & Location
This Programme Planner vacancy will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces as and when required for team working and collaborative meetings. Travel throughout the regional waterway network will also be expected to enable site visits and to help conduct improvements. This can range from 1 - 5 times per month, but will be clarified ahead of time by the hiring manager as part of a scheduled rota of work.
Relevant Hubs include: Burnley, Ellesmere Port, Stoke on Trent, Leeds, Newark & Birmingham. See our canal network here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network.
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Role Overview
You're a proactive planner who enjoys bringing structure to complex programmes, building strong stakeholder relationships, and driving efficient delivery. With experience in engineering, infrastructure, or asset maintenance environments, you'll use your organisational and communication skills to help keep projects on track and deliver real impact.
Key responsibilities
- Prepare, monitor and update asset maintenance, repair, and renewal work delivery programmes and financial plans.
- To review and optimise the work programme to maximise efficiencies.
- Provide optimum visibility of the delivery programme, and any changes that arise, to key stakeholders through the availability, maintenance, and implementation of communications to satisfy their differing needs.
- Maintain effective programme performance and output monitoring and reporting to ensure planned objectives are met and any variances to plan are reported appropriately.
- National stoppage delivery programme, preparation, consultation, and change management.
- Effectively manage changes to the work programme through application of a change control process.
- Work closely with the team of schedulers to enable work to be scheduled and dispatched in a timely manner to operatives and contractors.
- Review and feedback programme performance to internal stakeholders and customers and communicate lessons learned to improve future performance.
- Work safely ensuring the safety of others and contribute to safe working in all activities.
About You
Qualifications:
- Educated to degree level/HND or equivalent in a relevant subject or able to demonstrate relevant equivalent experience
- Project/Programme Management accreditation/qualification i.e. APM Project Management Qualification, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), Prince2.
Technical:
- Substantial experience in project planning and scheduling within complex engineering, construction, infrastructure, or asset maintenance environments.
- Strong practical experience in programme and schedule management within civil engineering or asset maintenance projects.
- Comprehensive knowledge and use of SAP, particularly within the Logistics, Accounting, and Information System modules.
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office 365 applications and project planning tools such as Microsoft Project.
- Budget and financial awareness, including experience forecasting costs and monitoring performance against budgets.
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General:
- Experience leading, supporting, or influencing others, with the ability to motivate and empower colleagues and stakeholders.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to identify and work effectively with individuals and groups of varying levels of influence.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience delivering presentations and communicating complex information to diverse audiences.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to plan, prioritise, and manage multiple activities effectively.
- Full and valid UK driving licence.
Safety
At the Canal & River Trust, safety is everyone's responsibility. We expect all colleagues to comply with Trust Health & Safety policies and standards, proactively report incidents, accidents, and near misses, and contribute to a positive safety culture. Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to safe working practices and apply this mindset consistently in their day-to-day activities.
Safeguarding
The Canal & River Trust is committed to providing safe environments and working practices for children, young people, and adults at risk. All colleagues are expected to understand their safeguarding responsibilities and support the Trust's commitment to promoting and protecting welfare at all times.
Contact & Application
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.
What We Offer
In addition to your annual base salary of £42,165, we also offer a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP - 1
Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits
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