Sword Group
Project Planner
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At Sword, we help power, secure and transform the organisations that keep the UK running. Supporting customers across Critical National Infrastructure, energy, public sector and enterprise markets, we combine deep industry expertise with leading technology services spanning managed services, cyber security, cloud, data, AI and digital transformation.
Join Sword and you will be part of a team solving complex challenges, delivering real-world impact and working alongside talented colleagues who care deeply about quality, collaboration and customer success.
We have an excellent opportunity for a contractor to support a significant IT Transition Project on an initial 3-month contract. The immediate focus of the role will be on helping to baseline the programme schedule, validate and test the critical path, assess schedule risks, and ensure plans are aligned with available internal resources.
This role requires an individual with strong MS Project experience who is comfortable working with large and complex schedules. There will also be a considerable amount of data gathering and schedule analysis involved, making this a hands-on planning position rather than a senior leadership role.
Key Responsibilities:
- Create, manage, and update detailed project schedules using Microsoft Project.
- Define tasks, durations, dependencies, milestones, and critical paths.
- Ensure schedules reflect accurate progress, forecasts, and baselines.
- Integrate multiple project schedules into programme-level or portfolio-level plans.
- Ensure all schedules adhere to PMO standards, frameworks, and reporting cycles.
- Support project managers with planning best practices and schedule structure.
- Contribute to PMO reviews, stage-gate processes, and quality assurance checks.
- Generate schedule reports, dashboards, and timeline views for stakeholders.
- Identify schedule variances, slippage, and potential delivery risks.
- Support preparation of highlight reports, RAID logs, and PMO reporting packs.
- Present scheduling insights to Project Managers, Programme Managers, and senior stakeholders.
- Maintain resource plans within Microsoft Project and/or supporting tools
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Required Experience:
- Strong hands-on experience using Microsoft Project to create, maintain and analyse complex project and programme schedules.
- Proven experience establishing project baselines, validating critical paths and assessing schedule dependencies.
- Experience supporting large-scale transformation, business change, integration or M&A programmes.
- Strong understanding of project planning principles, including task sequencing, milestones, dependencies, resource loading and schedule forecasting.
- Ability to identify schedule risks, slippage, bottlenecks and resource constraints, providing practical recommendations to improve delivery confidence.
- Experience consolidating multiple project plans into programme-level schedules and integrated roadmaps.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to gather, validate and interpret large volumes of planning and project data.
- Experience supporting PMO governance, reporting cycles, stage-gate reviews and delivery assurance activities.
- Ability to produce clear and accurate schedule reports, dashboards, timelines and planning insights for stakeholders.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to challenge assumptions and clarify planning information where required.
- A structured and detail-oriented approach to documentation, quality assurance and change control.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment while managing competing priorities and deadlines.
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This PAYE contract position carries an attractive rate of pay and an opportunity to work on a hybrid basis, on-site with our Aberdeen based Oil & Gas Operator customer. Initial duration will be for 3 months but may well be extended.
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