B&Q
Project Planner
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Project Planner
Project Planner – 12 Month Fixed Term Contract
About the Role
12-month fixed-term contract | £32k–£37k (depending on experience) + pension, BUPA, ShareSave, 6.6 weeks holiday + hybrid working (3 days in-office)
Location: Southampton, Store Support Office
We believe anyone can improve their home to make life better. From our Southampton Store Support Office (SSO), we equip our stores, our people, and our entire business with the tools needed to help millions of customers create the home they’ll love.
As a Project Planner, you’ll play a critical role in delivering successful range reviews and change projects across the B&Q estate. Your responsibility includes ensuring that planned changes are executed efficiently, with all necessary tools, communications, and resources in place for a smooth implementation.
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Role Purpose
Ensure the successful range review and implementation of both large, complex projects and smaller changes across the B&Q estate. Optimise project setup for right-first-time delivery, ensuring robust communication and technical execution.
Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities
Cost & Risk Management
- For Merchandiser-led projects:
- Manage cost creation, tracking, and reporting for all associated expenses.
- Highlight risks or changes promptly to the Merchandiser to maintain financial control.
- For Project Manager-led projects:
- Support in cost creation, processing, and tracking to ensure alignment with project owner responsibilities.
- Escalate risks or changes to the Project Manager in a timely manner.
Support Strategic Team Decision-Making
- Provide in-depth knowledge of the store estate to support Category, Visual Merchandising, and Planogram teams in making efficient, data-driven decisions—minimising unnecessary revisions in scope.
- Thoroughly analyse briefs to ensure full understanding of requirements, avoiding ambiguities and conflicts.
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Store & Scope Assessment
- Prepare and quality control store surveys (if required) to accurately capture ‘as-is’ store conditions.
- Identify gaps between current store equipment, services (e.g. sprinklers), and planned demand (e.g. planogram needs).
- Define shopfitting, merchandising, and equipment upgrade requirements for a seamless implementation plan.
Technical & Execution Planning
- Transform stakeholder needs into tailored execution plans, integrating technical details and external service schedules to ensure right-first-time delivery.
- For Project Manager-led projects, create and manage communication and project progression plans to keep internal and external stakeholders aligned.
Compliance & Support Functions
- Serve as a subject-matter expert (SME) through the Change Support Log, resolving implementation queries from internal B&Q teams, agencies, and external contractors.
- Provide best-practice guidance to optimise project execution.
- Collaborate with Retail teams to ensure projects are completed, remedial work is addressed, and all documentation is signed off.
Key Business Relationships
Maintain strong partnerships with:
└ Internal Stakeholders:
- Project & Merchandisers (Commercial Team)
- Visual Merchandisers & Planogramers
- Store Planners
- Buyers & Retail Change Partners
- MET Supervisors & Equipment/Property Services Teams
- Retail Capacity Planning Team
└ External Partners:
- Agencies & Implementation Teams (both Capex and Revenue-facing)
Skills & Experience
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
Core Competencies
- Communication: Balances transparent information sharing, negotiation, and influence. Confidently challenges groups while fostering collaboration.
- Problem Solving: Actively seeks input, makes data-driven decisions, and resolves issues promptly, collaboratively, or independently.
- Planning & Execution: Drives results through structured strategic planning, resource allocation, and under-pressure performance.
- Teamwork: Builds cross-functional relationships, navigates conflict constructively, and adapts behaviour to strengthen collaboration.
- Analytical Numeracy: Strong data management, cost modelling, and budgeting/FinTech tools proficiency.
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Technical & Industry Knowledge
- Store Planning Expertise: Extensive knowledge of visual merchandising, planogramming, and store layout optimisations.
- Retail Operations: Experience in retail change projects (preferably in schedule planning, asset replacements, or store transformations).
- Commercial Acumen: Ability to model high-level costs (strategic budgets) and store-level granularity (operational budgets).
- Client-Centric Focus: Understanding of cross-category complexity across B&Q’s product range.
Reasons to Join Us
Mission-Driven Culture
B&Q fosters an environment where everyone can thrive. We’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, providing networks, mentorship, and allyship to support colleagues in shaping a business that reflects our customers’ communities.
Wellbeing & Support
Work-life balance matters—we believe wellbeing is as important as performance. Enjoy flexibility, ** kterou fraud$, and benefits beyond salary:
- Award-winning pension scheme & share Savings Plan
- Generous 6.6 weeks holiday, flexible hybrid working, payroll giving
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Discounted shopping at B&Q
- Wellbeing benefits (curated support aligned to individual needs)
Supportive Recruitment
Need accessible adjustments in interviews? Contact recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk for tailored assistance.
Let’s shape the future of home improvement—apply today!
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