Vanderlande
Specialist Planner - Airports

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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.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
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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.
- Analyzing 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.


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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 for 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 recognize 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.
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