Laminar Projects
Top-notch Planning Manager - UK Defence (Hybrid)
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About Laminar Projects
Are you tired of the standard, outdated ways of doing things in construction? Does the importance of proper planning and the link between schedules and real-world delivery excite you?
At Laminar Projects, we’re reimagining project management in construction through cutting-edge technology, disciplined processes, and a focus on people.
We’re more than just a consultancy—we’re high-end project management experts and tech developers dedicated to revolutionising how construction projects are delivered. Our mission? To bring transparency, control, and data-driven efficiency to projects, strengthening the very foundations of human civilization.
Get to know us better via our short film and our solutions, like Shape, designed to help teams around the world deliver projects better.
Our Culture: Building a Community Where People Flourish
At Laminar, our team is our greatest asset. We focus on growth, capability, and personal development, creating an environment where everyone thrives.
Our four core values mirror the levels of meaningful relationships that shape a fulfilling life: ✅ Grow yourself – your relationship with yourself ✅ Care about people – your relationship with others ✅ Execute to greatness – your partnership with your team ✅ Build civilisation – your contribution to humanity and the world
Our vision focuses on:
- Creating a high-impact community where meaningful relationships foster human flourishing.
- Empowering every individual to develop personally and professionally.
- Driving precision, innovation, and positive societal impact.
Our inner drives revolve around full digitalisation of construction and crafting a new type of organisation that prioritises human thriving alongside societal benefit.
Since 2017, we’ve grown from 2 people to over 220, serving stable, repeat clients across UK and international infrastructure and complex building projects. At Laminar, this isn’t just a job—it’s a transformative journey.
The Role: Senior Planning Manager (UK Defence Infrastructure)
Who We’re Looking For
We believe the how matters as much as the what in construction. Strong programme management, governance, and control ensure UK taxpayer investments are protected and critical capabilities are delivered efficiently.
This role is prioritised for UK passport holders who have lived in the UK for the last 5+ years, but candidates from NATO or MISWG nations* are also considered. ✅ Must have no restrictions on working in the UK ✅ Resident in the UK ✅ Willing to travel 2-3 days per fortnight to onsite locations (in Southern England).
*NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization; MISWG: Major Industrial Security Programme Working Group
Purpose of the Role
As a Senior Planning Manager, you’ll lead planning operations for a major UK Critical Infrastructure Defence project, blending expert planning skills with bold leadership.
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- You’ll guide a small but powerful team of 5-10 planning professionals
- Advise clients as a trusted expert in project controls
- Implement renowned improvement initiatives, refining client capabilities and strategies to drive project success.
- Develop Young Talent consultants, helping them grow while shaping Laminar into leaders.
You’ll shape Laminar’s global project controls and estate Growth initiatives, ensuring efficiency comes as standard.
Your Team and Impact
Within our multi-disciplinary Project Controls team, your role includes: ✔ Strategic Planning –Aligning risks, resources, and timing ✔ Team Development –Focusing on adaptability and continuous progress ✔ Transformation – Elevating not just projects, but processes, all outcomes for better future delivery
You’ll have a direct connection to Laminar’s Infrastructure growth, shaping knowledge creation, membership, and lifelong education for employees.
Core Responsibilities
- Own the Plan: Define clear roles & responsibilities to keep the project on track while adapting to challenges.
- Own the Outcome: Lead at any level, ensuring projects, teams, and stakeholders stay aligned, accountable, and value-driven.
- Report & Inform:Structure clear, actionable reports to empower stakeholders at every level.
- Make Scalable Solutions: Develop repeatable best practices that travel beyond a single project.
- Develop Everyone: Mentor 2-5 consultants, helping Laminar’s teams and clients grow.
Your Capabilities and Requirements
Must-Have (Eligibility Checklist)
Experience & Mastery ✅ 10+ years’ experience in construction or engineering, specialising in planning, programme management, and timeline governance. ✅ Expertise in Primavera P6 (a strict requirement for this project). ✅ Proven leadership of planning teams previously.
Communication ✅ Industry-leading written and verbal English abilities. ✅ Stronger-than-average influence — you steer people seamlessly through ambiguity. ✅ Commitment to growth — willing to help clients better as well.
Leadship ✅ Adaptive people-first leadership that drives tangible results effectively. ✅ Demonstrably positive when tackling complex challenges.
Impact Tracking You should have a track record of asking, evaluating, and answering: “How can we do things better?”
Ideal (What We’ll Train You In)
Must-haves that we’ll support (but you should be excited about!) 🔹 Advanced Excel and data handling skills. 🔹 Transformational presence—the kind that changes processes and its relationships. 🔹 Mentorship & coaching. More than managing teams—you shape leadership pipelines.
Who THIS Isn’t For
This role requires curiosity, a bias towards action, openness to feedback, and exceptional interpersonal skills. If you:
- Prefer low-stakes environments
- Stay in your clean bubble (no criticism of “competitors”)
- Avoid openness to constructive dialogue
- Couldn’t celebrate team-based wins …then Laminar might NOT be your ideal fit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Laminar Projects Handle?
We manage complex projects globally, including: 🏗️ Campuses & Labs – high-technology industrial and biopharma research complexes, high-containment labs 🚆 Infrastructure – defence, railway, highway initiatives, national programme delivery (e.g., HS2) 🌍 Data Centres – internationally fast-tracked and multi-package 💡 Advanced manufacturing and Pharma – workspaces for technology leaders
We engage directly in the execution, sharing learnings—like our cutting-edge solutions for each sector.
Who Are Our Clients?
We collaborate with major end clients and main contractors at the highest levels of global infrastructure, typically managing budgets from £1M to over £1B per project.
Where Will You Travel?
- Anywhere in the UK (varying offsite hours to support projects).
- Europe, Middle East, Asia, North and South America (often aligned with your interests and project].
- Home-based most of the time with regular onsite engagement.
Long-Term Impact: Why It’s Not Just a Job
At Laminar, each project is a chance for learning and scale. You’ll: 📊 Identify recurring challenges and document data-driven solutions. 🌌 Help build our open-ended, industry-wide knowledge base. 🔄 Use your in-field insights to refine our tech products, shaping future industry standards.
You’ll enable better delivery worldwide—every time you lead.
Why Laminar?
Laminar isn’t just an employer—it is a journey.
Here’s what we promise:
🔹 Standard Benefits ✅ Private Healthcare for you & your loved ones (self, spouse, dependents—if applicable). ✅ Flexible, flexible retirement planning. ✅ An inclusive Bonus Program with both cash and equity. ✅ Access to professional body memberships. ✅ Tax-savings cycle-to-work scheme.
🔹 Game-Changing Perks ✅ Confidential coaching — 1:1 sessions to help you. ✅ An equity stake in your future. As Laminar grows, so does your ownership. ✅ Enabling flexibility: work from home most of the time with part-time tech to achieve your goals. ✅ Rapid career development as you level-up faster in a culture of growth.
Applying Properly
Laminar receives hundreds of applications. We want to get to know you thoroughly.
Please send a cover letter explaining: ✔ Why this role appeals to you ✔ How Laminar would benefit from your unique attributes ✔ How you intend to IMPACT us beyond what’s expected.
After that, expect: 💬 A casual intro call to understand you better. 📝 Technical and behavioural assessments. 🎯 A deep dive into our development matrix, ensuring you’re the right candidate.
Note on AI Assistance: AI tools might analyse your materials—but decisions remain 100% human-driven. If curious about data handling, reach out to us.
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