Senior Project Planner

Senior Project Planner

Location: Holbeck Depot, Leeds
Hours: 40 hours per week
Contract: Permanent

Help Shape the Future of Rail Infrastructure

RTS Infrastructure is a trusted provider of rail infrastructure, construction and depot services across the UK. As part of Arriva Group, we deliver complex rail projects that help keep the nation's rail network moving safely and efficiently.

We're looking for an experienced Senior Project Planner to join our growing Infrastructure team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a planning professional to play a key role in the successful delivery of rail infrastructure projects, providing programme management, planning expertise and project controls throughout the project lifecycle.

Reporting to the Senior Project Manager, you'll be responsible for developing, managing and maintaining detailed project programmes, ensuring project activities are effectively sequenced, coordinated and delivered safely, efficiently and in line with contractual requirements.

Why Join RTS Infrastructure?

As part of Arriva Group, RTS Infrastructure is entering an exciting period of growth and investment. You'll have the opportunity to work on complex rail infrastructure projects while influencing project delivery and supporting critical decision-making across the business.

This role offers the chance to work with multidisciplinary project teams, drive programme performance and play a key part in the successful delivery of major infrastructure projects across the UK.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop, manage and maintain detailed integrated project programmes for railway infrastructure projects.
• Produce baseline programmes, target programmes, short-term programmes and regular programme updates.
• Develop programmes that accurately reflect project scope, construction methodology, resource requirements and key milestones.
• Establish and maintain programme logic, dependencies, durations, constraints and interfaces.
• Monitor progress against agreed milestones, contractual requirements and project objectives.
• Ensure programme information remains accurate, up to date and aligned with project delivery requirements.
• Analyse programme performance, critical path activities, float, dependencies and emerging trends.
• Identify programme risks, constraints, delays and opportunities at an early stage.
• Work with project teams to develop mitigation, recovery and acceleration plans where required.
• Provide programme impact assessments relating to changes, delays, variations and compensation events.
• Support project teams in understanding the impact of delivery decisions on overall project completion.
• Work closely with Construction Managers and Site Managers to ensure programmes accurately reflect delivery activities.
• Coordinate programme requirements across civil, M&E and other engineering disciplines.
• Incorporate possession, blockade, isolation, access and operational requirements into project programmes.
• Support look-ahead planning and short-term delivery planning activities.
• Review subcontractor and supplier programmes to ensure alignment with project delivery plans.
• Monitor subcontractor progress against key milestones and agreed deliverables.
• Prepare weekly and monthly programme reports, dashboards and management information.
• Produce programme narratives detailing progress, risks, delays and mitigation measures.
• Support project reviews, client meetings and performance reporting activities.
• Maintain programme records and audit trails relating to project progress and programme changes.
• Support commercial teams with change management, delay analysis and programme-related contractual matters.
• Facilitate programme review meetings and planning workshops with internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide professional planning expertise and advice to support project decision-making.
• Promote a positive safety culture and ensure programmes support the safe delivery of project activities.

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• Significant experience in project planning within the rail, rail infrastructure, construction or engineering sectors.
• Proven experience developing and managing detailed project programmes through construction and delivery phases.
• Strong understanding of railway infrastructure projects, ideally including depot, station, enhancement or renewal works.
• Advanced working knowledge of Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project.
• Experience producing and analysing critical path programmes.
• Experience identifying programme risks and opportunities and developing recovery plans.
• Strong understanding of project controls, progress measurement and reporting processes.
• Experience reviewing and integrating subcontractor and supply chain programmes.
• Experience assessing programme impacts associated with project changes, delays and variations.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, scopes of work and construction methodologies.
• Strong understanding of project sequencing, dependencies and multidisciplinary project delivery.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex programme information clearly.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Skills & Attributes

• Highly organised and detail-oriented approach.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to influence and challenge constructively at all levels.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of project delivery objectives.
• Proactive, solution-focused and results-driven mindset.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced project environment.
• Collaborative approach with the ability to work across multidisciplinary teams.
• Commitment to safety, quality and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Membership of the Arriva Workplace Pension Scheme (3% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution)
• Life Assurance plus access to one of the UK's largest networks of medical professionals
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with opportunities to purchase additional holiday
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Access to discounts and cashback through The Village, our online reward gateway
• Eyecare vouchers
• Opportunity to join our Employee Experience Forum, helping shape wellbeing, career development and community initiatives
• Arriva UK Trains Travel Pass

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you're an experienced Project Planner looking to influence the successful delivery of complex rail infrastructure projects, we'd love to hear from you.

Join RTS Infrastructure and play a key role in delivering safe, efficient and well-planned infrastructure projects that help shape the future of the UK's railway.