Project Planner

Job title: Project Planner

Location: Ascot (Hybrid working available)

Contract: Permanent (Full-time)

Salary: £45,000- £55,000

About Us:

NIRAS, an international leader in engineering consultancy, is seeking an experienced Project Manager to join our dynamic Food and Beverages UK (FBUK) team. As a global consultant working across 150 countries, NIRAS provides cutting-edge and sustainable solutions for the food and beverage manufacturing industry.

Our rapidly growing FBUK team delivers complex projects across the entire asset lifecycle – from initial feasibility studies to engineering design, construction management, and operational optimisation. We work with large multinational F&B producers and manufacturers to design and construct state-of-the-art facilities using the latest technologies. This enables our clients to meet growing consumer demand, implement innovative new processes, and ensure the highest standards of quality, safety and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

To create, maintain and update Project Schedules across a portfolio of projects, to enable the planning of project programmes, and reporting on progress within NIRAS and to our clients.

• Lead the evaluation of the project‘s time, cost, and quality targets, applying governance controls as necessary to enable the successful delivery of the project
• Identify trends and root causes of deviations against the baseline using lead and lag indicators, recommend remedial actions in order to drive best value for the client.
• Cooperate with a remote team of project managers and discipline leads responsible for delivering each phase of the project.
• Act as a key point of contact to the project team responsible for delivery whilst preparing formal and ad hoc reports focussing on time and quality targets.
• Coordinate and lead planning sessions and workshops with clients and vendors to compile the master project/programme schedule, agreeing baselines and a critical path.
• Understand procurement principals, collate lead times from vendors and client into the master schedule communicate the prioritisation of ordering materials and equipment to meet scheduled install dates.
• Produce project metrics for inclusion in monthly reports both internal and external.
• Produce four week look ahead to allow individual project team members to focus on their deliverables.

Specific Tasks:

• Create and maintain Project Schedules using MS Project
• Provide regular reports on progress, and identify priority areas for application of resources
• Liaise with clients to incorporate project requirements and plan appropriate solutions

Person Specification:

• Education / Successful completion of courses in MSP (Managing Successful Programmes)
• Engineering Qualification

Knowledge and Skills:

• Work experience on medium to large projects.
• Working with multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to communicate at all levels and extract the information required to build up project plans.
• Understanding of applicable H&S regulations
• Process or Construction Safety
• Skills to demonstrate commitment to company and client standards
• IT/communication systems – Word, Excel, MS Project, PowerPoint, Visio, Teams, SharePoint
• A UK driving license and a willingness to travel including abroad
• Comfortable arranging meetings with individuals and whole teams to present and modify project schedules.
• Strong work ethic and the ability to produce accurate work to strict project deadlines,
• Proactive, motivated & engaged attitude
• Strong client facing and interaction skills
• Builds and maintains good relationships with people at all levels of the organisation
• To be flexible, positive, accurate and proactive
• Ability to deliver high quality work under pressure

Salary and Benefits:

In addition to a competitive salary of circa £, NIRAS offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• 25 days paid annual leave plus public holidays
• Employee Life Assurance
• Employer pension contributions, and optional salary sacrifice arrangements
• Company Sick Pay available from day one of your employment
• 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced provisions for family-friendly leave/pay
• Paid time off for dependents and emergencies
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Flexibility over your working hours

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, please submit your CV at your earliest convenience. Cover letters and any relevant portfolio or project examples are not essential, but will be reviewed alongside CVs if submitted.

Please do not hesitate to email Grace Hodgkinson (Assistant Talent Acquisition Partner UK) at ghod@niras.com should you have any questions.

NIRAS is an equal opportunity employer with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals. We value diversity in all its forms and welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We look forward to receiving your application.

Note: Due to time and workload constraints, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and should you not receive feedback within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.