Senior Project Planner | Infrastructure
Location: Stansted Airport, Essex (Site-based)
Shape the future of aviation infrastructure with Laing O'Rourke.
We're looking for a Senior Project Planner to play a key role in delivering the Stansted Airport Transformation Project—a major infrastructure programme that will redefine passenger experience and operational capability.
What you'll do
As a Senior Project Planner, you'll combine technical expertise, strategic thinking, and commercial awareness to develop and manage robust project programmes. You will:
- Provide leadership for the planning and coordination processes.
- To implement and maintain the requirements of the Project Business Plan.
- Ensure that all programmes are compliant with the Project requirements.
- Develop and agree by collaboration a logical sequence of events ensuring that the most economical / advantageous construction strategy is adopted.
- Analyse performance and advise the project team of likely impact and recommend improvements.
- Ensure that the construction strategy and any recommended improvements are communicated.
- Provide leadership, support and training, and contribute to career development.
- Co-ordinate for stakeholders, partners and supply chain all time related information.
- Represent the project / business with all stakeholders.
- Undertake additional responsibilities and tasks as required by the project / business.
- Develop and feedback process improvement.
- Develop, maintain and update Contract Programme and Programme to Build in accordance with the project requirements
- Provide strategic programmes – tender, procurement, design, construction, short term.
- Report on progress and issues with advice on mitigation
- Provide leadership, support and training, and contribute to career development.
- Resource management and team development
- Co –ordinate with internal customers – commercial, design, customer care and construction
- Responsible for the delivery of planning and coordination processes.
- To implement and maintain the requirements of the Project Business Plan.
- Ensure that all programmes are compliant with the Project requirements.
- Develop and agree by collaboration a logical sequence of events ensuring that the most economical / advantageous construction strategy is adopted.
Project context
This role is based on the Stansted Airport Transformation Project, commencing in late Summer 2026.
Key elements of the works include:
- Site logistics and welfare facilities
- Early haul road and permanent services installation
- Airside/landside hoarding and boundary works
- Earthworks and groundworks
- Temporary and permanent services
- Pre-construction and delivery planning for above-ground works, including precast, steelwork, and façade systems
What we're looking for
We're looking for a planner who is delivery-focused, commercially aware, and confident operating in a complex project environment. You'll need:
- Able to develop a Programme Strategy for clients
- Applies the required knowledge of processes and techniques that need to be considered in strategic planning and the purpose of it in the success of a project
- Able to apply different programme options, solutions, methods and sequences in the production of strategic programmes
- Able to contribute to the risks, opportunities and commercial implications of a tender bid
- Able to present time related material using a variety of techniques and methods; providing effective communication, high quality submission and presentation material
- Proven experience in Pre-Contract planning and Work Winning processes and procedures to produce Bid Programmes and associated time related information as part of a tender bid team
- Able to contribute to the risks, opportunities and commercial implications of a Tender Bid
- Contributes to the Procurement Strategy of the project
- Able to independently produce processes and systems to manage contracts for more complex projects
- Carries out forensic analysis of programme data and interfaces with client teams to build effective relationships
- Applies a comprehensive knowledge of the different types of contract to ensure control measures are aligned with the contract risk and commercial opportunities are optimised
- Applies the knowledge of advanced construction techniques, methodologies and processes to develop systems and processes for projects
Desirable
- Leading the planning and controls function on a project (medium – high complexity)
- Developing and maintaining relationships with client representatives
- Resource management, staff development and coaching
- Pre-contract planning, work winning and processes
- Planning experience at a senior level – leading a team and interfacing with the client essential
About Us
Laing O'Rourke are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.
Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.
As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term conditions and disabilities through the ‘Offer an interview scheme'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know if you would like to opt in to this scheme and let us know if you require any adjustments for the interview process.
We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you need the application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please email [email protected]
