Project Planner

Location: Oxford, UK
Contract: 12-month contract with potential extension
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week
Rate: 34.61 per hour PAYE or 46.30 per hour Umbrella

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Project Planner to support the successful delivery of complex engineering and customisation projects within a highly regulated environment. This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic Programme Management Office (PMO) team responsible for delivering projects on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.

The successful candidate will play a key role in developing, maintaining, and integrating project schedules while supporting Project Managers with planning, reporting, risk management, and project controls activities.

This position requires strong planning expertise, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to work across multiple concurrent projects within a fast-paced engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and maintain fully resourced project plans in line with project control standards and procedures
• Develop and manage integrated master schedules aligned to business priorities
• Monitor project progress against plans and proactively identify recovery actions where required
• Escalate schedule risks, issues, and variances to Project Managers as appropriate
• Provide timely, accurate, and meaningful reporting on project progress and performance
• Support adherence to change control, risk management, and cost control processes
• Facilitate and participate in project planning sessions, reviews, and workshops
• Support continuous improvement initiatives relating to PMO procedures, methods, and tools
• Work collaboratively with engineering, manufacturing, and project delivery teams to ensure alignment across project activities

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in project planning within an engineering or technical environment
• Strong knowledge of Waterfall, Agile, and Hybrid project management methodologies
• Advanced user of Primavera P6 and familiarity with Agile planning tools such as Kanban
• Experience managing plans across the full project lifecycle, including formal stage/gate reviews
• Experience supporting design, manufacturing, and installation projects
• Strong understanding of Critical Path Analysis and Gantt chart management
• Experience in resource allocation and capacity planning
• Familiarity with project performance metrics and KPIs, including SPI and CPI
• Understanding of risk management principles within project planning
• Ability to manage and prioritise complex workloads within challenging timelines
• Proficient with Google Workspace applications

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience within the aviation or aerospace sector
• Experience working within highly regulated or safety-critical environments
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to high-quality outputs
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within cross-functional teams

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience delivering robust project planning within a PMO or project delivery environment
• Recognised Project Management qualification such as PRINCE2, APM PMQ, or equivalent experience
• Full UK driving licence

About You

• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Strong leadership and team collaboration abilities
• Confident communicator with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels
• Flexible and adaptable in response to changing project and business requirements
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and take ownership of responsibilities
• Positive and proactive approach to problem-solving and delivery

Additional Information

• This is a full-time onsite role based in Oxford
• Successful applicants will be required to undergo DBS clearance and be eligible for Security Clearance (SC)
• Applicants must meet all relevant export control and compliance requirements