Project Planner

On behalf of Network Rail , we are looking for a Project Planner (Inside IR35) for a 12 month contract which is a hybrid role so does require up to 3 days a week in the London, Paddington office

Network Rail is at the heart of revitalising Britain’s railway. From Crossrail – Europe’s largest civil engineering project – to investment in world-class stations and major programmes of electrification, we are involved in some of the most ambitious and diverse ventures that this country has ever seen. We at Network Rail are dedicated to becoming one of Britain's best employers and believe this starts with placing the candidate at the heart of everything we do!

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, maintaining and assuring robust project schedules, working closely with Project Managers, engineering teams, technical specialists and key stakeholders to ensure that activities, dependencies, milestones, risks and delivery constraints are accurately reflected within the project plan.

As a Project Planner , your main responsibilities will be:

- Develop, maintain and manage detailed technical project plans and integrated delivery schedules using Microsoft Project.
- Develop, review and interpret Primavera P6 schedules, ensuring alignment between programme-level and project-level planning where required.
- Translate technical, engineering and delivery requirements into clear, logically structured and achievable plans.
- Establish and maintain appropriate work breakdown structures (WBS), milestones, activities and sequencing.
- Identify, map and actively manage internal and external dependencies, clearly identifying their impact on key milestones and the critical path.
- Work with Project Managers, engineers, technical specialists, suppliers and stakeholders to validate durations, sequencing, constraints and delivery assumptions.
- Ensure project risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies are appropriately reflected within the schedule.
- Undertake critical path and schedule impact analysis , identifying activities or dependencies that could affect key delivery dates.
- Support scenario planning and assessment of opportunities to accelerate delivery, including identifying activities that could be brought forward or undertaken in parallel.
- Establish and maintain schedule baselines and track actual progress against agreed plans.

Essential Skills

- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Project (MSP), including building and maintaining complex , logically linked schedules.
- Proven experience developing and managing plans for complex technical, engineering, infrastructure or technology projects.
- Strong understanding of critical path analysis , dependency management , schedule baselining and progress tracking.
- Experience of integrating risk and dependency management into project planning.
- Ability to interrogate a schedule and identify unrealistic assumptions, missing dependencies, constraints and potential delivery risks.
- Experience working with multidisciplinary technical teams to establish credible activity durations and sequencing.
- Ability to assess the schedule impact of emerging risks, issues and scope changes.
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to challenge delivery assumptions constructively.

Desirable Skills

- Previous experience working within the rail industry.
- Knowledge of the Network Rail environment, governance and project delivery processes.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Please note that Network Rail has a maximum 90-minute commute policy for all staff to the specified location for this role.

Network Rail is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. They welcome applications from everyone.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, Network Rail encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates . Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

As a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, Network Rail welcome applications from veterans, service leavers, reservists and military spouses or partners. Applications from eligible candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".