Planning Manager

Overview

Are you a Tender Planner looking for your next senior leadership role in the East Midlands?

We're hiring a Head of Planning in Nottingham to lead the preconstruction planning function for one of the UK's fastest-growing construction main contractors. This is a full-time, permanent senior construction planner job based in Nottingham, offering an exceptional opportunity to shape tender planning strategy and support work-winning activities across diverse sectors.

This is a strategic appointment to join one of Nottingham's leading main contractors delivering high-quality construction projects across public and private sectors. This senior planner job offers autonomy to lead the planning team, influence preconstruction strategy and drive business growth whilst working at a strategic level with the Senior Leadership Team.

If you're an experienced planner for construction ready to operate at head of department level and make a significant impact on business direction, this is an outstanding opportunity to advance your career with a market-leading contractor.

Client

Our client is a prominent name in the construction industry and one of the region's leading main contractors. Fostering a supportive, growth-oriented work environment, they have built a reputation for delivering varied and impactful projects across public and private sectors throughout Nottingham and the East Midlands.

Known for their collaborative culture and strategic approach to project delivery, they offer career development opportunities for construction professionals seeking long-term progression. Their impressive portfolio spans multiple sectors with a focus on innovation and client satisfaction.

The business combines traditional construction excellence with modern planning technologies, digital programme management and sustainable delivery methods across healthcare, education, commercial and public realm schemes.

Role

As Head of Planning, you will be a key member of the preconstruction team, leading the front-end planning function and supporting the strategic direction and work-winning activities for the business. Based in Nottingham, this is an excellent senior project planner job for an ambitious construction planner ready to influence bid strategies and regional business growth.

You'll have the opportunity to establish best practice planning procedures, develop framework relationships and shape the preconstruction planning capability across the organisation. This senior construction planner role requires strategic thinking and strong stakeholder management to coordinate complex tender programmes and project schedules.

Working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, estimating teams and business development functions, you'll ensure that all tender submissions include robust programmes that support successful contract awards and seamless handovers to delivery teams.

Responsibilities

As Head of Planning in Nottingham, your responsibilities will include:

Lead tender planning activities for the business, producing detailed construction programmes and prelims schedules to support competitive bid submissions
Manage and develop the planning team
Deliver strategic planning support working closely with the Senior Leadership Team
Support preconstruction and front-end strategy development
Develop and maintain framework relationships
Create and maintain project programmes from tender stage through to practical completion, ensuring alignment with contract requirements and client expectations
Attend client meetings and tender presentations to present construction plans and programmes of work
Collaborate with project teams to ensure realistic and achievable schedules
Conduct regular programme reviews and updates throughout project lifecycles, identifying risks and mitigation strategies
Liaise with clients, subcontractors and stakeholders to ensure alignment with project objectives
Utilise industry-standard planning software including Asta Powerproject to produce detailed schedules and progress reports
Implement planning best practices and quality control processes across all tender and project programmes
Person

To be successful in this construction planner job, you will bring significant experience leading planning functions and tender planning activities within a construction main contractor environment.

Experienced main contractor Construction Planner with a proven track record in senior or head of planning positions
Extensive preconstruction and tender planning experience
Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
Thorough knowledge of construction methodologies, project sequencing, logistics planning and industry best practices
Proficiency in Asta Powerproject planning software
Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to build relationships with clients
Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
Commercial awareness and understanding of how planning impacts project profitability
Experience with NEC and JCT contracts, critical path methodology (CPM) and other planning software such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6 would be advantageous. Professional qualifications or membership with bodies such as APM or CIOB are highly desirable.

Remuneration

This is an exceptional opportunity to join a successful regional contractor with an impressive project pipeline and strong market presence across Nottingham and the East Midlands.

As Head of Planning, you'll have the chance to shape preconstruction strategy, lead the planning function and influence business growth with clear scope for career advancement into director-level positions. Package includes:

Salary: £100,000 competitive package dependent on experience
Company car or car allowance
Private healthcare cover
Generous pension contributions
Death in Service (DIS) benefit
Enhanced holiday entitlement
Collaborative and supportive working environment
Clear career progression opportunities to planning director or senior management roles within a forward-thinking company
The chance to work on varied and challenging construction projects across multiple sector schemes
Professional development support including training, industry events and CPD opportunities
Apply Now: Head of Planning Job in Nottingham

Kick-start your next senior construction planner role in construction planning leadership today.

Apply now to join a market-leading contractor delivering some of the East Midlands' most exciting public and private sector builds. If your application is successful, we'll be in touch within 48 hours to send you full details about the company, role and project pipeline.