Job Description

Overview

As a Construction Planning Manager within our Rail Systems / Complex Projects business, you will provide construction‑led planning expertise to support the successful delivery of major, complex infrastructure projects across the UK. The role maintains a strong end‑to‑end planning and project controls focus, with particular emphasis on construction planning, construction readiness, and portfolio‑level visibility of construction progress and risk.

You will work closely with construction delivery teams, project managers, and business leaders to develop, manage, and communicate robust construction programmes for both tenders and live projects. You will also provide clear, visual insight into construction progress through to Hand Over to Test as a key milestone.

The role sits within the Construction Directorate of the Complex Projects business and requires deep experience in construction sequencing, interfaces, and delivery risk management on large, multi‑disciplinary transportation projects.

You will act as a facilitator of high‑quality Project Controls and Construction Planning, reporting within the Construction Directorate while aligning with the wider Project Controls function. A key aspect of the role is enabling portfolio‑level understanding of construction readiness and performance, with a particular focus on Rail Systems projects.

Significant construction experience, including programming multi‑disciplinary construction activities and managing complex interfaces between design, procurement, construction, commissioning and testing.
Excellent understanding of how projects are constructed, staged, commissioned and handed over, with particular focus on construction readiness and completion milestones.
Proven experience supporting construction teams in the development of tender programmes and live construction programmes.

Your role

• Own the construction programme and construction‑focused Project Controls for assigned projects.
• Support construction teams in developing and maintaining tender programmes and live delivery programmes.
• Provide assurance that construction programmes are logical, achievable and aligned with construction methodologies and site constraints.
• Develop and deliver construction progress reporting, including clear visual trackers against key milestones, particularly Hand Over to Test.
• Identify, analyse and communicate construction risks, delays and constraints at both project and portfolio level.
• Support the business in understanding construction readiness, capacity and planning risk across a portfolio of projects.
• Represent and drive Project Controls and Construction Planning policy; attend and contribute to client and internal progress meetings.
• Deliver periodic programme updates, clearly explaining changes, delays and forecast impacts on construction completion.
• Ensure construction issues within programmes are highlighted, understood and escalated appropriately, providing clear planning‑led advice and options to Project and Senior Management.
• Provide timely, accurate and concise planning data, schedules and reports; support the supervision and development of junior planners; maintain strong working relationships with project teams, construction managers, clients and key stakeholders.

About you

• Experience preparing and maintaining planning and scheduling outputs, including construction programmes, resource histograms, performance analysis data, construction progress and completion trackers, and CPI/SPI schedule performance indicators.
• Strong capability in clearly presenting planning and progress information to construction teams, project managers, clients, and senior stakeholders.
• Detailed understanding of Project Controls techniques, including budget and spend management, change control, Earned Value Management (EVM), trend analysis, data analysis, and work package management.
• Expert user of Primavera P6 and/or similar tools for construction and integrated project programmes.
• Ability to develop visual management tools and dashboards to track construction progress, key completion milestones (including Hand Over to Test), constraints, risks, and emerging issues.
• Experience translating detailed P6 programmes into clear, accessible visual outputs for project-level and business-level reporting.
• Ability to work with limited supervision, using own initiative in the development, maintenance, and assurance of construction and tender programmes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex construction and planning matters in a clear, professional, and straightforward manner.
• Experience in schedule risk analysis, cost analysis, claims support, and working on large projects (typically up to £50m), including experience under various forms of contract such as NEC.
• Strong technical background in transportation systems and construction disciplines (including signalling, track/P‑Way, electrification & plant, and telecoms), with an engineering or construction qualification in Civil or Mechanical Engineering or similar (preferred), and membership of APM or equivalent professional body (preferred).

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

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Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.