Project Planner - Microsoft Project

Position Overview

Become a pivotal contributor as a Project Planner specializing in Microsoft Project at CGI, playing an essential role in steering a major programme based in Aberdeen. You will be responsible for building a reliable and comprehensive programme schedule that equips senior leaders with the insights and confidence to make vital delivery decisions. Your scheduling expertise will help test assumptions, validate critical paths, and assess various scheduling and resource scenarios to strengthen the programme’s commitments. This role offers an opportunity to bring innovative thinking to complex planning challenges while collaborating closely with the Programme Manager, workstream leads, and an experienced team at CGI, whose expertise will directly influence successful programme delivery.

Role Responsibilities

• Construct, consolidate, and maintain an integrated programme schedule using Microsoft Project.
• Lead efforts to create and validate a credible baseline schedule supporting programme decision-making and executive commitments.
• Analyze schedule elements such as logic, dependencies, milestones, and assumptions to detect gaps and inconsistencies.
• Conduct critical-path analyses to identify critical activities and constraints that may impact key milestones.
• Simulate schedule risks and potential delivery scenarios to understand their effect on programme commitments.
• Evaluate resource availability and capacity relative to the schedule to highlight bottlenecks or risks to delivery.
• Collaborate with programme stakeholders to gather, challenge, and confirm planning information.
• Communicate complex scheduling data into clear and actionable insights that facilitate senior decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive project or programme planning experience, with a solid background in scheduling within PMO environments.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Project, demonstrated through handling complex integrated schedules.
• Experience developing, validating, and maintaining robust schedule baselines.
• Strong knowledge of critical-path methodology including schedule logic, dependencies, milestones, and constraints.
• Ability to perform risk and scenario analysis to forecast delivery risks and impacts.
• Experience planning resource allocation and identifying potential capacity constraints.
• Proven capability to engage and influence Programme Managers, project managers, workstream leads, and senior stakeholders effectively.
• Excellent analytical skills to challenge assumptions, identify scheduling issues, and clearly communicate risks and recommendations.
• Highly organized with a commitment to delivering critical planning outputs within tight programme timelines.

Additional Information

This position is based in Aberdeen, Scotland, with a requirement to be on-site at least three days per week. CGI values an inclusive culture, embraces diversity, and is recognized as a top employer in the UK, offering competitive salary packages, comprehensive pension plans, private healthcare, and a share scheme that promotes partnership ownership. CGI supports career progression, health and well-being, and ethical hiring practices including AI-assisted recruitment that does not replace human decision-making.

Company Highlights

CGI has been awarded by the Sunday Times as one of the Best Places to Work in 2025 and acknowledged as a UK 'Best Employer' by the Financial Times. The company is committed to supporting the Armed Forces and holds a Gold Award for its corporate covenant.