Planning Manager

About the role

John Sisk & Son Ltd is an international, family-owned construction and engineering business delivering buildings and infrastructure that support how people live, work and move today and into the future. The organisation operates across Ireland, the UK and Europe in areas such as building, infrastructure, rail, energy and off-site manufacturing, with a focus on meaningful careers, professional growth and positive impact.

The Planning Manager will lead all planning and scheduling activity for allocated projects. Reporting to the Head of Planning, this position is responsible for creating, rolling out and tracking reliable project programmes that satisfy contractual commitments. The role also involves supporting project teams, encouraging informed decision-making and helping projects stay on track for timely completion.

Planning and scheduling

• Build, update and oversee project schedules covering design, procurement and construction stages.
• Track programme movement, spot delays early and recommend practical recovery actions.
• Make sure schedules reflect available resources, project constraints and key milestones.
• Prepare short-term lookahead plans and monthly progress updates.
• Work closely with project teams to manage interfaces and dependencies across disciplines.

Reporting and analysis

• Deliver clear and timely programme reports that identify risks, trends and opportunities.
• Assist the Project Controls Lead with programme updates for senior stakeholders and clients.
• Assess the effect of design changes, variation orders and contractual amendments on the programme.
• Review schedule performance, including adherence to plan, float usage and critical path accuracy.

Risk and compliance

• Keep project risk and opportunity logs up to date for planning and scheduling matters.
• Support reviews and audits of project schedules and planning practices.
• Ensure all planning activity follows company procedures, contractual commitments and statutory obligations.

Team leadership and development

• Coach and support senior planners, planners and junior planners.
• Encourage strong practice in planning, scheduling and programme management across the project team.
• Help develop and implement planning procedures, templates and systems.
• Coordinate learning and development for planning staff to strengthen capability and knowledge.

Stakeholder engagement

• Support client reporting and participate in project meetings as needed.
• Communicate programme updates, risks and recovery plans clearly to stakeholders.
• Liaise with project managers, site teams, design teams and commercial colleagues to provide planning support.

Experience and skills

This position calls for substantial experience in construction planning and project scheduling, along with strong capability in managing complex multi-discipline programmes. Advanced knowledge of Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project is expected, together with solid analytical, organisational and problem-solving ability. Strong spoken and written communication, including presentation skills, is also important. Experience working with cost, risk and resource planning is required.

Qualifications

A degree, or an equivalent qualification, in Construction, Engineering or a related subject is required. The ideal candidate will have experience in planning management on medium to large construction projects and confidence using planning and scheduling tools.

Additional desirable experience includes membership of a recognised planning or project controls organisation such as APM or PMI, familiarity with BIM integration in planning processes, and exposure to programme recovery and proactive risk management.

Additional information

John Sisk & Son Ltd offers a reward package that extends beyond salary. Benefits mentioned include a competitive salary, 26 days of annual leave, a pension scheme, comprehensive health, wellbeing and lifestyle support, career development opportunities and additional benefits through the Total Rewards programme.

The company states that recruitment is handled directly by its internal recruitment team. Unsolicited CVs or speculative approaches from unapproved agencies are not accepted, and no fees will be paid.

The employer is an equal opportunities organisation and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, family status or any other protected characteristic. Reasonable adjustments can be provided during the recruitment process.

Candidates are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every requirement, as the company values skills, experience and potential. Recruitment materials are also prepared to align with legal and regulatory standards, including the Irish and UK Equality Acts and the EU Pay Transparency Directive, to support fairness, transparency and equal access.