Regional Planner

Role overview

John Sisk & Son is a family-owned construction business with international operations, focused on delivering dependable, high-quality outcomes across every project. The company combines a strong commitment to trust and value with a drive for innovation that helps shape the future of construction.

The Regional Planner is responsible for leading planning activity across a defined region. This position oversees programme creation, monitoring, and reporting throughout pre-construction and delivery stages, while maintaining strong standards of quality, consistency, and compliance. The role also supports regional directors in successful project execution and provides day-to-day leadership to the regional planning team, encouraging capability growth, improvement, and new ways of working.

Responsibilities

Health & safety

• Make sure planning assumptions and decisions follow the organisation’s health and safety policies and procedures.
• Check how health and safety requirements are built into project schedules and programmes.

Programme development and control

• Support regional leadership in evaluating programme risk during the prequalification stage, including bid/no-bid decisions.
• Lead the preparation of baseline contract programmes covering design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Assess target programmes and highlight areas where they can be strengthened.
• Review subcontractor tender event programmes to confirm they are realistic and accurate.
• Oversee planning records within a Common Data Environment (CDE).
• Coordinate the creation of 4D models and/or 2D phasing plans to support delivery.
• Guide the development of construction methods that clearly show sequence and safe working approach.
• Review and sign off project preliminaries such as staffing, logistics, and temporary works.
• Work with supply chain partners to verify inputs including design deliverables, lead times, labour, plant, and programme durations.
• Assess programme risks and opportunities and recommend mitigation measures, including float and time-risk allowances.

Reporting, progress and as-built information

• Set up and evaluate tracking schedules for subcontractor programme monitoring.
• Collect and review as-built programmes and identify where they differ from the baseline.
• Ensure change requests include proper programme impact analysis.
• Define and manage the use of 4D/2D phasing data on projects.
• Bring together and validate output rates to monitor live progress and inform pre-construction planning.
• Run peer reviews of planning outputs to keep standards consistent across the region.

Management and leadership

• Lead the regional planning team and ensure consistency in formats, documentation, and outputs.
• Provide regular weekly and monthly updates to regional directors on programme performance and risk.
• Carry out performance and development reviews for planners and make sure training needs are addressed.
• Set deliverables and review planning output across both pre-construction work and live projects.
• Independently review programme status for all regional contracts during monthly review meetings.
• Establish quality benchmarks for planning outputs across the region.
• Use subcontractor input, historic data, and team consultation to benchmark programme durations.
• Support directors in rolling out business improvement initiatives linked to planning and programme management.

Experience and qualifications

Essential experience and skills

• Substantial planning experience on complex construction projects, with a strong record of working with clients, contractors, and other stakeholders on live sites.
• Good understanding of UK and EU construction law, especially contract management.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership abilities.
• Capability to coach, develop, and manage planning teams.
• Strong IT ability and confidence using planning and programme management software.
• Advanced knowledge of current best practice in planning, programming, and project controls.
• Experience controlling costs and resources within project programmes.

Desirable experience and skills

• Background in 4D planning tools and BIM integration.
• Experience creating or auditing regional planning standards across several projects.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development such as advanced training, CPD events, or membership of a professional body.
• Knowledge of collaborative data environments (CDEs).

Qualifications

• A degree or diploma in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Project Management, or a related field is essential.
• Equivalent professional experience may also be accepted.
• Certification or advanced training in planning and programme software such as ASTA Powerproject or Primavera P6 is required.
• Membership of, or eligibility for membership of, a professional body such as CIOB, ICE, or APM is desirable.
• Advanced training in ASTA Powerproject, including progress analysis, S-curve reporting, and cost/resource management, is desirable.
• Training in BIM, Synchro, and collaborative data platforms is desirable.
• Training in leadership, people management, and presentation skills is desirable.

Additional information

• Competitive salary.
• 26 days of annual leave.
• Pension and benefits package.
• Unlimited learning and development opportunities.
• And additional benefits beyond those listed.

Recruitment commitment

The company places people at the centre of its success and offers the opportunity to build a meaningful career while being part of a strong team.

Recruitment is handled directly by the internal recruitment team. Unsolicited approaches or speculative CVs from unapproved agencies will not be accepted, and no introductory fees will be paid.

The employer is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, 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 criterion, as skills and potential are valued alongside experience.

Recruitment materials are prepared in line with legal and regulatory requirements, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive and the Equality Acts in the UK and Ireland.