Senior Planner

At Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service business at Hitachi Energy in Europe (HBUEU), Inclusion drives our culture of innovation and collaboration. Our leading technology and strong market position enable us to achieve growth targets in the energy transition across current and growing market segments such as hydrogen, data centers and e-mobility.

Hitachi Energy has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Planner. You will Join a leading project delivery team and play a key role in planning and controlling complex EPC projects within the UK energy sector. As a Senior Planner, you will take ownership of multiple projects ranging from $10m to $250m leading all aspects of schedule management, project controls, forecasting, cost performance, risk analysis, and stakeholder reporting.

• Working closely with Project Managers, clients, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams, you will provide strategic planning leadership across the full project lifecycle, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with contractual obligations.
• Lead the development, maintenance, and governance of integrated project programmes using Primavera P6, ensuring alignment with project objectives and contractual requirements.
• Proactively manage programme interfaces and external dependencies, including client and third-party deliverables, identifying impacts to project execution and implementing mitigation measures to protect key milestones and project outcomes.
• Analyse project scope, deliverables, and execution strategies to develop realistic, resource-loaded schedules and performance baselines.
• Monitor project progress, identify critical path and schedule risks, and proactively advise Project Managers on mitigation and recovery strategies.
• Produce high-quality programme updates, progress reports, dashboards, and forecast analyses for internal and external stakeholders.
• Act as a trusted advisor to project teams, customers, and senior management, providing clear insight into schedule performance, risks, opportunities, and project outcomes.
• Support project delivery under NEC and FIDIC contracts, including programme management, change control, schedule impact assessments, compensation event/variation assessments, and extension of time evaluations, ensuring compliance with contractual requirements.
• Engage directly with clients, contractors, consultants, and key stakeholders, building strong working relationships and ensuring effective communication throughout the project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Construction, Pre-Commissioning, and Commissioning teams to identify scope changes and assess programme impacts.
• Integrate procurement, manufacturing, delivery, and site activities into the project programme, ensuring alignment with project milestones and lead times.
• Participate in project reviews and governance meetings, presenting programme performance, recovery plans, and recommendations to project leadership teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning processes, reporting methodologies, and project controls practices.

• Proven experience as a Senior Planner, Lead Planner, Project Controls Engineer, or Project Planner within EPC, energy, utilities, transmission & distribution or electrical infrastructure sectors.
• Experience working within projects delivered under NEC and/or FIDIC forms of contract, with an understanding of programme management, change control, delay analysis, and contractual reporting requirements.
• Demonstrable experience working directly with clients, consultants, contractors, and senior stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of project planning, scheduling, forecasting, earned value management, and project controls principles.
• Expert user of Oracle Primavera P6.
• Ability to analyse complex projects, identify risks and opportunities, and communicate recommendations confidently to project teams and leadership.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and presentation skills.
• Commercial awareness with a solid understanding of project delivery and contractual obligations.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and collaborative team player.
• Ability to travel as required to project sites and the Birmingham office.

• Generous annual leave plus public holidays with the ability to buying & selling leave days
• Generous bonus scheme
• Enhanced pension plan with competitive employer contributions
• Private healthcare for our employees
• Health screening program and Dental Plan
• Maternity, paternity, parental leave
• Critical illness plan, Life insurance and income protection
• Fitness & health benefits (access to gyms, studios, on-demand exercise classes and library of wellness apps)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Performance-based rewards and recognition