Planning Manager

Planning Manager – Waterford

Our client is seeking a Planning Manager to join their growing operations, with flexibility to be based in Waterford.

They deliver high-quality engineering solutions across key sectors including energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and digital infrastructure. With decades of experience, they support complex projects in Ireland and throughout Europe, including the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Their success is built on strong project execution, cross-functional expertise, and a commitment to client satisfaction.

The business continues to invest in its people and culture, offering structured development, wellbeing programmes, and opportunities for progression across a wide range of projects and locations.

About the Role
The Planning Manager will play a central role in shaping and implementing planning strategies across major capital projects. Reporting into senior leadership, the successful candidate will ensure that project schedules are developed, maintained, and optimised to meet delivery objectives. This position is suited to someone with a strong background in planning and project controls within engineering or construction environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of integrated project schedules across sectors such as energy, life sciences, and data centres.

• Collaborate with project and functional teams to align planning activities and ensure consistency across programmes.

• Monitor project timelines, track milestones, and support teams in managing deviations to schedule.

• Produce regular status reports and schedule forecasts for internal and external stakeholders.

• Allocate planning resources appropriately across ongoing projects.

• Identify planning risks and delays, providing mitigation and recovery strategies where necessary.

• Promote the use of standardised planning processes and tools across the business.

• Support forensic analysis on project timelines, including delay analysis, impact assessments, and acceleration studies.

• Mentor and develop a team of planners, fostering a high-performance culture.

Ideal Experience

• Degree qualified in construction, engineering, project management or a related discipline.

• Demonstrable experience in a senior planning role, ideally within mechanical, electrical, or industrial project environments.

• In-depth understanding of planning methodologies and tools.

• Strong working knowledge of Primavera P6, ASTA Powerproject, and MS Project.

• Experienced in critical path analysis and forensic planning.

• Capable of balancing multiple complex schedules and adapting to changing priorities.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams.

• Able to work in high-pressure environments and meet challenging deadlines.

What’s on Offer

• 23 days of annual leave.

• Immediate company pension contributions.

• Paid maternity and paternity leave.

• Private healthcare contribution.

• Life and income protection cover.

• Employee assistance and wellness programmes.

• Support for ongoing professional development, chartership, and training.

• Options for short or long term international assignments in Europe.