Assistant Planner

Job Description

Overview

The Assistant Project Planner will play a hands-on role in shaping the delivery of some of the UK’s most exciting and nationally significant infrastructure projects, from transforming rail networks and modernising water systems to developing major highways, defence facilities, and nuclear programmes.

As part of integrated project delivery teams, you will work alongside planners, engineers, project managers, and project controls professionals to develop and maintain project schedules, track progress, and support informed decision-making across complex programmes. This is a role where you will contribute directly to planning real engineering outcomes, taking ownership of planning activities while continuing to develop your technical and professional capability.

You will work on some of the UK's most significant engineering and infrastructure projects, working across multiple sectors and delivery environments. Through hands-on project experience, mentoring, and structured development, you will build the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to progress your career in planning and project controls.

Location & Travel

Your primary office location will be in Manchester; however, candidates should expect to travel to client offices, project sites, and AtkinsRéalis office locations across the UK, depending on project and business requirements.

Note: No visa sponsorship will be provided at this level.

Your role

• Develop and maintain integrated project schedules using Primavera P6, including logic development, progress updating, critical path analysis and reporting.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams including engineers and project managers.
• Develop work breakdown structures, define activity sequencing, track progress, and undertake schedule performance analysis.
• Maintain schedule baselines, support change management activities, and contribute to project controls processes including planning, reporting and change management.
• Produce schedule updates, performance analysis, project reporting and management information for project teams and stakeholders.
• Contribute to project controls processes including planning, reporting and change management.
• Use digital tools including Excel, Power BI and reporting platforms to develop dashboards, analyse performance data, and communicate project insights.

About you

Essential

• Degree in a STEM subject or a related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience using Primavera P6 in a project environment, including the development, updating, maintenance and analysis of project schedules.
• Understanding of planning principles, schedule logic, critical path analysis, progress measurement and baseline management.
• Strong analytical, numerical and critical-thinking skills.
• Familiarity with engineering or technical problem-solving approaches.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Basic understanding of how projects are structured, governed and delivered.
• Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary project teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly to a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload while managing multiple tasks and competing deadlines.

Desirable

• Familiarity with Power BI or other data visualisation and reporting tools.
• Interest in digital innovation, data analytics and emerging technologies.
• Membership of the Association for Project Management (APM) or a similar professional body.

Training & Development

• A clear development pathway designed to give individuals the tools, confidence and industry insight to progress quickly, build specialist planning expertise, and establish a long-term career in project planning and controls.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.
Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.
Find out more.

Additional information

Security Clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance. We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

Worker Type

Job Type

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.