Planning Manager

Our client Scottish Power are seeking a Planning Manager for an initial 9 month contract based in Glasgow.

Job Purpose Statement

The Planning Manager will form part of the Cyber PMO Team and be responsible for maintaining and updating SPENs Programme Plans. The role will build strong relationships with the business and support the organisations existing systems, upgrades, and improvements.

The role will support the NIS Programme Office Manager to oversee the effective management and communication of the SPEN Cyber plans, providing accurate forecasting and tracking against annual project, programme and functional plans developing a clear understanding of all elements of planning (including tasks, activities and milestone tracking in within the project and programme lifecycle), inter and intra programme dependencies and their impact to plans.

The Programme Planner will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and monitoring project schedules, ensuring that all project activities are completed on time and within budget. This role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders.

Accountability Statement

• Drive the ongoing maturity of all elements of Programme and Project planning.
• Establish a clear approach to standardised Programme planning while building positive, collaborative stakeholder relationships.
• Establish planning workshops and track progress against defined activities and goals in support of Scottish Power’s organisational goals aligning with CAF objectives.
• Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, including milestones, deliverables, and dependencies.
• Monitor project progress and identify potential delays or issues, providing solutions to keep the project on track.
• Coordinate with Functional Heads, project managers, team members, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and effective communication.
• Prepare and present regular progress reports to management and stakeholders.
• Utilize project management software to track and update project schedules.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation plans to address potential project risks.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and standards.

• Promoting best practice and liaising with senior stakeholders.
• Provide expertise to help facilitate the effective use of the planning approach across the organisation.
• Support the preparation of Reopener Submissions to OFGEM
• Support Annual submissions and Implementation planning to OFGEM

Dimensions

• Support, maintain and update SPENs Cyber Programme Planning on Cyber Programme, valued at £178m over 3 years and impacting 3 licence areas (Transmission, Distribution and Manweb)
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• Support the NIS Programme Manager with management, monitoring, and communication of the SPEN Cyber plans, leading to effective prioritisation, benefit realisation and risk avoidance to the Business.
• Provide planning reports on a weekly and monthly basis as appropriate.
• Work and collaborate across SPEN to manage and communicate the SPEN NIS Improvement Plan and Regulatory obligations which requires interfaces with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Act as a 3rd party liaison, effectively managing a variety of stakeholders.
• Feed into recommendations based on cost benefit and customer value to effectively satisfy business and department needs in line with timescales, budgetary costs, assurance responsibilities and desired outcomes.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proactive and adaptable to changing project requirements.
• Strong leadership and team collaboration skills.
• Experience of Regulatory Reporting
• Experience of Project and Programme planning
• Experience of project reporting & control
• Experience of working in a PMO environment would be beneficial.
• Proven experience in tracking and reporting project management deliverables.
• Experience in liaising with multiple parties including Programme/Project Managers.
• Capable of producing accurate, relevant work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to push back Project Managers to maintain reporting assurance levels, and accurate planning and progress.

Minimum Criteria

• Degree level qualification.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in project planning or a similar role.
• Proficiency in project management software (e.g., MS Project, Primavera, or equivalent).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Certification in Project Management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) is a plus.
• Previous Project Management/Reporting and Financial Analysis Experience.
• Proven ability to work within a changing workload to agreed timescales.
• Commercial awareness and experience.
• Understanding of the UK IT footprint.
• Be a proficient IT user on word, Excel, PowerPoint.