Principal Project Planner

Are you an experienced Project Planner with a strong background in major UK rail infrastructure programmes?

Contract: 12 months with potential to extend

Rate: £424-£531 (Umbrella)

Location: Leeds

This is an opportunity to join the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), one of the largest railway upgrade programmes in the UK, improving the 76-mile route between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield.

As Principal Project Planner, you’ll take a lead role in planning and scheduling complex rail delivery, integrating multiple schedules and providing clear reporting to project and non-planning stakeholders.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and integrate complex project and programme schedules across multiple workstreams.
• Develop delivery strategies, output schedules and project plans through the Network Rail PACE lifecycle.
• Support planning from early-stage development through construction and delivery.
• Review construction staging, constructability and delivery strategies.
• Provide schedule assurance and simplify complex programme information for reporting.
• Work closely with project teams, train/freight operators and wider stakeholders.
• Lead and develop planning teams, supporting the development of less experienced planners.
• Apply industry-standard planning and scheduling software, including schedule data automation.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong rail planning and scheduling experience on major construction or engineering projects.
• Experience working with train and freight operator projects.
• Understanding of railway design, delivery and access principles, including Railway Access Box Plans.
• Experience across Network Rail PACE ES1-ES8.
• Proven experience integrating multiple schedules and managing project resources.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to explain planning outputs clearly to non-planners.
• Experience with proprietary planning and scheduling tools and schedule assurance processes.
• Membership of a relevant professional body, or an established CPD pathway towards membership.
• Knowledge of the UK rail industry and Network Rail processes.

Desirable

• Experience with Signalling, ETCS or Train Fitment projects, and knowledge of the TRU programme.

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