Please note: Applying for this role means you have read and understood this advert and any associated links.

Position Type: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Grade: PB3

Salary: Circa £55k - flexibility on salary and dependent on experience (Plus competitive Benefits and open to negotiation).

Location: TfL Offices London with a mixture of hybrid working

The closing date for applications is Sunday, 23rd February, at 23:59hrs. 

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit Planning Managers within Transport for London.

TfL is responsible for some of the highest profile, most complex and diverse infrastructure work in the UK. Our projects keep a world city moving for 8.6 million people, and we do this through our teams of talented people.

TfL delivers critical portfolios of projects to make journeys better for our customers. Our projects vary from enhancing our stations, trains, tracks, and roads to multi £billion programmes to invest in our infrastructure and the technology that supports it.

Our core values of delivering safely, sustainably, reliably, and affordably are at the heart of every project. People are the key to our success, and by making sure we share knowledge, skills, and expertise across our programmes, we enhance both your career and how we deliver for London.

We are now looking for talented Planning Managers to join us to work on a wide variety of exciting and high-profile projects and programmes. You will assist with the day-to-day management of external contractors/suppliers and support the implementation of projects. This includes management of TfL obligations, contractors, Private Finance Initiative (PFI) suppliers, or other third-party partners to ensure delivery of projects on behalf of TfL, meeting the needs of our customers.

TfL is an inclusive and flexible organisation committed to developing you. We are looking for both experienced Planning Managers and people with pthe otential and the ability to demonstrate a passion for planning management.

Applications are welcomed from experienced planners in rail and other sectors. 

Overview of project/role

The Planning Manager is responsible for supporting the Project Management Office (PMO) Planning function by providing direction, leadership, guidance, and management of the embedded planning resources. The Planner should assist Project or Programme Manager(s) with producing and reporting budget-loaded work programmes/schedules for the purpose of coordinating works with Contractors and other third parties. To create and update programme data in compliance with PMO centralised requirements. To provide analysis and assist in the interpretation of all reports produced within TfL.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

Required Skills

·        Good communication skills to enable successful management of schedules in an environment that has multiple stakeholders.

·        Good influencing skills to manage and motivate teams.

·        Ability to embed Planning Management methodology and process in support of delivery of high-risk, value, and complex projects/programmes.

·        Analysis of complex data to draw conclusions and produce reports. 

 Required technical skills include:       

·         Project / Programme Office (L3 – Practitioner)

·         Project Management (L3 – Practitioner)

·         Stakeholder Management (L4 – Expert)

·         Planning (L4 – Expert)

·         Budgeting and Cost Management (L3 – Practitioner)

·         Information Management and Reporting (L3 – Practitioner)

·         Schedule Risk Analysis (L3 – Practitioner)

·         Earned Value Management (L3 – Practitioner)

·         Primavera P6 Enterprise scheduling software (L4 – Expert)

·         Microsoft Project scheduling software (L3 – Practitioner)

Required Knowledge:

·        Extensive knowledge and understanding of capital projects and programmes with an emphasis on Planning and how this supports and integrates with a wider high-functioning environment. 

·        Extensive knowledge of PPM Systems and Tools, especially in regard to the Planning discipline.

·        Knowledge of the professional disciplines of programme and project management in the context of complex capital projects with expertise in Planning.

· Knowledge of different Commercial arrangements, NEC3/4 contractual obligations, and their impact on project control management with an emphasis on Planning methodology.

·        Awareness of safety issues in an operational environment.

Desired Knowledge

• Domain knowledge of the planning, design and construction activities undertaken across a number of TfL project areas, namely track, signalling, stations, civils, or surface projects.

Required Experience:

• Experience in creating, adapting, and monitoring planning in major projects and/or construction or asset renewal projects, managing time, quality, and budget.
• Experience in dealing with a range of stakeholders at all levels across the organisation, influencing improving processes and guidance to support project delivery and reporting.
• Experience building critical path schedules from knowledge and first principles, interviewing and leading workshops with project resources to understand progress and performance across a programme of critical path projects. 
• Experience in using time-scheduling software

Application Process

Please apply using your CV and a cover letter (maximum two pages).

Please think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description and ensure your CV and cover letter reflect the requirements of the role you are applying for. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of answers to any pre-screening questions and the information on your CV and cover letter.

As part of the application process for this position, you are required to upload both a CV and a cover letter to your application before submitting it. To be compatible with our anonymisation software, these must be in Microsoft Word doc.x format. Failure to upload documents in this format means that they may not be processed. Applications with either a CV or a Covering Letter missing will be classed as incomplete and will not be progressed.

For this recruitment campaign, as part of TfL’s continuing commitment to be an inclusive and equal-opportunity employer, we will be removing personally identifiable information from your application that could cause discrimination.

Assessment Process

The recruitment process consists of the following stages. You will need to pass each stage to progress to the next:

Stage 1: CV and cover letter screening

Stage 2: Competency-Based Interview

Outcomes: It will take 10-14 days after the final assessment event to hear the outcome.

Candidate Charter

You can download a copy of the Candidate Charter here.

This outlines our commitment to you as a candidate by providing insight into our recruitment process. It also outlines our expectations with regards to your engagement with us, to ensure that you receive the best recruitment experience possible, as we believe you should know the standards of service you can expect from us. You must read this document prior to submitting your application in order to understand every aspect of the process.

Reasonable Adjustment Process

You must notify the recruitment team at least 48 hours (excluding weekends) prior to your scheduled interview event to allow us to accommodate your requirements. You will then be sent a confirmation email, which you will need to bring to your interview. If you fail to bring this on the da,y your adjustments will not be granted, and you will be unable to re-book. We will consider that you are the expert regarding your own requirements, and we will consider all requests fairly within the context of the role.

Please take the time to read the Disability Charter here.

Notice of Cancellation

We require you to give a minimum of 48 hours notice of cancellation or re-schedule. Non-attendance at your Interview may lead to your application being withdrawn.

Please note: There are only enough interview slots for the number of candidates invited, therefore if you are unable to attend on your scheduled day, you will be placed on a waiting list in case a cancellation arises. We would therefore encourage you to check if you can make an appointment before booking. Subsequent cancellation will lead to your application being withdrawn. If you do not follow the process outlined in the Candidate Charter, you risk being withdrawn from the campaign.

Appointment to post

Although you may be successful and offered the role – you may not commence employment in the role immediately. There may be a requirement to delay your start date until you are required.

In order to be appointed to a post, candidates must successfully pass criminal records checks and employment referencing.

Location

A mix of hybrid working and office based anywhere in the Greater London area, depending on business requirements.

Further information

Due to the expected high response rate, we reserve the right to close this campaign earlier than the published closing date once we have a suitable pool of applicants.

Contacting Us

If at any time you need to speak to anyone within the Recruitment Team, then please contact us on 0203 005 1680 (local rate charges from all phones including mobiles) or email HighVolumeCampaigns@tfl.gov.uk.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:

• Final salary pension scheme
• Free travel for you on the TfL network
• A 75% discount on National Rail Season Ticket and interest-free loan
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow.
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure, and travel offers
• Discounted Eurostar travel

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability-confident employer who guarantees an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.