Planning Manager

ABOUT JSM

At JSM Group, we are a leading specialist infrastructure engineering company. We design and install the complex power networks, digital infrastructure and specialist systems a future-focused worldwide marketplace needs - from high-power grid connections to critical utilities, data centres to renewable energy.

Our full turnkey solution teams manage the full scope to help advise and deliver complex infrastructure projects at speed, on time and with reduced legislation, technical and commercial risks.

ABOUT THE TEAM

You'll lead the planning function within our Power Division and a team of planners supporting tender and construction programmes across the UK.

You'll work alongside divisional leadership, bid, commercial, design, delivery and SHEQ teams, from early tender strategy through to as-built close-out. Your time will be split between setting standards and governance for the function, advising on key bids and high-risk projects, and reporting programme performance across the Division's portfolio.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Planning Manager is the Power Division's senior planning authority. The role exists to make planning a strategic driver of bid success and predictable delivery, setting the direction, standards and governance that give clients, and our own leadership, confidence in every programme we commit to.

Day to day, you will:

• Set and deliver the strategy, standards and governance for the planning function, including ownership of the Planning Manual and the Primavera P6 central database. You will also need to have an understanding of MSP.
• Provide portfolio-level oversight of tender and construction programmes, spotting risks and trends early and directing recovery and mitigation on critical projects
• Shape planning strategy on key bids, making sure tender programmes and written submissions are credible, compelling and commercially sound
• Report programme performance and insight to divisional leadership and clients, and act as the senior escalation point for planning matters
• Lead, develop and grow the planning team through recruitment, training, peer review and succession planning
• Support commercial teams on programme-related claims, compensation events and extension of time submissions

ABOUT YOU

You'll do well here if you recognise yourself in this:

• You're hungry to grow and you take personal responsibility for your work and your development.
• You're comfortable with complexity and you'd rather solve a hard technical problem than avoid it.
• You work well across disciplines — you know good delivery depends on civil, power and digital teams pulling in the same direction.
• You use sound judgment under pressure and you're straight with people about risk and programme.
• You think beyond the next programme. You want to build a planning function that raises the standard across the whole business, and you enjoy developing the people in it.

EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Senior planning experience in power or electrical infrastructure contracting, such as HV/EHV cable installation, grid connections, substations or the civils packages that support them, including leading a planning team or function
• A track record of setting planning standards, governance or strategy across a portfolio of power projects
• Experience planning programmes for DNO, IDNO, ICP or National Grid schemes, including outages, consents, wayleaves and third-party interfaces
• Experience shaping tender programmes and contributing to winning bids for power infrastructure work
• Expert use of Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project
• Experience working with commercial teams on delay analysis, claims and EOT submissions

Desirable

• Experience in data centre, renewable energy (solar, wind, BESS) or transmission projects
• Experience on major utility frameworks or long-term client programmes
• Experience in Asta

If you meet most but not all of the above, we'd still like to hear from you. We'll look at what you've delivered and what you're capable of, not just the list.

ENGINEERED TO BELONG

At JSM Group, we're not just shaping the future of utilities, we're raising the bar for what a great place to work looks like.

Our values aren't words on a wall. They drive every decision we make and every project we take on, pushing us to go further, do better, and leave a real mark on the industry.

We want people who are hungry to grow, ready to take on complex challenges, and excited to work alongside clients and partners who are changing the landscape of the utility sector across the UK, Europe and beyond.

In return, we give you the room to develop fast, the work to stretch you, and the platform to build a career that actually means something — and here's what that looks like in practice:

WHAT WE OFFER

In addition to an industry competitive salary, we offer:

• Car allowance, where applicable
• Performance-linked bonus, where applicable
• Pension — up to 4% employer matched
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Health cash plan (BUPA) — cashback on dental, optical and physiotherapy
• Healthcare plan (Benenden Health) — faster medical advice, private diagnostics and treatment alongside the NHS
• Employee assistance programme
• Electric car scheme — lease a fully maintained EV through salary sacrifice
• Funded training and development through our Training Centre and Competency Cloud, professional membership and a clear route to chartership or higher authorisation

DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

JSM Group is an equal opportunities employer. We're building teams that reflect the communities and clients we work for, and we believe better engineering comes from bringing different experience into the same room.

We're committed to making our recruitment process accessible. If you need an adjustment at any stage — to the application, the interview format or the assessment — tell us and we'll sort it. Every application is assessed on skills, experience and potential.