Senior Planner - Highways

At Octavius Infrastructure, we bring people together to deliver safe, sustainable and efficient transport solutions across the UK.

We are looking for Senior Planners to strengthen our planning capability across multiple regions. You'll help us bring greater predictability to delivery, support our teams to build realistic, well-sequenced programmes, and keep projects moving safely and efficiently from pre-construction through to handover.

These roles are aligned to our regional needs: North (Manchester–Leeds), East (Cambridge–Colchester), Midlands (Coventry–Birmingham), South West (Bristol–Exeter), South East (Winchester - Kent).

You'll work with… (because relationships are important)

You'll be part of a collaborative Planning community, working day-to-day with Project Managers, Site Teams, Commercial and Design to create and maintain robust programmes that support delivery and good decision-making.

You'll also build strong relationships with external stakeholders, clients, design partners and supply chain, to ensure the programme reflects reality on the ground and supports effective change control.

Our project portfolio spans major UK infrastructure and transport schemes for National Highways and local authorities.

You'll receive…. (because we value you)

We offer a competitive rewards package, including a Company Car scheme, Private Healthcare, Pension, Life Assurance cover, 25 days Annual Leave (and a day off for your birthday). You'll also have access to Hybrid working where possible, an enhanced Paternity & Maternity package and the opportunity to develop yourself personally and professionally.

About you…. (what you are skilled at)

You're a confident, delivery-focused planner who enjoys turning complexity into clarity. You can build programmes that stand up to scrutiny, communicate them in a way that brings others with you, and you stay curious, spotting risks, asking the right questions, and helping teams find better ways of working.

You'll be skilled at:

• Developing and maintaining construction programmes across multiple disciplines (tender and live delivery).
• Working with project and commercial teams to ensure change is captured and reflected in updated programmes.
• Producing clear programme narratives, progress updates, and reporting that supports decision-making.
• Supporting teams to identify planning risks and opportunities, and helping shape mitigation strategies.
• Collaborating across delivery, design and supply chain to drive realistic sequencing, constraints management and efficient delivery.
• Maintaining a strong focus on Safety, Health & Wellbeing, ensuring planning decisions put people first.
• Contributing to continuous improvement, sharing learning and improving planning processes and outputs.

You'll bring… (your wealth of experience & qualifications)

We're looking for Senior Planners who can hit the ground running and add value immediately, ideally bringing:

• Demonstrable experience in planning/programming within civil engineering / construction, ideally across highways, rail or wider infrastructure.
• Strong capability with planning software such as Primavera P6, Asta Powerproject or MS Project, and confident use of MS Office tools.
• Experience planning from first principles—understanding buildability, constraints, interfaces and realistic durations.
• Working knowledge of NEC3/NEC4 contract environments and how programmes support change/compensation event management.
• Awareness of relevant industry processes/standards such as the National Highways Planning Handbook and delivery governance.
• A relevant degree/diploma/vocational qualification in Construction/Civil Engineering (or equivalent practical experience).
• Strong communication skills, able to influence stakeholders, facilitate planning conversations, and build trusted relationships.

Ready to plan what's next?

If you're passionate about improving predictability, collaborating with high-performing teams, and helping deliver infrastructure that makes a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now and tell us which region you're interested in: North / East / Midlands / South West / South East.

Inclusion and diversity are important to us, we are an equal opportunities employer and value difference. We want and will continue to build an inclusive environment where our people thrive. We firmly believe constantly striving to build a truly diverse workforce is what makes us a strong business and will enable us to continue to solve important problems and deliver unrivalled value to both our customers and clients. If you need any specialist support throughout your application, we will work with you where we can to support your journey with us.