M&E Planner

The Opportunity Our client, a national M&E contractor operating from their Warrington base, has never employed a dedicated planner before. Growth over recent years means they are securing bigger and more complex projects than ever, and the programme has outgrown being managed alongside other responsibilities.

The following information aims to provide potential candidates with a better understanding of the requirements for this role.
You would be the first dedicated planner the business has ever had, and you would start on a £350 million hospital.
The work itself is demanding. A shutdown window in a live healthcare facility, access protocols on a custodial estate, installation inside a listed heritage building: each carries constraints a standard commercial project never has, and that is exactly the kind of experience that sets a planner apart from the market.
This is a permanent role in Warrington, £50,000 to £70,000 depending on experience, plus a full benefits package.
About the Business Main contractor relationships measured in decades change what planning is like day to day. The business is usually delivering into established, well-understood partnerships rather than proving itself on one-off jobs, which for a planner means more reliable information going into a programme and a more collaborative environment when it has to change.
Our client is a national M&E building services contractor with roots going back to the late 1950s, turning over more than £50 million with over 100 directly employed staff. They operate from offices across England, Scotland and Ireland, with Warrington as the North-West operation, supported by more than 1,000 approved subcontractors and in-house design capability. Main contractor partnerships have been in place for decades, and the portfolio spans healthcare, education, commercial, heritage, luxury hospitality, defence and custodial work. Accreditations include ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, NICEIC, BESA, ECA and Constructionline, alongside a Zero Harm safety programme.
The role exists because of growth rather than churn. The business is now winning larger and more complex projects than it has historically delivered, and appointing a planner is the sign of a business investing in the infrastructure it needs to keep expanding, rather than simply adding headcount.
What You'll Be Doing Planning delivery on the initial £350 million hospital project
Developing and maintaining construction and commissioning programmes using Microsoft Project or Primavera P6
Producing short-term look-ahead programmes to give site teams clear, practical direction
Planning delivery across a varied portfolio, including heritage, healthcare, defence and custodial projects, each with their own access, security or compliance constraints
Tracking actual progress against plan and reporting clearly on variance, cause and recovery
Identifying programme risks early and working with project teams to mitigate them before they affect delivery
Producing critical path analysis to support key programme and commercial decisions
Working closely with project, site, design and commercial teams to keep programmes accurate and realistic
Supporting bid and pre-construction teams with programme input at tender stage where required
Maintaining clear, well-structured programme documentation suitable for client and main contractor reporting
What We're Looking For A strong M&E or construction planning background, comfortable owning programmes across live projects
Proficient in xrexnqw Microsoft Project or Primavera P6
Confident producing critical path analysis and communicating programme risk clearly to project teams
Well organised, numerate and comfortable working with detail across multiple concurrent projects
Clear communicator, able to work effectively with site, design, commercial and client teams alike
Comfortable establishing process and best practice from scratch, rather than simply following an existing system
Full UK driving licence
Experience planning within regulated, secure or otherwise constrained environments is a strong advantage, though not essential.
What's on Offer £50,000 - £70,000 depending on experience
Newly created role (First dedicated planner)
Full company benefits package
Real scope to progress and grow with the business as it continues to expand
A prestigious and technically varied portfolio, spanning sectors most M&E contractors cannot access
The backing of a national business with scale, a deep supply chain and long-standing client relationships
A stable, long-established contractor with a serious approach to delivery standards and safety