Planner
What do Planners do?
Planners in the nuclear industry are responsible for coordinating and organising various aspects of nuclear projects, from initial conception to completion. They play a pivotal role in ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Typical duties and responsibilities of a Planner
- Developing Project Plans: Planners collaborate with project managers, business specialists, engineers and other stakeholders to create project plans that detail a project's scope, deliverables and work-breakdown structure.
- Resource Estimation: Planners use specialist techniques to estimate, track and estimate the necessary resources (including cost, equipment, materials and people) for project activities, liaising with specialist buyers to ensure efficient procurement and payment.
- Risk Management: Planners proactively identify monitor and treat risks that could impact project timelines or objectives.
- Progress Monitoring and Adaptation: Planners monitor a project’s progress, particularly against the critical path, identifying any deviation from the planned schedule or budget and course correcting when necessary.
- Governance: Throughout the project lifecycle, planners ensure projects comply with all legal and organisational requirements.
Skills and knowledge required to be a Planner
- Technical Project Management: Understand the fundamentals of technical project management. This includes skills related to planning, scheduling, resource allocation, risk management and cost control.
- Software Proficiency: An ability to use specialist project management tools, such as MS Project and Oracle Primavera.
- Leadership Skills: As a project planner, you’ll need to motivate and inspire project teams. Effective communication, decision-making and team coordination are crucial.
- Collaboration Skills: Possessing excellent communication and interpersonal abilities to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.
- Analytical Approach: Utilising analytical and creative problem-solving capabilities to identify issues and devise solutions.
- Adaptability: Being flexible and resilient to respond effectively to changing project requirements or unforeseen challenges.
How do I become a Planner?
University
Pursuing a degree in fields such as Project Management, Engineering or Construction Management can provide a solid foundation for a career as a planner. Many universities offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in these areas, which may include coursework in project planning and scheduling.
Apprenticeship
Some nuclear companies offer apprenticeship programs for individuals interested in gaining hands-on experience in project planning and management. These programs typically combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction and may lead to industry-recognised certifications or qualifications.
Working towards this role
Individuals with experience in related fields, such as engineering, construction or project management, can transition into a planning role by gaining additional training or certifications in project management techniques and software tools.
Rolls-Royce
You're in luck! This role is frequently available at Rolls-Royce, our supporters. Check out their latest vacancies to find your future career today.
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