Associate Director - Lead Planner

Job Title - Associate Director (Lead Planner)

Location - Oxford

Salary - Up to £130k Plus Bonus and an excellent benefits package

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Associate Director level candidate to lead the planning and project controls function for a landmark capital development in the life science and research sector. You will be a key player in driving integrated project planning, supporting delivery across multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring alignment to time, cost, and quality objectives on one of the UK's most strategically important programmes.

The Programme
This is a flagship, state-of-the-art life science research facility being delivered by a global Tier 1 contractor on behalf of a prominent academic and clinical client in Oxford. The project will bring together world-leading researchers, clinicians, patients, and public stakeholders all in one billion pound project to accelerate medical innovation and deliver cutting-edge patient care.

Key features of the development include:

• Multiple floors of advanced laboratory and clinical research space
• Specialist imaging suites housing multiple MRI scanners
• Flexible workspaces and zones for collaboration across scientific, clinical, and technical disciplines
• A major lecture and public engagement theatre
• Inclusive and shared core facilities supporting cross-institutional research and diagnostics
• The facility is designed to enable true bench-to-bedside integration-streamlining the transition from research discovery to clinical application and transforming how complex health conditions are diagnosed, treated, and understood.

Key Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the project's master schedule, from preconstruction through to final commissioning and handover.
• Develop and maintain fully integrated and resource-loaded programmes using tools such as Primavera P6, Asta Powerproject, and MS Project.
• Drive earned value management (EVM) and programme performance tracking across all workstreams.
• Lead risk-based schedule assessments, including time impact analyses, to inform mitigation strategies and scenario planning.
• Collaborate closely with project leadership, commercial teams, designers, and subcontractors to ensure programme integrity.
• Provide clear, concise, and data-driven reporting to stakeholders across technical, operational, and executive levels.
• Mentor junior planners and embed best-practice planning processes across the team.
• Align programme outputs with procurement milestones, sustainability goals, and contractual obligations under NEC or similar frameworks.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Proven track record delivering the planning function on complex, high-value capital projects, ideally in healthcare, science, life sciences, or large-scale institutional development.
• Expertise in planning software tools such as Primavera P6, Asta Powerproject, and MS Project.
• Strong foundation in project controls, risk management, EVM, and change control processes.
• Familiarity with NEC3/4 or other modern forms of construction contract.
• Confident working with multidisciplinary teams and engaging with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and a highly analytical mindset.
• Degree-qualified in construction, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Professional membership (APM, CIOB, ICE, RICS or similar) is advantageous.