Job Title: Pre-Contract Planner

Location: UK (office-based with travel to project and client sites as required)
Sector: Civil Engineering, Utilities & Infrastructure
Reporting to: Planning / Commercial Manager

Role Overview

We are seeking a proactive and experienced Pre-Contract Planner to support commercial and delivery teams in the development of robust project programmes, risk assessments, and pre-contract planning activities. This role plays a key part in tender and bid planning for civil engineering, utilities, and infrastructure projects, ensuring project deliverables are well-defined, programme assumptions are clear, and resource requirements are fully understood before contract award.

Key Responsibilities

Pre?Contract Planning & Programme Development

• Develop detailed and logically sequenced pre-contract programmes for tender submissions, including activity breakdowns and milestones.

• Ensure programmes demonstrate compliance with client requirements, contract conditions, and delivery expectations.

• Collaborate with estimating, commercial, design, and delivery teams to integrate planning inputs into tenders.

• Provide critical path analysis, resource loading, time-risk analysis, and scenario planning to support winning submissions.

Risk & Opportunity Management

• Assist in the development and maintenance of project risk registers relating to programme, resource, buildability, and logistics.

• Work with commercial and delivery teams to identify programme risks and recommend mitigation strategies during the pre-contract phase.

• Contribute to tender risk workshops and documentation to support priced assumptions.

Bid Support & Client Communication

• Prepare planning sections of tender documents, including programmes, methodologies, sequencing charts, and narrative planning reports.

• Attend client or framework planning clarifications and contribute to interviews and presentations.

• Provide clear explanations of programme logic, constraints, and assumptions to internal and external stakeholders.

Systems, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain internal planning tools, templates, and libraries to ensure consistency and best practice across bids.

• Provide regular updates on planning inputs and submission progress to the bid team.

• Participate in lessons-learned reviews to improve pre-contract planning processes and outputs.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience as a Pre-Contract Planner, Planning Engineer, or similar role within civil engineering, utilities, or infrastructure projects.

• Strong understanding of project planning techniques, critical path analysis, resource loading, and risk management.

• Proficient in planning software such as Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or equivalent.

• Excellent numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain programme logic to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Ability to work independently and as part of multi-disciplinary bid teams under tight deadlines.

Qualifications (Desirable)

• Degree or HND in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Planning, or a related discipline.

• Professional planning accreditation (e.g., APM, PMI-SP, or similar) advantageous.

• Experience coordinating planning inputs on frameworks or major infrastructure contracts.

What We Offer

• Exposure to a wide range of civil engineering, utilities, and infrastructure projects.

• Opportunity to develop planning leadership skills within a structured commercial and delivery environment.

• Competitive salary and benefits.

• Career progression and professional development support.