Program Planner

Job Title: Programme Planner

Location: Havant

Duration: 6 months

Office Requirement: 2-3 day onsite in a month.

Description:

Job Summary

The IT Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Planner is responsible for building, maintaining, and controlling the complex cross supplier schedule that underpins the successful delivery of Client’s Compass Service Transformation Programme. A major component of the programme is the transition from two incumbent IT outsource suppliers to a new strategic supplier contract, alongside detailed tracking of Clien’s internal dependencies and obligations.

Working closely with Client Group IT Services, seven internal business units, the two incumbent suppliers, the new contract supplier, and senior programme leadership, the Planner ensures that all exit, transition, and readiness activities are accurately sequenced, commercially aligned, and monitored daily. The IMS (Integrated Master Schedule) is a critical commercial artefact within a regulated energy environment, and the Planner plays a key role in identifying broken dependencies, emerging risks, and any schedule impacts that could affect the switchover.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, own, and maintain the integrated master schedule covering incumbent supplier exit plans, new contract supplier transition plans, and client’s internal readiness activities.
• Break down complex multi supplier scope into clear work packages, milestones, and dependencies.
• Map cross party obligations, commercial dependencies, contractual triggers, and regulatory constraints.
• Maintain schedule baselines and track any variance, slippage, or critical path shifts.
• Support scenario planning (e.g., staged vs. fixed commercial switchover dates, alternative transition routes).
• Ensure that planning reflects regulated operating constraints and commercial commitments.

Transition Readiness & Coordination

• Collaborate with incumbent and new suppliers to validate activity durations, resource expectations, and sequencing.
• Work with Client technical and operational teams to confirm internal dependencies, readiness criteria, and hand-offs.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder planning workshops to align timelines, identify potential conflicts, and confirm ownership.
• Support cutover planning, contingency planning, fall-back strategies, and readiness reviews.
• Ensure the IMS reflects current supplier delivery plans and contractual boundaries.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Manage daily schedule updates, ensuring accuracy of progress, actuals, and forecast impacts across all parties.
• Perform critical path analysis, highlight broken or at-risk dependencies, and escalate impacts early.
• Produce regular dashboards, timelines, and exception reports for programme leadership and senior stakeholders.
• Provide clear insight and challenge where supplier or internal slippage threatens key commercial or regulatory dates.
• Maintain high-quality, audit-ready schedule reporting consistent with regulated industry expectations.

Governance & Assurance

• Ensure all schedules comply with Compass PMO standards, reporting cycles, audit requirements, and governance forums.
• Document planning assumptions, constraints, and supplier obligations.
• Support commercial checkpoints, stage-gates, assurance reviews, and transition readiness assessments.
• Maintain RAID artefacts related to schedule risks, ensuring linkages into the IMS and programme reporting.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with Group IT Services, the seven business units, incumbent suppliers, new supplier teams, service transition, and operations.
• Communicate timelines, impacts, and risks clearly across both technical and senior stakeholder groups.
• Manage competing priorities across multiple delivery organisations, ensuring alignment and transparency.
• Coordinate cross-team dependencies, particularly where exit and transition plans interact with internal readiness activities.
• Build trusted relationships with PMs, architects, commercial teams, and supplier leads to drive proactive scheduling discipline.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Proven experience as a Project Planner/Scheduler in large scale IT transformation or multi supplier transition programmes.
• Strong proficiency with planning tools such as MS Project, Project Online, or Primavera P6.
• Experience managing schedules across multiple suppliers, including exit and transition planning.
• Strong understanding of service transition, cutover planning, dependency mapping, and readiness gating.
• Ability to interpret complex technical and commercial information and translate it into actionable plans.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management, including senior leaders.
• Ability to work proactively in fast-moving, high pressure environments with competing priorities.
• Demonstrable ability to challenge constructively and highlight risks early.

Desirable

• Experience in regulated industries (energy, utilities, financial services).
• Familiarity with IT outsource contracts, service models, or commercial transition triggers.
• Exposure to ITIL, service transition, SIAM, or large-scale multi-supplier operating models.
• Understanding of Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid delivery environments.
• Professional planning or project management certifications beneficial (APM, PMI-SP, PRINCE2)