Planning Engineer

Planning Engineer - Freelance
Flagship Marine Project | Plymouth 

The Company

You’ll be joining a leading civil engineering contractor with a strong track record delivering complex, high-value infrastructure across the marine, water, and energy sectors. Known for their technical capability and long-term client relationships, they’re trusted to deliver some of the UK’s most challenging schemes — and they invest heavily in the people who make that happen.

The Project

You’ll be working on a new, major £100m+ redevelopment within a live naval dockyard environment, involving the upgrade and construction of multiple large-scale marine basins and associated infrastructure.
It’s a technically demanding scheme with significant reinforced concrete works, complex sequencing, and logistical challenges — all being delivered in a highly controlled, secure setting. Crucially, you’ll be joining at an early stage, giving you the chance to influence how the project is planned and delivered from the ground up — not just inherit someone else’s programme.

The Role

This is not a back-office planning role. You’ll be right at the centre of the project — shaping the strategy, not just tracking it. You’ll take ownership of developing and managing the programme, working closely with commercial, site, and design teams to build a plan that actually works in practice.

• Building programmes from first principles
• Pulling together input from site, commercial, and design teams
• Defining sequencing, methodology, and the true critical path
• Challenging assumptions and driving smarter engineering solutions
• Keeping programmes live, accurate, and aligned with site reality
• Identifying risks early and helping steer the project around them
• This is a role where your engineering background is as important as your planning ability.

Candidate Requirements

This role is ideal for someone who has come up through the civil engineering route and understands how projects are built — not just how they look on a programme. 

• The ability to gain high level Security Clearance
• Background as a Site Engineer, Senior Engineer, or Site Agent
• Experience on heavy civil engineering projects
• Strong understanding of construction sequencing and delivery
• Working knowledge of MS Project or Primavera P6
• Confident working across multiple teams and challenging when needed
• Able to work in Plymouth and obtain SC Clearance
• Most importantly — you’re proactive, commercially aware, and capable of turning real site experience into practical, buildable plans.

What You’ll Get

• £400 - £450 per day (PAYE rate plus holiday)
• Long-term, secure work on a flagship project
• The chance to shape a major scheme from the outset
• Exposure to complex marine and RC engineering
• Clear progression within planning and project controls
• Ongoing work beyond this project — not just a single scheme

Interested?

If you want to be in a role where you can influence how a major project is delivered — not just report on it, apply now or get in touch for a confidential chat.

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