Senior Project Planner

Unleash the Power of Multi-Mission Excellence: Safeguarding the Seas for the World's Navies.

Step into a world where cutting-edge technology meets unparalleled expertise. Ultra Maritime pioneers delivering multi-mission solutions that protect and empower the naval forces worldwide. With our extensive portfolio of capabilities, our innovations are utilised on naval fleets across our allied navies around the globe.

As the maritime and underwater battlespace evolves, we tirelessly push the boundaries to develop advanced specialist systems that provide our 'five-eyes' Defence customers with an unbeatable warfighting edge. From surface vessels to sub-surface operations and unmanned platforms, we are revolutionizing the way naval missions are executed.

We thrive on collaboration and partnering with our customers to ensure mission success. Our expert solutions encompass an array of game-changing technologies, including state-of-the-art sonar, radar, expendables, signature management, and naval power systems.

Join us in shaping the future of naval warfare and together, we will safeguard the seas and empower navies worldwide!

Flexible Working

At Ultra Maritime, we understand that your personal life is just as important as your professional one. That's why we support and promote flexible working arrangements where possible. Whether you prefer a hybrid model, working remotely, or the structure of being on-site, we will support you as best as we can. Embrace the freedom to shape your work hours according to your needs, whether it's part-time, compressed hours, or a unique arrangement that suits your lifestyle.

Rugeley embraces flexibility by offering adaptable start and finish times, empowering you to find the perfect balance between your professional and personal commitments. Bid farewell to rigid schedules and embrace the freedom to design your workday around your unique needs. We empower our people to work independently, tying into our values of Values of Integrity, Transparency and Alignment.

We welcome the challenge to work in new ways and have trust in you when getting the job done because we recognise, our business is our people.

Job Description

ESCO Maritime Solutions is seeking a Senior Project Planner to join our Programmes team to lead the development and maintenance of Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) across several high-value, multi-year engineering programmes. These programmes include multiple workstreams, complex interdependencies, and a demanding stakeholder landscape.

As a key enabler of successful delivery, you will work closely with Programme Managers, Engineering Leads, Scrum Masters, and customers to ensure a robust, dynamic schedule that supports strategic decision-making, governance, and delivery assurance. You’ll operate at the heart of a cross-functional team and provide clear visibility of the critical path, resource scenarios, and schedule health.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage high-quality, fully integrated master schedules for large-scale, multi-disciplinary projects using Microsoft Project.
• Identify, articulate, and maintain the critical path; conduct scenario planning to support decisions on resourcing, phasing, and dependency management.
• Collaborate closely with Programme Managers and functional leads to ensure the schedule accurately reflects work package plans, dependencies, risk mitigations, and agile planning inputs (epics, sprints).
• Integrate engineering design, validation, and delivery milestones across a complex Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
• Work with project risk owners to identify and reflect risks, treatment plans, and emergent work into the schedule.
• Provide clear, insightful reporting on schedule performance, progress trends, and forecasting; recommend mitigation options and actions to key stakeholders.
• Support and enable Agile planning cycles by aligning IMS-level activities with sprint/epic planning and delivery cadences.
• Own the governance of schedule baselines, change control, and schedule quality; enforce schedule standards and tools across the team.
• Liaise with external customer planners and ensure alignment of schedule data, formats, and reporting expectations.
• Mentor team members in planning best practices and act as the schedule subject matter expert within the programme community.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

• Proven experience in schedule management for large-scale, multi-year, engineering-based programmes (ideally in defence, aerospace, or high-tech manufacturing).
• Demonstrated experience of building and managing Integrated Master Schedules using Microsoft Project.
• Strong understanding of project risk management and its scheduling implications.
• Experience working with Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid delivery frameworks; familiarity with JIRA or similar Agile task management tools.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including direct liaison with customers.
• Experience of working with resource allocation tools and scenario modelling.
• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a high-performance, multi-disciplinary environment.
• Degree qualified in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Desirable: Exposure to Earned Value Management (EVM) and cost/schedule integration; membership of a recognised PM body (APM, PMI).
  
  

What We Offer

• A dynamic role with influence across strategic programmes.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• Opportunities for professional development in a growing, high-performing team.
• The chance to directly shape and influence the delivery of high-impact national defence projects.
  
  

Note: All candidates must be eligible to achieve the relevant security vetting level applicable to the role.



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Relocation Support

Attracting high-level talent and people that can add value and expertise, is vital to our success. Attracting and retaining brilliant people is imperative so that’s why we search across the UK for talent. We offer financial support to candidates that are considering relocating; this is considered on a case-by-case basis per role and subject to HMRC guidelines.

Nationality Requirements

Candidates must be eligible to obtain the relevant security clearance required for the role, due to the nature of the programmes we deliver for our customers.

Diverse & Inclusive Employer

Ultra Maritime is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity, inclusion, equity and equality. Underpinned by our values, behaviours, and policies, we want you to feel empowered to be your best and authentic self.

We promote a workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds and cultures; believing that this will increase our diversity of thinking, and ultimately ensure we continue delivering on our commitments to our customers.

We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and welcome applications from all candidates.

Company: Ultra Maritime