Project Planner (Finance)

This is an outstanding opportunity to join Network Rail as a Project Planner Finance. This role will work closely with the business planning community to create and maintain the re-forecasting (RF) programme plans. This enables the team and the wider business to plan their inputs and workload accordingly. We’re looking for someone with great stakeholder management skills – confident building relationships through face-to-face interactions, Teams, emails and phone calls to support and influence stakeholders. You’ll work closely with the ORR and DfT to agreed dates for document submissions and key governance meetings. You’ll also be responsible for creating and maintaining the business planning team's SharePoint sites which are the main source of business planning information. You’ll be fully involved in the wider business planning community by organising key meetings, creating PowerPoint packs and managing action trackers. Continuous improvement and lessons learned are important to the team and are completed after each RF.About the role (External) About the team.. We manage the group business planning process to make sure the business has realistic plans that will deliver our CP7 objectives. This is achieved through the RF (re-forecasting) process which is run four times a year. It gives the regions and functions an opportunity to update their business plan, including their financials, asset management plans, and train performance forecasts. Collaboration is key in this team and we do this by working with people across Network Rail, the Department for Transport, the Office of Rail & Road, and Great British Railways Transition Team. Every day will be different, but you can expect to be involved in the following activities:

• You’ll develop project or process plans/schedules to meet client/business requirements in the most efficient and dependable manner.
• Become an integral part of the Business Planning team, providing quality service to support effective project delivery.
• Promote efficient information sharing and gathering with all collaborators involved in Business Planning.
• Prepare a detailed project work breakdown structure, plan, and schedule to achieve project objectives and enable effective performance measurement and reporting.
• Develop quality plans/schedules in accordance with project scheduling principles and processes.
• You’ll monitor and progress the plan/schedule, making necessary adjustments. Develop recovery schedules and contingency plans as needed.
• Input planning issues into the project/process critical issues risk log. Review planning risks and ensure the risk register is updated accordingly.
• Provide updates on actual performance and deviations from the plan and predict future outcomes. Emphasize important achievements and significant challenges, evaluate their consequences, and suggest necessary adjustments.
• Collaborate with regions, functions, funders, and regulators to develop process plans that align with each other. Ensure planning processes follow funder, regulator, and Network Rail procedure requirements.
• Identify key resources needed for project success.
  
  We are seeking a team player who is passionate, highly organised, and has a proven track record in project planning. You will need to demonstrate outstanding communication and collaboration skills and have the ability to problem-solve and multi-task whilst delivering excellent results under strict deadlines., · Relevant experience in the successful scheduling of business planning projects.
· Knowledge of business planning. · Experience of using a number of project management scheduling tools & techniques · Good interpersonal and communication skills. We would also like but it isn’t crucial to have/to be: (Desirable) · Membership of a relevant professional body · Understanding of the engineering requirements of work on the railway · Knowledge of continuous improvement techniques, Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our Safety Vision

Are you ready to make a difference in people's lives? At Network Rail, we connect passengers and freight customers, ensuring safe and efficient transportation across the country. We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you!

Duration: Secondment (Internal candidate) or Fixed Term Contract (External Candidate) to mid-August 2025 – with the potential to be made permanent. Location: This role is based in The Quadrant: MK. This role is a full-time opportunity; however flexible working patterns will be considered. We offer hybrid working and will consider alternative base locations. Band & Salary: 4C £43,588 - £49,037 (depending on experience), Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days. Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass. Defined benefit pension scheme 75% subsidy on train tickets. ️ Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets. ️ Volunteer leave to make a positive impact. Plus more….