Project Planning Director

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We are looking for a Project Planning Director who is a recognised subject matter expert with a high level of demonstrable expertise in Planning and related professional activities. The individual will provide functional, technical, and operational leadership. They will work closely with the Head of Planning, Specialist Advisory Portfolio Leads, and Account Leads to define and deliver the Unit’s strategic priorities, whilst promoting and continuously evolving our service and solution capabilities.

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The ideal candidate will be expected to demonstrate the following within their role:

• Operational and Technical Leadership


• Actively engage project delivery, collaborating with clients, and stakeholders to achieve positive input and solutions to day-to-day challenges – minimising risk of poor performance and maximising opportunities for success


• Represent the Specialist Advisory Portfolio and Mott MacDonald at relevant industry conferences and events through networking, marketing, and presentation initiatives


• Play an active role in establishing collaborative relationships with appropriate professional bodies


• Lead the setting and achievement of annual professional development objectives for all staff in the discipline in support of the Head of Planning and Technical Principal for Planning


• Develop collaborative relationships across the Specialist Advisory Portfolio capabilities, other units and regions, and the wider professional community to promote collaborative, connected thinking, and opportunities for growth.


• Work with internal and external digital innovation communities to identify and track new ideas, and support our digital delivery capabilities in developing solutions to drive efficiency and innovation


• Undertake project reviews as subject matter expert for independent and technical assurance


• Support Account Leads in communicating and developing our capability, service, and solution offering to clients


• Plan, manage, drive, and support committed Planning practice initiatives


• Actively promote networking, best practice, and lessons awareness across the discipline practice, Shape, share, and support technical excellence to ensure we are aligned to industry best practice


• Support the Head of Planning and Technical Principal for Planning in ensuring annual professional development objectives for all staff are communicated, aligned, set, supported, and achieved


• Encourage and drive the attainment of professional body membership and accreditation for all staff


• Support the Early Careers team (ECP) facilitate the annual Graduate Scheme and all other ECP-related activities, including the ECP Lead for Planning


• Ensure there is a clear plan of evolving leadership development and succession for the practice


• Ensure our discipline digital delivery capabilities, services, and initiatives are continuously improved


• Resource Management


• Ensure the wellbeing, health, and safety of all staff is the highest priority


• Encourage and drive a collaborative, positive, and supportive culture within the team


• Support the Head of Planning to ensure sufficient staff with the required capabilities are available to deliver current workload and meet the strategy for growth, and ensure all staff have equal visibility and opportunity of applicable roles


• Line manage staff and actively support other discipline line managers to conduct this role effectively


Business Development

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• Support the Head of Planning and Account Leads in communicating our service offering to clients


• Support bid or tender development and review activities as required as a subject matter expert


• Lead and support business development and work winning activities in relation to Planning, including input to bids and development of relevant case studies and plaudits


• Ensure our discipline capabilities are a fundamental value proposition to our projects and clients


• To be successful within this role the candidate needs to meet the following criteria, Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.


• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.


• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.


• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.


Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.


• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.


• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.


• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.


• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.
  
  Demonstrable functional, technical, and operational leadership experience in a Senior Planning role


• Demonstrable ability to professionally develop, encourage, support, and lead a functional team whilst overseeing multiple projects and operational business workstreams concurrently


• Effective business management system, communication, leadership, and organisation skills


• Extensive experience in multiple project, programme, portfolio, and organisational environments


• Extensive experience of key contract, engineering and design delivery, and construction management principles across multiple industry and client environments


• Demonstrable experience in planning and co-ordinating functional resources for operational purpose


• Extensive experience and demonstrable practical knowledge in forms of contract (preferably NEC with a recognised professional body accreditation)


• Demonstrable experience of establishing and driving professional best practice industry standards


• Demonstrable experienced of leading and supporting effective business development activities


• Demonstrable knowledge and application of contemporary industry innovation including data, digital, and emergent artificial intelligence initiatives


• Chartered status with a recognised professional body
  
  The Advisory and Programme Delivery (APD) unit delivers management services in all the sectors that Mott MacDonald operate in the Built Environment, Defence, Energy, Water, Transportation and, Education, Health and Care.
  
  A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.


• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.


• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.


 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.


• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.


• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.


 Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.


• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.


Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.


• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.