Salary: £50000 - £60000/annum £50K-£60K
Category: Automotive/Aerospace
Job Type: Permanent
Job Location: West Sussex, South East
Posted on: 17/11/2008

Head of Programme Planning



Programme Planning Manager / Head of Programme Planning / Programme Control Manager– Aerospace, Defence, Engineering.

Primary Purpose of the Role – The Programme Planning Manager will be responsible for the functional management of between 30-50 Programme Planners and deployment of these into UK programmes. a The principal responsibility of the Programme Planning Manager is to lead and direct a line department, where this department is one of the key functional elements. The role of Programme Planners refer to element of schedule, cost and resource (SCR) planning of programmes.

Principal Relationships – The Programme Planning Manager is required to develop networks and build key relationships at Middle and Executive Management level to obtain ‘buy-in’ and cooperation in order to achieve objectives and fulfil responsibilities.

Key Tasks – The Programme Planning Manager is responsible for setting the strategy for the provision of Programme Planning to delivery organisations where this will include:

• To establish and monitor the resource profile for all UK Programme Planning personnel both holistically and granularly. Further to forecast the demands for these personnel and ensure optimal timely deployment on and off programmes, including succession planning as required.

• Define and deploy a competence management strategy for all Programme Planning personnel where this will align with the organisation’s business requirements, Programme Planning tools operation and programme management maturity development strategy (CMMI). This strategy must consider training and development, recruitment and retention.

• Define and implement a strategy, ensuring a standardised Best Practices approach, for Programme Planning, which is to include schedule management, costs/ cash flow, resource management and earned value management (EVM), including cost/schedule variances. Further this strategy is to support and provide input data for holistic and granular programme portfolio resource profiling incorporating both near-term/live programme requirements and longer-term S&OP resource profiles that provides resource load balancing.

• Supporting recommendations for programme performance indicators and metrics that will be used in benchmarking, identification of poor performance and good practices in the organization, and as input when process improvement initiatives are initiated and evaluated.

• Participate and support in chairing of programme schedule, resource and cost reviews where these will play a key part in the verification and assessment of programme planning performance and adherence.

• Establish and implement a strategy for providing special Programme Planning support and coaching to identified non-performing critical programmes.

• To carry out day-to-day activities effectively and efficiently within the framework of companies corporate policies, directives and instructions.

• Define, establish, manage and lead a high performing and successful integrated Project Planning team. Provide robust leadership to build team confidence, competence and talent, and be a mentor and role model. § To delegate duties and responsibilities to the Project Planning team.

• To monitor and drive fulfilment of assigned Programme and Planning department Balanced Scorecard measures, objectives and goals.

• Annual Activity Discussions (AAD) for PP team personnel, including setting of objectives and evaluation of performance.

• Professional Development Discussions (PDD) of PP team.

• Daily coach and mentor of PP team personnel.

• Support with coaching and mentoring Programme Planning personnel.

• Recruitment of PP team personnel and Programme Planning personnel.

Annual Activity Discussions (AAD) for Programme Planning personnel including the setting of objectives and evaluation of performance is to be done jointly with programme delivery organisations (BU programmes), where line will be responsible for setting and ensuring consistent evaluation of functional objectives and achievements.

Technical & Professional skills-

• Extensive experience in a technical, complex and sizeable Programme environment.

• Thorough understanding of Project/Programme Management Processes including: integration, value, scope, quality, procurement, time, finance, human resource, risk, opportunities and communications.

• Thorough understanding of Programme Planning methods and techniques, which is to include schedule Critical Path Management (CPM), costs/ cash flow and resource management, earned value management (EVM) and Business Accounting practices.

• Excellent analytical skills and use of data for scenario analysis, defining trends, gaps and performances that support management and strategic decision-making.

• Methodical and an eye for detail and accuracy.

• Excellent working knowledge of Programme Planning/Management tools/software applications and enterprise tools such as MS Project, Primavera, Cobra, SAP, Oracle or similar.

• Builds future capability though coaching, mentoring & competency-based development of subordinates (and peers).

• Experience that covers programme control, financial reporting, budgeting, process development, lean manufacturing, quality or environmental management.

• Engineering familiarity likely to include s/w, h/w and systems engineering.

• High-level influencing, networking, & communication skills developed within global organisations –enhanced through international assignments or secondment is advantageous but not essential.

• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills and written presentation / report writing skills being developed to Board-level.

• Innovation and creativity to think differently and move the business away from the norm.

• Strong administrative, organizational, managerial, leadership and team working skills.

Education & Qualifications -

• Degree level education – most likely technical.

• Programme Management certification to minimum level, through a national / international-recognised authority (APM, PRINCE, PMI or equivalent) is preferred or at least a defined plan for achieving this.

• Alternatively a Masters degree with specialisation in Programme Management or similar.

Personality / Behaviours -Displays passion, energy, drive, agility and resilience in achieving work-related goals under difficult circumstances.

• Enjoys or thrives on developing and performing through teamwork, and promoting improvements and change.

• Has the courage to take unpopular decisions and can put the longer-term company interest before oneself.

• A strategic thinker who confidently solves complex problems with informed, timely and decisive decision making whilst maintaining integrity and transparency.

• A strong ability to interface well and influence effectively at all levels including internally and externally with customers, partners and suppliers.

• Good ability to work with unclear briefs, think innovatively and strategically whilst remaining focused on organisational and business needs, goals and objectives.

• Business minded and customer oriented with organisation and commercial awareness.

Additional Information

Will need to be mobile / flexible enough to visit other sites both UK and internationally at short notice.

Keywords – Planning, Primavera, EVM, SAP, MS Project, PRINCE, APM

Salary £50K-£60K plus benefits package. Location – Crawley, West Sussex.



Job Reference: 104145985
Contact Details: Gregory-Martin International