Mechanical and Electrical Package Planner

RESPONSIBILITIES

Westlakes Recruit are currently recruiting for an experienced Mechanical and Electrical Package Planner to be based in Burghfield on a contract basis.

This is a site-based role within the UK nuclear defence sector, supporting a major infrastructure project. Candidates must hold active Security Check (SC) clearance or higher and be available to work on site five days per week.

Our client is seeking an experienced planner to join their construction team, providing expert planning support to the Head of Planning, Construction Leads, and Work Package Managers. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing and maintaining the delivery programme for Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) work packages on a complex, multi-disciplinary project.

Responsibilities

• Apply technical and construction knowledge to produce and manage Mechanical and Electrical delivery schedules within the corporate Primavera P6 system.

• Interface directly with supply chain partners and lead regular schedule reviews to ensure programme alignment and accuracy.

• Support construction teams by facilitating interactive planning reviews with stakeholders to identify risks and minimise schedule impact.

• Maintain accurate and detailed project schedules within the wider programme to ensure effective tracking and reporting.

• Act as a subject matter expert in planning and schedule management, ensuring high-quality data is maintained for reporting and governance.

• Collaborate closely with programme planners and delivery teams to ensure consistency and resolve any schedule conflicts or delivery issues.

• Apply earned value analysis techniques to monitor schedule and performance progress.

• Support the ongoing development of Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) and project schedules from limited information or evolving project scopes.

• Contribute to “what-if” scenario planning and sequence analysis to assess programme impacts.

Key Requirements

• Proven experience as a Planner or Senior Planner in the construction or defence sectors.

• Proficient user of Primavera P6 in an enterprise multi-user environment.

• Active SC clearance (or above) – essential.

• Experience working on site within complex, large-scale infrastructure projects.

• Strong understanding of NEC contract mechanisms, particularly the Programme for Acceptance process.

• Skilled in earned value management (EVM), schedule and performance monitoring, and progress reporting.

• Experience developing integrated schedules and aligning M&E infrastructure with complex plant or systems work packages.

• Ability to interrogate, challenge, and validate contractor schedules.

• Strong understanding of critical path analysis, float management, and sequence logic.

• Competent in interpreting project drawings and documentation to support schedule development.

• Collaborative working style with the ability to liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

About You

You’ll be a proactive, detail-oriented planner with a solid understanding of construction methodologies, particularly within mechanical and electrical disciplines. You’ll bring both technical insight and practical scheduling experience, working closely with site teams and supply chain partners to drive programme performance.

This is not a PMO-based role — it’s a delivery-focused position requiring hands-on involvement in construction planning and coordination.

Why We’re Different:

Westlakes Recruit are a people solutions business that understands the complexities of nuclear and the importance of our clients’ mission critical objectives.

Smarter, faster, more agile – we have a laser focus on nuclear, with deep sectoral knowledge. We develop nuclear talent pools before you know you need them!

We do Nuclear. We only do Nuclear. We do all of Nuclear.

Powering a Diverse Nuclear Future:
As an equal opportunities business, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and abilities.