Associate Director & Planning & Project Controls

Arcadis; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - GBP 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global consultancy firm based in Manchester seeks an Associate Director – Planning & Project Controls to manage teams and lead planning services for renewable energy projects. The role requires extensive experience in project controls and infrastructure delivery, fostering high-performance cultures while ensuring the integration of project management systems. Applicants should hold a degree and relevant professional qualifications, with strong commercial acumen and a track record in managing high-performing teams.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in planning and scheduling with strong capability across project controls.
• Experience in the delivery of large-scale infrastructure programmes.
• Strong ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of project controls professionals focusing on planning and scheduling.
• Oversee project controls systems, processes, and tools.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients and senior stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain detailed schedules and monitor performance.
• Lead Project Controls/PMO activities across major projects.

Skills

Planning and scheduling

Team leadership

Project controls knowledge

Commercial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Professional qualification in project controls

Job description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for جهانی و-natural and built assets. We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role Description

Resilience is one of Arcadis’ core business lines and operates across several sectors including water, energy, environmental andtextbox office. We provide valued advice and support to leading clients who supply the population with the resources used in our daily lives. Our projects range from nationally significant infrastructure schemes to mass volume utility works. As an Associate Director – Planning & Project Controls you will be working within Arcadis’ Energy Networks & Renewables team, focusing on key renewable energy projects across the transmission & distribution sectors. The role will lead the delivery of planning and project controls services across major projects or portfolios, with a strong emphasis on planning and scheduling. The role includes oversight of integrated controls functions such as risk, cost control, change management, and interface management. You will ensure high-quality delivery, develop team capability, and support client account growth.

Role Accountabilities

• Lead and manage a team of project controls professionals, with a strong focus on planning and scheduling. Foster a high-performance culture through mentoring, coaching, and capability development across the Planning & Project Controls community.
• Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of project controls systems, processes, and tools across the full project lifecycle. Ensure integration across planning, cost, risk, change, and information management functions to support successful project delivery.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients and senior stakeholders, ensuring clear communication of progress, issues, and remaining work. Build strong relationships across disciplines and functions to facilitate collaboration, resolve issues, and support team success.
• Contribute to the growth and maturity of the Planning & Project Controls function through active participation in communities of practice, innovation initiatives, and knowledge sharing. Champion best practices and align delivery with Arcadis’ strategic objectives.
• Establish and maintain detailed schedules, ensuring robust schedule performance monitoring, reporting, and change control. Provide strategic insight and interpretation of schedule data to inform decision-making, highlight risks and opportunities, and drive proactive project management.
• Establish and maintain approved baseline schedules, ensuring robust schedule performance monitoring, reporting, and change control. Provide strategic insight and interpretation of schedule data to inform decision-making, highlight risks and opportunities, and drive proactive project management.
• Client – Lead client relationships and project teams across multiple engagements.
• Project – Lead Project Controls/PMO activities across major projects or portfolios, ensuring delivery of high-quality outputs.
• People – Provide leadership, coaching, and line management for colleagues across various levels.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Professional qualification in project controls, planning, or related discipline (e.g., APM, PMI, ICE, RICS).
• Extensive experience in planning and scheduling, with strong capability across the broader project controls disciplines.
• Extensive experience in playing a key role in the delivery of large-scale infrastructure programmes; sector expertise in transmission & distribution is preferred but not essential.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience in implementing and improving project controls systems and processes.
• Track record of managing and developing high‑performing teams.

Continue your career journey as an Arcadian.

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills‑based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together. You do meaningful work, and no matter where your next role in Arcadis takes you, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark; on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.