Digital Project Planner at Barclay Advisory, United Kingdom, £Contract Rate (Outside IR35)

Digital Planner

Location: UK / Hybrid

Contract: Outside IR35

Sectors: Infrastructure, Construction, Nuclear, Rail, Aerospace and Defence

Barclay Advisory is building the next generation of project controls.

We are a disruptive UK consultancy with a clear ambition to revolutionise how major projects are delivered. We combine established project controls expertise with AI-enabled talent capable of creating better systems, smarter workflows and entirely new ways of working.

Traditional planning roles are too often limited to maintaining programmes, updating reports and operating existing processes. We believe the modern planner should offer considerably more.

Our Digital Planners combine technical planning expertise with the initiative and digital capability to improve the entire project environment around them. They identify problems, create solutions, automate inefficient work and give project teams better control of delivery.

This is the modern evolution of project planning.

The Role

You will develop, maintain and analyse project programmes while helping clients modernise the processes that support delivery.

Alongside your core planning responsibilities, you will identify opportunities to create automations, workflows, reporting solutions and practical digital tools. You will understand how project systems and information can be connected, including through APIs, and use modern AI-enabled platforms to turn ideas into working solutions.

Depending on your experience, you may also lead programme development and assurance, challenge delivery assumptions, advise senior stakeholders and help shape Barclay Advisory’s Digital Planning methods.

We are looking for someone who does not simply accept existing processes. You should be curious about how things work, confident learning new tools and capable of finding practical ways to improve project performance.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop, maintain and analyse robust, logic-linked project programmes.
• Apply planning approaches appropriate to the project and client environment.
• Work with delivery teams to establish credible scopes, sequences, durations and delivery strategies.
• Establish effective planning structures, coding, calendars, logic and progress methodologies.
• Manage baselines, progress updates, critical paths, float, constraints and schedule forecasts.
• Undertake schedule assurance, delay, risk and scenario analysis where required.
• Produce clear look-aheads, programme narratives and management information.
• Identify emerging delays, risks, opportunities and areas requiring intervention.
• Support NEC3 and NEC4 programme and change-management processes.
• Assess contractor programmes and advise on programme acceptance where appropriate.
• Connect planning information with cost, risk, change, commercial and delivery data.
• Identify inefficient or repetitive activities and develop practical solutions.
• Build and improve project workflows, automations and reporting arrangements.
• Apply AI to strengthen analysis, communication and decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to integrate systems and improve the movement of project information.
• Communicate clear programme insight and recommendations to project stakeholders.
• Support the development of other planners and digital project controls capabilities.
• Leave client teams with stronger processes, systems and ways of working.

What we are looking for:

• Strong project planning and controls experience within complex delivery environments.
• Demonstrable proficiency in Primavera P6.
• Experience developing, maintaining or assuring detailed project programmes.
• Strong understanding of critical path analysis, schedule logic, float, progress measurement and forecasting.
• Working knowledge of NEC3 or NEC4 contracts and programme requirements.
• Understanding of wider project controls disciplines, including cost, risk, change, commercial and performance management.
• Ability to analyse complex project information and turn it into clear delivery insight.
• Evidence of improving processes or creating more effective ways of working.
• Confidence using AI and modern digital tools to solve practical project problems.
• An understanding of connected systems, data flows and APIs.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• A proactive, commercially aware and delivery-focused mindset.
• Relevant industry qualifications, accreditations or professional memberships.

Why join us?

This is not another conventional planning role.

You will join a business seeking to define a new industry standard and build a new generation of AI-enabled project professionals.

You will work on major UK projects, challenge outdated practices and create solutions that extend your impact far beyond maintaining a programme.

You will also have the opportunity to influence the development of our Digital Planning discipline as Barclay Advisory grows.

We are not responding to where the industry is today. We are building what comes next.

To apply, submit your CV via the link and tell us about a project process, workflow or delivery problem you have improved using AI or modern digital tools.