Principal Project Planner

Job Title: Principal Project Planner

Location: Ashton Vale, Bristol + Hybrid Working Arrangements

Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF66831

At Babcock we're working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Project Planner at our Ashton Vale, Bristol site.

The Role

As a Principal Project Planner, you'll be at the heart of some of the UK's most complex and critical defence programmes. You'll lead the schedule management approach for high-impact projects, ensuring alignment between integrated scheduling tools and financial/material demand systems.

Your work will directly influence national security and innovation in aerospace and engineering, while accelerating your own career development and leadership growth.

Day-to-day, you'll be required to:

• Develop and maintain robust integrated project schedules.
• Collaborate with Control Account Managers, project controllers, and senior stakeholders.
• Drive performance measurement and delivery focus across programmes.
• Embed governance and assurance into schedule management.
• Champion project outcomes and mentor junior planners.

This role is full time, 37 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with days onsite and days working from home.

Essential Experience of the Principal Project Planner

• Extensive recent experience in a similar role within defence, engineering, or complex project environments.
• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6.
• Experience supporting Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (e.g. Monte Carlo).
• Proven ability to create and maintain governance artefacts (e.g. Project Management Plans).
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Qualifications for the Principal Project Planner

• Relevant professional qualifications in project planning or engineering.
• Preferred: Certifications in project management methodologies (e.g. APM, PMI).

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK ).

What We Offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually
• 'Be Kind Day' enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing

Babcock International

For over a century Babcock has helped to defend nations, protect communities and build a better world. To continue, we must adapt, advance and be a sustainable business with a shared goal. 

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email with the subject header 'Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone's free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing Date: 16/10/2025

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