Operational Planning Assistant

**Operational Planning Assistant - Substations - Southeast England**:

- Location: Henfield, GB, BN5 9AZ GB- Division: SE Planning and Performance- Job Type:
- Requisition Number: 53694- Department: Electricity Transmission - Operations- Job Function: Work Scheduling and Dispatch**About the Role**:
As an Operational Planning Assistant - Substations, you will be required to live within a 1-hour commute of our Bolney substation in West Sussex as you will join our Southeast zone covering 35 substations spanning Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. You’ll need to be flexible for occasional travel to Warwick to attend team and planning meetings and you’ll have the flexibility to work from home for up to 3 days per week dependent on the needs of the business and the requirement to be onsite. The Operational Planning Assistant - Substations will support the Operational Planning Engineer to optimise, prioritise, resource and schedule the Operational plan within current year timescales whilst supporting optimising campaign time on sites and bundling work (outage & non outage) to ensure the most effective use of time for Operational Staff and area targets are met.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Assist with a dynamic plan for all operational, unlicensed and capital works within a specified zone
- Assist with planning changes liaising with Network Outcomes team on System Operator review
- Work collaboratively with delivery units to co-ordinate/manage conflict in the plan
- Liaise with Operations Managers/Substation Supervisory Engineers/Project Leaders on delivery plans
- Identify opportunities within site campaign time for bundling outage and non-outage work
- Ensure optimum efficiency of time
- Manage the ‘Planning Action’ work
- Assist with managing any work not delivered by re-prioritising back into the plan
- Ensure competency is factored into resource allocation
- Provide clear direction and guidance to the activities of the Scheduler
- Ensure all planning decisions are documented in the relevant systems and are communicated
- Ensure work packs are built correctly and deliverability checks signed off
- Manage the population of the resource plan
- Manage 3rd party access requests into the plan
- Manage non outage work ensuring its planned as far back as possible
- Other duties as assigned to ensure operational compliance, safety and delivery

**About You**:
Are you an adaptable and commercially focused professional with excellent prioritisation, time management, communication and multitasking skills as well as strong attention to detail? If so, our Operational Planning Assistant - Substations vacancy may be for you:
**Essential**:

- A full driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK
- An Engineering or Planning level 3 qualification or an equivalent recognised apprenticeship
- Notable experience gained from a Planner role within an operational environment OR experience gained from an engineering role within National Grid where you have supported planning activities
- Experience of working with planning systems and processes

**Desirable**:

- Experience of supporting the development of resource plans
- Experience of managing and prioritising conflicts in real time
- Experience of managing and explaining complex issues to resolution

**What You'll Get**:

- Competitive salary between £39,500 - £46,500 per annum dependent on capability
- Paid Overtime
- Company car with fuel from home to work
- Performance based bonus
- 37 Hours per week Monday to Friday
- Enhanced 26 days annual leave plus 8 statutory days and option to buy/sell days
- Generous contributory pension scheme - we will double-match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%
- Professional membership subscriptions, course fees, books, exam fees and time off for study leave financial support
- Flexible benefits including a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few
- Family care benefits including a back-up care service for when your usual care arrangements fall through
- Health, fitness and wellbeing support apps

At National Grid we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. We aim to empower everyone to take control and influence their career and will provide the right support along the way so you can succeed.

**About Us**:
National Grid touches the lives of almost everyone in the UK, with an energy network that stretches across the Atlantic. We’re an international team, and our work underpins the lives of millions of people. Feet forwards, head up, and eyes bright, we’re working hard to create value for people today - and shape the future of energy tomorrow.

In the UK, we don’t generate or sell energy - we join the dots to get energy from A to B. From making a cup of tea in the morning, to keeping the lights on in hospitals, our electricity network