Senior Manager: Planning & Reporting (Vertical Links)

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Job Description:

The Senior Manager: Planning & Reporting is a senior, client‑facing role embedded within an integrated client–PMC office on a major transportation program. Sitting in the Vertical Links function, the role provides cross‑program visibility and coordination, ensuring that planning, scheduling, and reporting are consistent and aligned across multiple workstreams, packages, and corporate functions.

This is a non‑operational position focused on strategic and tactical program control rather than day‑to‑day transport operations. The role is responsible for establishing and governing planning standards, integrating schedules, leading portfolio‑level reporting, and providing senior leadership with clear insight on progress, performance, and risk.

What You'll Be Doing;

• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve the program‑wide planning and scheduling framework, standards, and procedures.
• Define requirements for Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)\text{(WBS)}(WBS), coding structures, calendars, milestones, and reporting cycles across all projects.
• Ensure consistent application of planning standards across PMC, client teams, and contractors.
• Provide planning leadership to ensure schedule data supports executive decision‑making and governance processes.
• Lead development, integration, and maintenance of the program Integrated Master Schedule, consolidating inputs from multiple projects, contracts, and functions.
• Ensure that design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, approvals, and handover activities are fully represented and logically linked.
• Oversee identification and management of program‑critical paths, interfaces, and key interdependencies between workstreams.
• Coordinate with project planning teams to validate logic, durations, and constraints within their schedules prior to integration.
• Provide planning oversight and support to multiple project teams within the Vertical Links portfolio (e.g., stations, systems, civil works, enabling works, third‑party interfaces).
• Review and challenge project‑level baselines and updates to ensure realism, robustness, and alignment with program objectives.
• Support scenario planning and what‑if analysis at portfolio level for major changes, re‑sequencing, or acceleration strategies.
• Advise senior leadership on planning implications of strategic decisions (e.g., scope changes, phasing, access strategies).
• Own and manage the program‑level reporting framework for schedule and progress, aligned with client governance requirements.
• Define key reporting metrics, dashboards, and formats for periodic and ad hoc reporting (milestone status, critical path movement, slippage trends, productivity indicators).
• Lead production of high‑quality, succinct planning and progress reports for steering committees, boards, and external stakeholders.
• Ensure integration of schedule information with other reporting domains (risk, cost, change, health and safety) for a coherent view of program performance.
• Work closely with risk, change, and cost teams to ensure planning information is fully integrated into program risk and change processes.
• Support or lead schedule risk analyses at program level, including qualitative and, where required, quantitative assessments.
• Provide time‑impact assessments for major change proposals and portfolio‑level trends.
• Identify systemic schedule risks and opportunities across the portfolio and recommend mitigation and optimization strategies to senior leadership.
• Act as the central planning and reporting interface between Vertical Links and other client functions (Engineering & Safety, Commercial, Operations, Finance, Corporate Reporting).
• Coordinate with external stakeholders as required to align program milestones with regulatory, funding, or third‑party requirements.
• Support cross‑program governance forums with planning and performance insights, ensuring actions and decisions are reflected in schedules and reports.
• Facilitate alignment between project‑level planning teams and corporate/portfolio reporting expectations.
• Ensure the quality, accuracy, and consistency of planning and progress data across all projects and reporting cycles.
• Implement schedule assurance checks and audits to verify logic, coding, data completeness, and correct use of planning tools.
• Drive continuous improvement in data capture processes, progress measurement methods, and reporting systems.
• Promote best practices in planning and reporting across the integrated client–PMC environment.
• Lead and manage a team of planners/schedulers and reporting analysts within Vertical Links.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and skills development to planning staff and, where relevant, client personnel.
• Champion a collaborative, service‑oriented approach to planning and reporting within the integrated office.
• Support succession planning and capability building in planning and reporting disciplines.

What You'll Bring;

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification in Project Management or related field is an advantage.
• Professional/project management certification is highly desirable.
• 15+ years’ experience in planning and project controls on large, complex infrastructure programs, preferably with substantial transportation/rail exposure.
• Significant experience working in a PMC or client organization, including integration and oversight of multiple project schedules.
• Proven experience leading planning and reporting at program or portfolio level, not just single projects.
• Demonstrated experience working within or alongside integrated client offices and multi‑discipline teams.
• Advanced proficiency in planning tools and strong skills in MS Suite
• Deep understanding of critical path method, schedule risk concepts, baselining, and re‑baselining processes.
• Strong ability to interpret and challenge schedule logic and assumptions from diverse technical disciplines.
• Excellent analytical, synthesis, and storytelling skills—able to convert complex schedule data into clear, decision‑focused insights.
• Strong leadership and people‑management skills with the ability to influence across organizational boundaries.
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills for executive‑level reporting and presentations.
• High level of integrity, objectivity, and commitment to client‑service and program outcomes.

Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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