Principal Project Planner

Who We Are
Join Network Rail - Where People and Connections Matter
At Network Rail, we're dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you're not just part of a team - you're part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway. Click here to learn more.
We're committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments click here. We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we'll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process. You can visit Evenbreaks Career Hive for advice on accessibility support.

Vacancy Details
Duration: This role is offered as a secondment or fixed-term contract until at least winter 2027, with the potential for extension or to become permanent. Please note that secondments are subject to line manager approval, so you should discuss this with them before applying.
Salary: £55,596 - £65,966
Contact : If you require any support with your application, please click here for contact details.
Some of our great benefits:

• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered.
• Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days.
• Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass.
• Defined benefit pension scheme
• 75% subsidy on train tickets.
• Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets.
• Volunteer leave to make a positive impact.
• Plus more....

About the role
What does the average day look like?
On a day-to-day basis, the Principal Project Planner is responsible for developing and maintaining a fully integrated programme schedule, ensuring all project and workstream activities are logically sequenced with clear interdependencies and an accurate critical path. This involves working closely with multiple delivery teams to gather detailed planning inputs, challenge assumptions, and ensure schedules are realistic, achievable, and appropriately resourced. The role also includes assigning resources to tasks, monitoring progress against baseline plans, and continuously refining the schedule to reflect changes, emerging risks, and programme priorities using specialist scheduling tools.
Alongside planning activities, the role is highly collaborative and stakeholder-focused, requiring regular engagement with internal teams across Network Rail as well as external stakeholders across the industry. The planner facilitates workshops, provides guidance on best-practice planning, and supports teams in navigating ambiguity to extract key information that informs programme delivery. They produce and communicate clear reporting on progress, including variance analysis, critical path insights, and resource utilisation, while proactively identifying risks and ensuring the Programme Director has early visibility of any impacts. The role also contributes to strengthening programme governance, reporting structures, and project controls to support effective delivery of complex infrastructure or transformation programmes.
This is a key programme role working closely with the Programme Director across a complex set of interdependent workstreams - from the development of new contracts, codes and policies, through to the design of future processes, capabilities and ways of working. You will bring structure across the programme, ensuring that activity aligns to a clear organisational end state. You will operate at the centre of a broad stakeholder landscape - connecting System Operator, the wider GBR programme and other external partners.
We are looking for a scheduler who is

• Curious and proactive in seeking to understand what tasks/steps are required to deliver an outcome and how activities across the programme relate to each other
• Able to constructively challenge-testing, clarifying, and validating delivery team inputs where required
• Adept with interpersonal, listening, communication, influencing, and diplomacy skills
• Outcome-focused - adapts and prioritises proportionate, fit-for-purpose ways of working rather than overly prescriptive or administrative methods
• Able to help others navigate ambiguity when planning and to surface key information from delivery teams that may not be immediately apparent
• Proactive and seeks to understand the implications to the schedule, giving Programme Director early sight of emerging risks

If you want to play a central role in shaping the future of Britain's railway - and contribute to a programme that will define how GBR comes to life - we would love to hear from you.
A little bit about the team...
The team is a collaborative and delivery-focused group working across multiple stakeholder to drive the successful delivery of a complex, high-profile programme. It brings together subject matter experts from across Network Rail and partner organisations, all aligned to shared outcomes but operating across different workstreams. There is a strong emphasis on open communication, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving, with team members supporting one another to navigate complexity and maintain momentum.
Working within this environment, the Principal Project Planner plays a key role in connecting the detail across the programme, helping to create a joined-up view of delivery. The team culture encourages constructive challenge, continuous improvement, and proactive risk management, ensuring that plans remain realistic, transparent, and adaptable as the programme evolves.
Next Steps
CV shortlisting will take place after the advert closes, with interviews planned from the week commencing 13 and 20 July, subject to business needs. Early applications are encouraged, as we may close the advert early due to high application volumes.
We encourage you to review our Safety Vision , as safety is an important part of the culture at Network Rail
All external offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Your experience and skills
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a highly capable and experienced planning professional who thrives in complex, fast-paced but often ambiguous programme environments. The ideal candidate will bring proven expertise in developing and managing integrated schedules across large-scale infrastructure or transformation programmes, with a strong understanding of dependencies, critical path analysis, and resource planning. They will be confident using advanced scheduling tools and able to translate detailed planning data into clear, actionable insights that support effective decision-making at a senior level.
Beyond technical capability, we are seeking someone who is naturally curious, proactive, and comfortable operating in ambiguity. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator with the confidence to challenge constructively, influence stakeholders, and build strong working relationships across diverse teams. They will be outcome-oriented and pragmatic in their approach, balancing attention to detail with the ability to see the bigger picture, and will play a key role in driving clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement across the programme.

Essential Criteria

• Experience in developing complex programme schedules with many project interdependencies
• High-level of proficiency in using applicable scheduling software
• Experience of major infrastructure or transformation programmes

Key Information Vacancy Details
Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Fixed-Term
Hours: Either
Salary: £55,596 - £65,966
Location: London Waterloo General Offices, London
Geographical Area: London (Inside M25)
Closing Date: 12-JUL-2026
Job Category: Business, Commercial and Project Management
Function: System Operator
Organisation: FI Policy Team (638600) G5
Location Map