Program Planner/PMO - Manchester - 6 months+/RATE: £371 per day inside IR35
Posted 2 days ago by Octopus Computer Associates
£371 Per day
Inside
Hybrid
Manchester and remote, UK
Summary: The Program Planner/PMO role in Manchester involves developing and maintaining comprehensive programme plans using Microsoft Project, ensuring alignment with timelines and resource allocations. The position requires collaboration with stakeholders to produce reports and manage risks while adhering to PMO frameworks. The contractor must be eligible for BPSS and work through PAYE via an umbrella company, indicating an inside IR35 classification. This is a 6-month contract with a requirement to be on-site in Manchester two days a week.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop, maintain, and optimise end-to-end programme plans using Microsoft Project.
- Validate and challenge workstream plans for feasibility and alignment to timelines.
- Produce integrated master schedules for multiple concurrent projects.
- Support programme forecasting activities including effort estimation and resource planning.
- Prepare high-quality reports and dashboards for senior stakeholders.
- Maintain planning artefacts with version control and documentation of changes.
- Identify schedule-related risks and manage interdependencies across projects.
- Work closely with Programme and Project Managers to ensure plans are updated.
- Facilitate planning workshops and support best practice standards.
- Use MS Project and JIRA for complex programme planning and tracking.
Key Skills:
- Advanced expertise in Microsoft Project for large scale programme planning.
- Strong skills in Excel and PowerPoint for data modelling and presentations.
- Experience as a PMO Analyst or Programme Planner in complex environments.
- Working knowledge of JIRA for change and delivery tracking.
- Strong analytical, organisational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
Salary (Rate): £371 per day
City: Manchester
Country: UK
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: inside IR35
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Detailed Description From Employer:
Program Planner/PMO - Manchester - 6 months+/RATE: £371 per day inside IR35
One of our Blue Chip Clients is urgently looking for a Program Planner.
You need to be based in Manchester 2 days per week
Please find some details below:
CONTRACTOR MUST BE ELIGIBLE FOR BPSS
MUST BE PAYE THROUGH UMBRELLA
Role Description:
Programme Planning & Scheduling
Develop, maintain, and optimise end to end programme plans using Microsoft Project (MSP), ensuring accurate dependencies, critical paths, milestones, and resource allocations.
Validate and challenge workstream plans to ensure feasibility, logical sequencing, and alignment to programme timelines.
Produce integrated master schedules that consolidate multiple concurrent projects and provide a clear view of overall progress, risks, and timeline pressures.
Support programme forecasting activities, including effort estimation, resource planning, and capacity modelling.
Governance, Reporting & Analysis
Prepare high quality reports, dashboards, and presentations using Excel and PowerPoint, enabling senior stakeholders to track progress, risks, and issues.
Maintain planning artefacts, ensuring version control and clear documentation of changes, assumptions, and decisions.
Support governance forums by providing planning intelligence, impact assessments, scenario modelling, and schedule variance analysis.
Ensure compliance with PMO frameworks, delivery standards, and integrated governance routines.
Risk, Dependency & Change Management
Identify schedule-related risks, constraints, and blockers, working with delivery teams to mitigate or re baseline where required.
Track and manage interdependencies across projects and third party partners to prevent timeline slippage.
Assess the impact of change requests on the programme schedule and provide evidence-based recommendations.
Stakeholder Collaboration
Work closely with Programme and Project Managers to ensure plans are continuously updated, reflective of reality, and aligned with overall delivery architecture.
Facilitate planning workshops and support delivery teams in adopting best practice planning standards.
Communicate complex planning insights in a clear, structured manner suitable for both technical and non technical audiences.
Tooling & Systems
Use MS Project at an expert/advanced level for complex programme planning, critical path analysis, and schedule optimisation.
Leverage JIRA for change and delivery tracking, ensuring alignment between agile delivery artefacts and high level MSP plans.
Maintain strong working knowledge for document management, governance support, and team collaboration.
Required Skills & Experience
Advanced expertise in Microsoft Project, including large scale programme planning, dependency mapping, and critical path analysis.
Strong skills in Excel (pivot tables, formulas, data modelling) and PowerPoint (executive presentations).
Experience as a PMO Analyst or Programme Planner in complex change environments.
Experience supporting structured delivery across multi workstream programmes.
Working knowledge of JIRA
Strong analytical, organisational, and problem solving skills with attention to detail.
Ability to work independently and manage multiple concurrent priorities.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
Desirable (Nice to Have)
Experience within Banking or Financial Services environments.
Background supporting regulatory, transformation, or large IT change programmes.
Understanding of agile delivery frameworks and hybrid delivery environments.
Please send CV for full details and immediate interviews. We are a preferred supplier to the client.