Senior Planner

Role overview

This opportunity is for a Senior Planner to join the data centre team in Dublin. The position sits at the centre of planning and project controls, helping establish working standards and consistent delivery across both pre-construction and construction stages. The role supports high-quality project delivery through detailed programme creation, progress tracking, risk management, and clear reporting to senior leadership and the Board.

John Sisk & Son Ltd is a long-established, family-owned international construction business focused on delivering trust, certainty, and value while playing an active role in industry change.

Programme development and control

• Build robust baseline contract programmes covering design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover, with clear logic links and a well-defined critical path.
• Create construction target programmes that identify potential improvements and efficiency gains against the contract programme.
• Develop tender event schedules for subcontractor procurement, aligned with design release milestones and lead-in activities.
• Keep programme records accurate and up to date within a Common Data Environment (CDE).
• Prepare 4D visual models and/or 2D phasing plans to show sequencing, logistics, and the order of works.
• Spot schedule risks and opportunities, then apply suitable mitigation, float, and time-risk allowances.
• Work with project teams to shape construction methods that clearly show sequence and techniques.
• Assist with preliminaries documentation, including staffing, logistics, and temporary works requirements.
• Coordinate with the supply chain to gather programme inputs such as design deliverables, lead-in periods, build durations, and plant and labour requirements.

Reporting, progress, and as-built information

• Create and maintain tracking schedules to monitor subcontractor programmes.
• Update as-built programmes and clearly identify differences from the original baseline.
• Contribute to change requests by assessing programme effects to support approvals.
• Check progress against output rates and use the feedback to improve future tender planning.
• Review other planners’ programmes to help maintain consistency and quality.
• Use 4D and 2D planning tools to present live progress in a visual format.

Leadership and management

• Provide regular updates to Regional Planners and report programme status at monthly contract reviews.
• Lead weekly and monthly programme reporting in coordination with project management teams.
• Support, mentor, and manage assistant and graduate planners, including performance and development reviews.
• Make sure planning outputs from project and site teams are accurate and of a high standard.
• Benchmark programme durations using subcontractor input, historic information, and project discussions.
• Take ownership of planning and programme management responsibilities during both pre-construction and site delivery phases.
• Help assess programme entitlements under contract frameworks such as NEC and JCT.

Experience and knowledge

The successful candidate should have solid experience in construction planning and a proven record of managing programmes on live projects. Strong capability with planning software, preferably ASTA Powerproject, is important, along with tools used for programme reporting.

A strong grasp of UK and EU contract frameworks, including NEC and JCT, is required. You should also bring excellent IT skills, confidence working with planning data in a collaborative digital setting, and strong communication skills for engaging with clients, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams. Experience guiding and developing junior colleagues is also important, together with a sound understanding of best practice in planning and programme management.

Desirable experience includes working with Synchro and 4D planning tools, understanding BIM processes and collaborative data environments, producing or reviewing 2D and 4D phasing models, performing peer reviews across multiple projects, and showing ongoing professional development through construction best-practice events or similar learning.

Qualifications

A degree or diploma in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Project Management, or a related subject is required, although equivalent professional experience may also be considered. Training or certification in planning and programme software, such as ASTA Powerproject, is also expected.

It is desirable to hold, or be working toward, membership of a relevant professional body such as CIOB, ICE, or APM. Additional desirable training includes advanced ASTA Powerproject topics such as progress analysis, S-curve reporting, and resource management; contract management training in NEC or JCT; Synchro, BIM, and CDE training; and people management or presentation training.

Additional information

• Salary is offered for this position.
• 26 days of annual leave are included.
• Pension and benefits are provided.
• There are unlimited learning and development opportunities.
• Other benefits are also available.

Recruitment and equal opportunities

At Sisk Group, people are central to success. The company offers the chance to work with purpose, build a career with no limits, and be part of a strong team.

All vacancies are handled directly by the internal recruitment team. Unsolicited approaches or speculative CVs from unapproved agencies will not be accepted, and no introduction fees will be paid.

The employer is committed to equal opportunity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, or any other protected characteristic.

Reasonable adjustments can be provided during the recruitment process.

Applicants are encouraged not to self-reject if they do not meet every single criterion, as skills and potential are valued.

Recruitment materials are prepared in line with legal and regulatory requirements, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive and the Equality Acts in the UK and Ireland.