Lead Planner – Data Centre

About the Opportunity

We’re seeking an exceptional Data Centre Lead Planner to lead programme delivery for large-scale, mission-critical data centre projects serving the world’s most demanding clients.

You’ll join Soben during a pivotal phase of our global growth. As a senior member of our project delivery team, you’ll drive strategic client relationships, lead high-performing project teams, and deliver complex hyperscale and colocation developments from inception to completion.

This role requires regular travel to Norway, to support project delivery, client engagement, and on-site leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end planning and scheduling for major data centre programmes, ensuring alignment with commercial, technical, and operational goals to control time, cost, quality objectives, and scope
• Serve as senior point of contact for planning matters with clients, fostering trusted partnerships through clear communication
• Provide strategic oversight of programme schedules, critical path analysis, baseline management, and progress tracking
• Drive integrated project governance, reporting, and performance management across multiple workstreams
• Lead and mentor planning teams, fostering accountability, high performance, and knowledge sharing
• Provide on-site planning leadership during key project phases, including regular travel to construction sites
• Oversee development and maintenance of robust performance measurement baseline to enable accurate progress and performance tracking aligned with client goals and objectives
• Identify, analyse, and mitigate scheduling risks and critical path threats
• Challenge construction phasing and sequencing to optimise programme delivery and value engineering
• Ensure robust schedule health, forecasting, and earned value performance reporting
• Support contract schedule requirements and delay / disruption analysis as required
• Contribute to business development through planning expertise in proposals and client presentations
• Champion digital planning tools, BIM integration, and innovative scheduling methodologies
• Uphold Soben’s Leadership Principles in all client and internal engagements

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Significant experience delivering large-scale, mission-critical data centre or hyperscale infrastructure projects
• Proven track record leading complex construction programmes (£100m+ value) as Lead Planner/Senior Scheduler
• Advanced proficiency with management information tools such as Primavera P6, MS Project, and Asta Powerproject
• Advanced proficiency with planning methodologies independent of management information software used, and ability to adapt across different platforms
• Strong commercial scheduling awareness with expertise in cost/schedule integration and earned value management
• Experience operating at senior stakeholder level, managing executive client relationships
• Demonstrable leadership of high-performing, geographically diverse planning teams
• Deep understanding of data centre construction methodologies, phasing, commissioning, and MEP constraints
• Comfortable with travel, including regular travel to construction sites
• Experience with NEC, JCT, FIDIC or other major contract forms used across Europe
• Strategic thinker able to translate high-level objectives into executable, resource-loaded schedules
• Strong analytical skills for delay analysis, forensic scheduling, and claims support
• Outstanding communication skills for presenting complex schedule information clearly

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