Lead Programme Planner
Location: Remote (UK-based) with occasional travel to client sites
Contract Type: Day Rate Contract / Inside IR35
Business Area: PMO & Transformation Services
Company: Stellar Connect (part of the Stellar Omada Group)
About Stellar Connect
Stellar Connect is the resourcing and talent arm of Stellar Omada — a fast-growing technology consultancy headquartered in Edinburgh. We work with major clients across the UK to deliver complex change and transformation programmes that make a measurable difference.
We’re now looking for a lead programme planner to join our customers PMO delivery team — someone who can own, drive, and elevate planning across large-scale transformation programmes.
About the Role
As a lead programme planner, you’ll be the planning authority across multi-workstream portfolios and transformation programmes. You’ll design and embed planning standards, coach delivery teams, and ensure we have high-quality, insight-driven schedules that enable progress tracking, risk anticipation, and decision-making at all levels.
This is a strategic and hands-on role — ideal for someone who enjoys setting direction but also rolling up their sleeves to bring clarity, structure, and pace to complex delivery landscapes.
What You’ll Be Doing
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Leading the development and maintenance of integrated programme and portfolio-level schedules
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Owning and continuously improving planning and scheduling frameworks across large-scale client engagements
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Working closely with PMO, Programme, and Portfolio Managers to drive planning best practice across the business
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Facilitating planning workshops with internal and external stakeholders to align delivery roadmaps and interdependencies
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Challenging and assuring delivery plans — ensuring they are robust, realistic, and aligned to the overall delivery framework
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Producing clear, concise executive-level planning dashboards and progress reports
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Identifying and managing cross-programme dependencies, critical paths, and delivery risks
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Coaching project managers and junior planners to improve planning maturity and MS Project expertise
What We’re Looking For
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Significant experience planning within large-scale transformation programmes, ideally across financial services, public sector, or regulated environments
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Expertise in Mircosoft project: You will be the go-to expert across our planning teams
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A strong grasp of planning hierarchies, critical path analysis, and dependency mapping across complex delivery structures
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Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills — able to influence at senior levels and translate complex plans into actionable insight
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Experience in defining or evolving planning standards and frameworks within a PMO or delivery governance function
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Confident leading workshops, interrogating plans, and facilitating collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams
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Exposure to planning tools like Planview, Smartsheet, or Primavera is desirable but not essential
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Relevant certifications (MSP, P3O, APM, or equivalent) are beneficial
What to do next
If this role sounds like a fit for you, please get in touch or apply directly and we can provide more information about the opportunity and how your expertise aligns with it.