Business Planning Specialist

Our OEM Client based in Coventry, is searching for PMO Specialist to join their team, Inside IR35. This is a maternity leave cover contract position.

Umbrella Pay Rate: £27.03 per hour

The Opportunity & Responsibilities Governance & Assurance

Support implementation and monitoring of governance structures across the portfolio. Ensure compliance with standards, document control, and assurance processes.

Planning & Scheduling

Assist in developing and maintaining project schedules and milestone plans. Collaborate with project managers to integrate third-party inputs and align with delivery timelines.

Tools & Techniques

Maintain and enhance digital PM tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence). Use JQL scripting for custom queries and filters. Develop and maintain Tableau dashboards to visualise KPIs, timelines, and resource use.

Risk, Opportunity & Issue Management

Maintain risk and opportunity registers, support workshops, and ensure timely escalation and reporting. Help identify and mitigate delivery risks.

Change Control

Administer change control processes, ensuring accurate documentation and tracking. Support review and approval workflows per governance protocols.

Stakeholder & Communications Management

Maintain stakeholder maps and communication plans. Support effective engagement and cross-functional collaboration, including internal/external reporting.

Performance Measurement & Reporting

Support definition and tracking of delivery KPIs. Produce regular reports and insights to aid decision-making at project and portfolio levels.

Reviews & Continuous Improvement

Coordinate lessons learned sessions and embed findings into future delivery. Support continuous improvement and best practice sharing.

Resource & Pipeline Planning

Assist in pipeline planning by analysing short-, medium-, and long-term resource needs. Liaise with planners and delivery teams to support capacity planning.

Dependency & Integration Management

Track interdependencies across projects and ensure alignment with strategic goals. Support integration of schedules, risks, and reporting across delivery streams.

Capability Development

Support onboarding and mentoring of new PMO team members. Promote knowledge sharing via digital platforms and forums.

Customer-Centric Delivery

Support initiatives to measure and improve delivery from a customer perspective. Embed feedback into delivery processes to support a 'Customer Love' culture.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience Essential

• Advanced planning/scheduling capability
• Proven process improvement experience
• Document control knowledge
• Skilled in MS Office and project planning tools
• Excellent communicator with ability to simplify complex messages
• Degree or equivalent experience
• Experience in PMO, project analyst, or support roles in complex environments
• Familiarity with project/programme/portfolio methodologies (e.g. APM, PRINCE2)
• Proficient in Jira and coding languages for reporting and dashboards
• Experience with Tableau or similar tools
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
• Knowledge of risk, issue, and change control processes
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills
• High attention to detail and organisational skills
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and SharePoint

Desirable

• Formal PM qualification (e.g. PRINCE2, APM, PMI)
• Experience in engineering, infrastructure, or technical projects
• Knowledge of lifecycle frameworks (e.g. RIBA, V-model)
• Exposure to portfolio-level reporting and resource planning
• Familiarity with Confluence and collaborative platforms
• Experience supporting lessons learned and continuous improvement
• Understanding of financial tracking and budget reporting
• Experience onboarding or mentoring team members