Position: Senior Planner - Data Centres

Salary:  Excellent, plus bonus + benefits 

Location: Groningen, The Netherlands

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled and motivated Senior Planner to join the campus programme team in Groningen, Netherlands, supporting the delivery of three large-scale hyperscale data center projects. Reporting directly to the Campus Planning Lead, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining detailed project schedules, monitoring progress, and providing robust planning data to support programme decision-making.

This is a hands-on, on-site role that requires a confident planner who can operate effectively within a complex, fast-paced construction environment. You will work closely with project managers, construction teams, and subcontractors to ensure schedules are accurate, up to date, and reflective of conditions on the ground.

Key Responsibilities

Schedule Development & Maintenance:
•    Develop and maintain detailed level 3 and level 4 construction schedules for assigned projects or workstreams within the campus programme.
•    Ensure project schedules are logically linked, resource-loaded where required, and aligned with the campus integrated master programme.
•    Identify critical path activities and near-critical sequences, highlighting risks to the Campus Planning Lead in a timely manner.
•    Incorporate change events, progress updates, and look-ahead information to keep schedules current and reliable.

Progress Monitoring & Reporting:
•    Conduct regular site visits and progress meetings to capture accurate as-built data and validate reported progress.
•    Produce weekly and monthly schedule performance reports, including variance analysis, earned value metrics, and recovery plan tracking.
•    Prepare look-ahead schedules (2-week and 6-week) in collaboration with site teams to support short-interval planning.
•    Contribute to the production of client-facing programme reports and dashboard updates as directed by the Campus Planning Lead.

Cross-Project Coordination:
•    Support the integration of individual project schedules into the campus master programme, ensuring cross-project dependencies are accurately captured.
•    Liaise with planners and project managers across the site to align milestone dates.
Risk & Change Support
•    Assist in the identification and assessment of schedule risks, contributing to the programme risk register and schedule risk analysis (SRA) process.
•    Prepare change impact assessments and delay analyses to support commercial and contract management teams.
•    Support the development and monitoring of recovery and mitigation schedules where delays or disruptions occur.

Subcontractor & Supplier Coordination:
•    Review and challenge subcontractor programmes for compliance with master schedule requirements and logic.
•    Work with procurement and site teams to track long-lead equipment deliveries and integrate supplier milestones into the project schedule.
•    Support commissioning and systems completion planning in the later stages of each project.

Requirements

Essential:
•    Minimum 5–8 years of experience in construction planning or project controls, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead planner capacity on major projects.
•    Proficiency in Primavera P6; experience with MS Project is an advantage.
•    Solid understanding of construction planning principles including critical path method (CPM), earned value management (EVM), and look-ahead planning.
•    Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and construction programmes.
•    Strong analytical skills with attention to detail and the ability to identify schedule trends and anomalies.
•    Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with site teams and subcontractors.
•    Holder of a valid European Union passport.
•    Must be able to work on-site in Groningen, Netherlands, five days per week; willingness to relocate is advantageous.

Preferred:
•    Experience on hyperscale data center, mission-critical, or large-scale industrial construction projects (strongly preferred).
•    Familiarity with campus-scale or multi-project programme environments.
•    Experience with schedule risk analysis (SRA) tools such as Primavera Risk Analysis (Pertmaster) or Oracle Risk.
•    Relevant accreditation such as APM, PMI, or equivalent planning qualification.

Applicants without EU work authorisation will not be considered

To find out more please contact Oli Coote: o.coote@capstone-recruitment.com or Sam Lee: s.lee@capstone-recruitment.com