Planner/Works Programmer

Annual salary: up to £30,458.75

Planner

Location: Tonbridge

Full time / Permanent

Salary: £30,458.75

Hours: 42.5 hours Monday - Friday

MPS has been looking after residents’ homes for over 25 years. As part of the Mears Group, we focus on estate management and property maintenance, delivering tailored solutions that support people and communities.

We provide a wide range of services; including responsive repairs, planned works, and cyclical maintenance to over 100 local authorities and housing providers across the UK. One of our key partners is Orbit, a major housing provider in the Midlands, East Anglia, and the South East, managing over 45,000 homes.

Together, MPS and Orbit ensure residents receive timely, high-quality repairs and maintenance, with a strong emphasis on customer care, safety, and long-term value.

About the role:

We are looking for an organised and proactive Planner to join our Major Works team. You will play an important role in ensuring planned works are scheduled efficiently, work is allocated to operatives and subcontractors, and programmes are delivered on time and to a high standard.

Acting as a key point of contact between residents, operatives, subcontractors and internal colleagues, you will help support the smooth delivery of major works schemes while maintaining a customer-focused and well‑coordinated service.

Duties:

• Plan and schedule major works activities to ensure efficient use of operatives, subcontractors and resources
• Use the MCM system to manage programmes, update job statuses and monitor progress across works
• Track programme milestones, overdue tasks and support the team in meeting performance targets and KPIs
• Coordinate operatives and subcontractors to ensure works are delivered on time and materials are available
• Communicate effectively with residents to provide updates, programme information and manage expectations
• Support the Major Works team by identifying and escalating operational or programme risks where required
• Monitor workloads and assist with planning cover for absences and holidays
• Allocate work to subcontractors and raise material orders in line with procurement procedures
• Ensure accurate use of IT systems, including PDAs and subcontractor portals
• Maintain clear and accurate records across all systems
• Deliver a professional, courteous and customer‑focused service at all times
• Adhere to health and safety requirements and company policies
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure programme and service delivery standards are met
• Support company procedures, maintain company assets and provide cover for other planners when required
• Attend meetings and training sessions as required

Role Criteria:

• Experience working in a planning, scheduling or coordination role ideally within major works, repairs and maintenance, or a similar environment
• GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Maths
• Experience working in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused environment
• Good IT skills with the ability to use job management, scheduling and appointment systems
• Strong time management and organisational skills, with good attention to detail
• Clear and confident communication skills, both written and verbal
• A customer‑focused approach with the ability to manage queries and challenging situations professionally
• An understanding of planned works, repairs and maintenance processes
• Experience planning and scheduling multi‑trade works using an ICT appointment or job management system

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Leading pension scheme

• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
• Family friendly policies

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.

Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:

Francesca Swan (francesca.swan@mearsgroup.co.uk)

If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.