Engineering Planner and Project Controller in Crawley, England at Acron Aviation Academy

About the Opportunity

At Acron Aviation Training Systems, we're helping to create safer skies through industry-leading pilot training technology. From computer-based training solutions to advanced Full Flight Simulators (FFS), our products support pilot training operations around the world.

We're looking for an Engineering Planner and Project Controller to play a key role in supporting our engineering portfolio across both our Full Flight Simulation and Aftermarket product lines. Reporting to the Head of Software Engineering, you'll help ensure our engineering resources, schedules, costs and project performance are effectively planned, monitored and reported, providing the insights needed to drive successful delivery.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organised, analytical and proactive individual who enjoys working across multiple teams, influencing decisions with data, and helping deliver complex engineering programmes in a fast-paced environment.

Our Values are an integral part of who we are. We seek candidates who share our values:

• Customer First
• Own It
• Move Fast
• Speak Candidly

What We Can Offer

• 25 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays), increasing with long service and with the opportunity to buy/sell up to 5 days
• Private medical insurance with optional family cover
• Pension scheme of up to 7% employer contribution
• Life Assurance 4x salary (flexible up to 10x)
• Group income protection
• Flexible opt-in extras such as a health care cash plan, dental insurance, gym membership, critical illness cover and cycle to work scheme
• Employee assistance program providing mental health and wellbeing support
• Onsite staff restaurant
• Staff car park including electric vehicle charging stations

What You'll Be Doing

You'll work closely with Engineering Managers, Discipline Leads, Programme Managers, Finance and Commercial teams to ensure engineering resources and project performance are planned, tracked and reported effectively.

Key responsibilities include:

Resource Planning & Capacity Management

• Forecast engineering demand and capacity across Systems, Software and Hardware teams
• Support resource allocation across projects and product lines
• Identify resource constraints, skills gaps and delivery risks
• Facilitate regular resource planning reviews and support workforce planning activities

Project Controls & Forecasting

• Lead the monthly Estimate at Completion (EAC) process
• Monitor project performance against plans, budgets and milestones
• Analyse trends, risks, dependencies and change impacts
• Support project governance and portfolio prioritisation activities

Reporting & Data Analysis

• Produce regular management reports, dashboards and performance insights
• Track key engineering metrics including capacity, utilisation, forecast accuracy and delivery performance
• Support strategic workforce planning through trend analysis and forecasting
• Improve reporting processes, tools and data quality

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Analyse engineering actuals using SAP and associated planning systems
• Maintain planning models, reporting frameworks and portfolio data
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and automate reporting

What You'll Bring

We're interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Experience in engineering planning, project controls, programme planning or resource management
• Strong understanding of project delivery, scheduling, forecasting, risk and change management
• Experience managing project performance across multiple concurrent projects
• Knowledge of cost control, budgeting, EAC/ETC forecasting and variance analysis
• Advanced Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, Power Query and data modelling
• Experience using SAP or a similar ERP system
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn complex data into meaningful insights
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• A highly organised and methodical approach with strong attention to detail
• The ability to work independently while building strong relationships across teams
• A degree or equivalent industry experience

Desirable Experience

It would be advantageous if you have experience in one or more of the following:

• Aerospace, aviation, defence, simulation or other engineering-led industries
• Power BI or similar reporting tools
• Microsoft Project, Primavera, Smartsheet or other planning solutions
• JIRA, Confluence and JIRA Service Desk
• Agile delivery environments
• Project, programme or portfolio management frameworks
• Professional qualifications such as APM, PMI, P3O or equivalent

Right to Work

Please note that all applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.