The Workforce Planning Manager is responsible for developing and executing labor planning strategies that ensure the organization maintains the optimal labor capacity, capability, and cost structure to support operational and business objectives. This role combines labor forecasting, capacity planning, productivity analysis, workforce optimization, and cross-functional collaboration to align staffing needs with demand patterns, service level expectations, and financial targets.
The Workforce Planning Manager partners closely with Operations, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain, and Business Leadership to develop data-driven workforce plans, identify labor risks and opportunities, improve workforce productivity, and support strategic growth initiatives. This role leverages analytics, forecasting models, operational metrics, and labor standards to drive informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
Essential Duties: - Develop short-, mid-, and long-term workforce plans to support organizational growth and operational requirements.
- Create labor demand forecasts using business volumes, seasonality trends, productivity standards, and financial demand projections.
- Evaluate workforce capacity against future demand requirements and identify staffing gaps or surpluses.
- Monitor workforce trends and provide recommendations regarding hiring, attrition management, scheduling, and resource allocation.
- Support annual workforce planning and budgeting processes.
- Establish and maintain labor standards, productivity benchmarks, and staffing models.
- Analyze labor utilization, workforce efficiency, and operational performance metrics.
- Identify opportunities to improve labor productivity while maintaining service, safety, and quality standards.
- Recommend process improvements, labor-saving initiatives, and workforce optimization strategies.
- Support labor management system (LMS) implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement activities.
- Monitor labor expenses, overtime, temporary labor usage, and workforce cost drivers.
- Analyze labor variances and provide recommendations to improve financial performance.
- Support leadership with workforce-related scenario planning and cost-benefit analysis.
- Develop workforce planning dashboards and performance reporting tools.
- Analyze labor KPIs including productivity, labor utilization, overtime, absenteeism, turnover, headcount, staffing levels, retention, and consecutive days off.
- Present actionable insights and recommendations to leadership teams.
- Ensure workforce planning decisions are supported by accurate and reliable data.
- Partner with Operations leadership to align labor plans with operational goals.
- Collaborate with Human Resources on recruiting strategies, succession planning, and workforce development initiatives.
- Work closely with Finance to align labor forecasts and budgets.
- Support strategic initiatives including network optimization, facility expansion, automation, and organizational transformation efforts.
- Participate in business reviews and provide workforce planning recommendations to senior leadership.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Finance, Economics, Human Resources, Data Analytics, or a related field required.
- Master's degree (MBA, MS Industrial Engineering, MS Analytics, or related discipline) preferred.
- 5+ years of experience in workforce planning, labor planning, operations management, supply chain, logistics, industrial engineering, finance, or related analytical roles.
- Experience developing labor models, workforce forecasts, and staffing plans in a complex operational environment.
- Experience supporting multiple facilities, regions, or business units preferred.
- Experience with labor management systems (LMS), workforce management systems (WFM), or advanced analytics platforms preferred.
- Advanced analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with workforce modeling and statistical forecasting methods.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including scenario modeling and financial analysis.
- Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, SAP, Workday, UKG, Kronos, Blue Yonder, or similar platforms preferred.
- Strong understanding of labor productivity, operational KPIs, and workforce economics.
- Ability to translate complex data into actionable business recommendations.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to influence decisions across multiple levels of the organization.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Must be able to travel up to 20% of the time.
- Must be flexible and willing to work the demands of the department which is generally limited to week days but may be subject to evenings or weekends due to project or department needs.
