Position OverviewThe Manager, Workforce Planning owns how the contact center is staffed to meet guest demand, from long-range capacity plans to intraday decisions. This is a builder role. The right person creates the models, processes, and tools the team needs rather than waiting for them to exist, finds gaps in forecasting, scheduling, and capacity planning before they affect service levels or sales performance, and owns each issue through to a measurable resolution. The result is a contact center that delivers exceptional guest experience and converts demand into revenue while keeping labor cost under control.
Key Responsibilities:Problem Solving & Building- Identify issues and inefficiencies across forecasting, scheduling, intraday management, and capacity planning, using data to separate root causes from symptoms.
- Quantify areas of opportunity in staffing models, shrinkage, occupancy, and schedule adherence in terms of service level, cost, and revenue impact.
- Build scalable solutions where existing processes fall short, including models, workflows, reporting, and planning tools.
- Drive issues to resolution end to end: define the problem, align stakeholders, implement the fix, and confirm results hold over time.
- Partner with telephony, CRM and IT to maximize efficiency and troubleshoot reporting and system issues which impact the workforce.
- Challenge the status quo with evidence and bring recommendations to leadership with a clear business case.
- Document processes and models so improvements are repeatable and outlast any one person.
Workforce Strategy & Capacity Planning- Develop and execute a workforce management strategy aligned with business goals and service level targets.
- Own long-term capacity planning including budget modeling, hiring plans, and scenario analysis.
- Oversee headcount planning to meet service levels while controlling labor cost.
- Track shrinkage and attrition trends and adjust hiring and scheduling plans before staffing gaps open.
- Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Finance to align staffing plans with financial forecasts, campaign calendars, and growth projections.
Forecasting- Lead short-term and long-term forecasting of contact volume and handle time across all channels.
- Build and continuously refine forecasting models using historical data, seasonality, and business drivers such as marketing campaigns, voyage launches, and booking windows.
- Run scenario planning for peak periods and business changes, and measure forecast accuracy against actuals.
Scheduling & Real-Time Management- Design schedules that balance service levels, agent experience, and operational constraints.
- Oversee real-time adherence, intraday performance, and contingency planning.
- Put tools and processes in place that improve real-time decision-making.
Technology, Data & Reporting- Own and optimize WFM systems (e.g., NICE, Verint, Genesys).
- Drive automation and reporting enhancements that reduce manual effort.
- Ensure data integrity and reporting accuracy across all WFM functions.
People Leadership- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of WFM analysts, building their ability to find and solve problems independently.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Set clear KPIs and development plans for each team member.
Cross-Functional Partnership- Partner with Operations, HR, and IT to align workforce strategy with business needs.
- Provide insights and recommendations to senior leadership on staffing, performance, and operational risk.
Qualifications:Required- 8+ years of workforce management experience in a contact center environment, including at least 3 years leading WFM teams.
- Proven track record of building workforce planning tools, models, or processes from the ground up, with measurable results.
- Demonstrated ability to identify operational issues independently and see them through to sustained resolution.
- Proven expertise in forecasting, capacity planning, and headcount modeling.
- Deep understanding of contact center metrics, including service level, AHT, occupancy, shrinkage, and adherence.
- Advanced Excel skills and hands-on experience with WFM platforms and data visualization tools.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present recommendations to senior leadership.
- Bachelor's degree required.
Preferred- Experience in a sales or revenue-generating contact center, ideally in luxury, hospitality, or travel.
- Experience with multi-channel and/or global contact center operations.
- SQL, Python, or similar skills for building models and automating reporting.
- Six Sigma or WFM certification, or an advanced degree.
Key Competencies- Builder mindset and ownership
- Root cause problem solving
- Data-driven decision-making
- Leadership and team development
- Change management
- Cross-functional influence
