Strategic Workforce Planning Manager

The Strategic Workforce Planning Manager is the strategic architect and independent owner of workforce optimisation across all five regulated operational units. This is a senior, autonomous role requiring strong judgment, stakeholder management, and the ability to translate complex workforce analysis into executive-ready recommendations for leadership decision-making. You are accountable for aligning workforce shape, size, skill mix and timing to business requirements; defining the planning standards, tools and operating rhythms that enable Operations to execute with precision. Working independently and in partnership with the Head of Operational Enablement and Director of Operations, you will shape demand forecasts, capacity models and workforce designs that protect service levels, regulatory compliance and colleague development—while driving demonstrable cost and productivity gains across the operation. The role demands strong, hands-on expertise in multi-channel contact centre environments (voice, chat, back-office) with deep command of intraday operations and workforce management technology. You must understand the hybrid AI–human operating model and stress-test workforce assumptions against automation and AI impact on demand, capacity and skill requirements. This role drives measurable business outcomes: when executed with rigour, it unlocks cost efficiencies, increases productivity, and ensures operational performance standards are consistently achieved. Main Accountabilities & Responsibilities: Ownership of the workforce planning operating model across all five operational units Design and govern the workforce planning cadence across strategic (annual), tactical (quarterly) and operational (weekly) horizons. Define and maintain the standards, tools and playbooks by which Operations executes intraday management; the day-to-day, minute-by-minute execution of intraday remains the responsibility of operational leadership. Establish, document and govern the workforce planning assumptions library, including shrinkage, attrition, occupancy, average handling time, first-contact resolution. Ensure that all assumptions are evidence-based and formally reviewed on a quarterly basis. Own the standards, measurement framework and trend reporting for shift efficiency, schedule adherence and shrinkage across all five operational units. Calibrate the Heads of Function on expected performance standards and intervene where systemic drift presents a risk to service, cost or colleague experience. Development and ownership of demand forecasting Develop and maintain multi-channel, multi-skill demand forecasts covering voice, chat, bingo chat hosting, back-office and digital operations. Apply appropriate forecasting methodologies, including Erlang-based calculations, time-series analysis, regression, seasonality modelling and scenario analysis, selecting the appropriate technique for each operational context. Track forecast accuracy as a primary key performance indicator for the function. Conduct regular forecast-versus-actual reviews and refine forecasting models on the basis of evidence. Maintain a forward calendar of demand-impacting events, including product launches, marketing campaigns, regulatory milestones, system releases and platform changes, by maintaining close working relationships with the Technology, Change and Compliance functions.  Highlight any risks to service level degradation. Capacity modelling and the translation of forecasts into business outcomes Develop capacity-versus-demand models that quantify the trade-offs between cost, service, colleague experience and regulatory coverage. Translate workforce plans into cost-to-serve, working in partnership with the Director of Operations and the Head of Operational Enablement on the annual operating plan and the headcount budget. Identify workload distribution and optimisation opportunities across teams, channels, sites and time-of-day, and quantify the value of any proposed rebalancing prior to recommending operational change. Model capacity requirements in the context of operating model change, including automation deployments, channel shifts, insourcing and outsourcing decisions, organisational redesign and new product launches. Provide leadership with the cost, service and risk implications of each option in advance of the decision being taken. Currency in workforce management technology and the hybrid AI–human operating model Maintain current working knowledge of workforce management technology and the broader AI and automation roadmap in contact centre operations, including scheduling engines, intraday optimisation tools, AI-driven forecasting, conversational and agentic AI, real-time agent assist solutions, and back-office automation. Stress-test the workforce planning assumptions library against the impact of AI and automation, including the activities that must remain with human colleagues, those that can be absorbed by machines, and those at the moving boundary between the two. Re-baseline assumptions at a defined and agreed cadence. Protection of regulatory SLAs through deliberate workforce design Develop named coverage logic for regulated activities, including compulsory regulatory training, Safer Gambling interactions and AML escalations, across all rosters. Protect dedicated time for coaching, calibration and training within the roster, without compromising service-level agreements. Development time is to be treated as planned capacity rather than residual capacity, and the schedule is to be designed to enable both service delivery and colleague development to be achieved concurrently. Development of the workforce management capability within the function and across Operations Equip Operations to manage intraday performance effectively, by providing the tools, dashboards, playbooks and coaching required by operational leadership, and hold Operations to account against the defined performance standards. Mentor and develop the future Workforce Management Analyst (Year 2 hire) and provide coaching to Operations team leaders in order to build workforce planning literacy across the function. Partner with the Strategic Insights Partner on the interface between workforce management and the data and insight function, including the establishment of shared definitions, the development of joint capacity and cost-to-serve models, and the production of integrated decision briefs. What’s needed for success – Experience & Qualifications: 3 years+ experience in similar role A proven track record of running the full workforce planning cadence across strategic, tactical and operational horizons, encompassing voice, digital and back-office operations, with demonstrable experience of setting standards for, and partnering with, intraday and real-time analytics functions. A strong technical command of forecasting methodologies, including Erlang-based and advanced techniques, capacity modelling, and scenario and sensitivity analysis. Proficient in Excel and Power BI, with demonstrable experience of at least one enterprise workforce management platform (for example, NICE, Genesys, Verint, Calabrio, Amazon Connect). Working fluency in the hybrid AI–human contact centre operating environment, including conversational AI, agentic AI and automation across front-office and back-office activities, together with an understanding of the implications of each for demand, capacity and skill profile. Experience of operating in a regulated environment, such as gambling, financial services, insurance or utilities, with a clear understanding of how compliance obligations shape workforce design. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical analysis into decision-ready briefs for senior stakeholders.