Senior Manager - Strategic Workforce Planning & Analytics

A leading organisation in the retail sector is seeking a Senior Manager Strategic Workforce Planning and Analytics to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of its workforce. This position offers you the opportunity to influence enterprise-wide talent strategies, directly connecting long-term business objectives with robust financial planning and operational excellence. You will be at the heart of strategic decision-making, ensuring that the organisation’s growth ambitions are matched by a capable, well-resourced team. With a focus on both high-level vision and hands-on execution, this role provides an exceptional platform for you to showcase your expertise in workforce analytics, financial integration, and stakeholder engagement. The company values flexibility, professional development, and a supportive environment where your insights will drive meaningful change across all business units.

• You will have direct ownership of headcount planning and labour cost modelling for a large-scale retail operation, ensuring alignment with ambitious growth targets and budgetary discipline.
• Your advanced analytical skills will be utilised to forecast talent demand, assess workforce risks, and present actionable insights to executive leadership through compelling dashboards and presentations.
• This is an outstanding opportunity to mentor HR professionals, collaborate with senior stakeholders across multiple functions, and shape multi-year workforce strategies that underpin organisational success.

What you'll do:

As Senior Manager Strategic Workforce Planning and Analytics, you will be entrusted with translating strategic business goals into actionable workforce plans that balance operational needs with financial prudence. Your day-to-day activities will involve collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure every aspect of headcount planning is meticulously aligned with long-term objectives. You will use your expertise in data analysis to create sophisticated models that inform key decisions about talent acquisition, retention strategies, and resource allocation. By guiding the annual budgeting process for personnel costs across all business units, you will ensure that every hire supports both immediate operational requirements and future growth ambitions. Your ability to communicate complex data in accessible ways will empower senior leaders to make informed choices about organisational design. Additionally, you will nurture the next generation of HR professionals by sharing best practices in analytics-driven workforce planning. Your work will have a lasting impact on how the organisation anticipates market shifts, manages labour costs, and builds resilient teams ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

• Lead the annual and long-range headcount planning process across all retail and corporate business units, ensuring strict alignment with approved operating budgets and strategic growth objectives.
• Develop, maintain, and own complex labour cost models that forecast fully loaded workforce costs—including salary, benefits, taxes, and variable compensation—and evaluate the financial impact of diverse talent strategies such as automation or digital expansion.
• Drive reconciliation between strategic workforce plans and official financial headcount budgets by negotiating resource allocations with Finance (FP&A) and Business Units to ensure optimal outcomes.
• Design, implement, and govern the headcount requisition and approval process throughout the year so that all hiring decisions are strategically justified and financially sound.
• Establish and mature a multi-year Strategic Workforce Planning framework tailored to address retail-specific challenges such as seasonal peaks, high turnover rates, and competitive labour markets.
• Act as the lead subject matter expert for major business units—such as Store Operations or Digital/Omnichannel—consulting with senior leaders on staffing models, productivity metrics, and organisational design.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to HR Business Partners and junior analysts on methodologies related to workforce planning, labour cost management, and advanced analytics within a retail context.
• Direct predictive modelling and scenario analysis initiatives to anticipate talent demand for new store openings, mergers & acquisitions integration, or evolving skill requirements.
• Develop executive-level presentations and dashboards that clearly communicate workforce risks, opportunities, and the financial return on investment for various talent initiatives.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition and Learning & Development teams to prioritise recruitment and development budgets for critical roles identified in strategic plans.

What you bring:

To excel as Senior Manager Strategic Workforce Planning and Analytics you will bring extensive experience from large-scale retail or similarly complex environments where your analytical mindset has driven impactful workforce solutions. Your background includes not only designing but also executing comprehensive headcount plans that support both short-term operational needs and long-term strategic goals. You are adept at building consensus among diverse stakeholders by presenting clear business cases rooted in robust data analysis. Your technical proficiency spans advanced financial modelling as well as hands-on use of industry-leading analytics platforms. Beyond technical skills, your interpersonal abilities enable you to coach colleagues effectively while fostering a culture of continuous improvement within HR teams. You understand how nuanced factors like seasonal trends or market competition affect staffing needs—and you know how to respond proactively using evidence-based strategies. Your commitment to accuracy ensures that every recommendation is grounded in sound methodology while your passion for developing others helps elevate overall team capability.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree (MBA or MS in Finance/Analytics or related field) highly preferred for this role.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience in Strategic Workforce Planning, Corporate Strategy or advanced HR Analytics within large-scale organisations.
• A minimum of 3-5 years’ direct experience managing personnel or labour cost budgets through financial planning processes such as FP&A.
• Demonstrated success working within complex retail or consumer goods environments where operational scale presents unique workforce challenges.
• Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders at VP level or above across both HR and Finance functions through collaborative approaches.
• Expert proficiency in financial modelling techniques including capacity planning and statistical analysis relevant to human capital management.
• Deep commercial acumen specific to retail operations—especially around productivity metrics, scheduling optimisation, cost structure analysis—and their impact on business performance.
• Exceptional communication skills enabling you to translate technical data into compelling narratives for non-technical audiences at all levels of leadership.
• Advanced user of data visualisation tools such as Power BI or Tableau alongside experience with workforce planning/HRIS systems like Workday or SAP.

What sets this company apart:

This organisation stands out as a leader in the retail sector due to its unwavering commitment to aligning people strategy with business ambition. Employees benefit from an inclusive culture where collaboration is encouraged across all levels—from frontline staff through executive leadership—ensuring everyone’s voice contributes to shared success. The company invests heavily in professional development opportunities so you can continue growing your expertise while making a tangible difference. Flexible working arrangements are supported wherever possible so you can achieve balance between personal commitments and career aspirations. With access to cutting-edge technology platforms for analytics-driven decision making plus exposure to some of the most respected minds in retail strategy today—you’ll find this environment both challenging and deeply rewarding. The organisation’s dedication to ethical practices means your work here not only drives commercial results but also supports sustainable growth for employees at every stage of their careers.

What's next:

If you are ready to shape the future of workforce strategy within a thriving retail environment—this is your moment!

Apply today by clicking on the link provided; take the next step towards an influential career where your expertise truly matters.