Workforce Management & Optimization Manager

About this role

Lead the forward-looking Workforce Management and Optimization function for a multi-client, multi-channel remote workforce. This role is accountable for forecasting, capacity planning, schedule design, plan-versus-actual analysis, reporting, process improvement, and workforce tools. The Manager develops the WFM Analysts, turns business requirements and operating data into actionable staffing recommendations, and partners with the Manager, Real-Time Operations to connect plans with daily execution. To qualify for employee positions, candidates must be legal residents of one of the following states: AR, AZ, FL, IN, IA, MI, NC, NE, OH, TN, TX.

Duties

• Lead, coach, prioritize, and support the WFM Analysts. Establish clear client portfolios, deliverable ownership, backup responsibilities, quality standards, and development priorities.

• Own workforce forecasts, capacity models, staffing plans, and planning assumptions for clients where Operational Insights provides those services. Support and review client-directed plans where responsibility remains with the client.

• Direct schedule design, schedule production, and staffing-plan maintenance according to the approved service model, client requirements, operating constraints, and available workforce.

• Review client staffing and lock plans, identify forward-looking risks, and advise program teams of capacity gaps, coverage concerns, assumption changes, and recommended actions.

• Perform and oversee plan-versus-actual analysis, including volume, workload, staffing, service level, occupancy, adherence, and other relevant workforce measures.

• Provide strategic workforce insights that support business decisions, KPI review, team analysis, client planning, resource allocation, and account performance.

• Research call trends, demand drivers, performance patterns, and recurring operational issues. Translate findings into practical recommendations for Operations, Program Success, and client teams.

• Define WFM reporting requirements and work with Business Intelligence and technical partners on governed data, dashboards, integrations, and data-quality controls.

• Own the design and maintenance of WFM processes, planning calendars, analytical standards, documentation, and fallback methods. Coordinate implementation with Real-Time Operations and program teams.

• Identify, prioritize, and manage workforce process-improvement, automation, and tool-development initiatives. Document expected benefits, adoption requirements, risks, and results.

• Maintain a clear inventory of recurring client deliverables, deadlines, assumptions, dependencies, and ownership. Escalate conflicts between new requests, available capacity, and existing commitments.

• Use feedback from Real-Time Operations to refine forecasts, schedules, staffing recommendations, escalation criteria, reports, and tools.

• Own client meetings, planning calls, and communication related to forecasting, capacity, schedules, staffing plans, performance trends, reporting, and improvement initiatives.

• Present assumptions, findings, risks, recommendations, and follow-up items in terms that client and program leaders can act on.

• Participate in real-time staffing, compliance, and escalation discussions when planning or analytical support is required.

• Serve as backup client-facing leadership for the Manager, Real-Time Operations when that manager is unavailable or when a client issue spans both functions.

• Work as a leadership counterpart to the other Operational Insights Manager and maintain clear handoffs between real-time execution and forward-looking workforce planning.

• Provide secondary support for the counterpart manager’s essential meetings, communications, escalations, and leadership responsibilities to maintain continuity during absences, peak demand, or cross-functional issues.

• Share significant client risks, staffing concerns, forecast changes, process gaps, and commitments with the Director and counterpart manager in a timely manner.

• Maintain enough cross-functional knowledge to provide informed backup support without weakening primary accountability for the assigned function.

RequirementsMust be a US citizen or permanent resident to be considered for full-time employment

• Five or more years of experience with contact center processes, workforce management, analytics, reporting, or closely related work.

• Demonstrated leadership ability, sound judgment, initiative, and ownership in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify risks, evaluate options, and communicate concerns promptly.

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Experience using workforce management and contact center platforms is preferred.

• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, leaders, program teams, analysts, specialists, and technical partners at all organizational levels.

• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, meet deadlines, maintain attention to detail, and remain accountable for results with limited supervision.

• Commitment to continuous learning and the ability to build team capability through coaching, documentation, knowledge sharing, and feedback.

• Experience with forecasting, capacity planning, scheduling, plan-versus-actual analysis, data visualization, or workforce optimization is preferred.

• Working knowledge of reporting, automation, Power BI, SQL, or similar analytical tools is preferred.

• Ability to use a keyboard, attend virtual meetings, and work at a computer for a large portion of the work period.

• Ability to support business needs across client operating hours, including occasional urgent escalations or schedule adjustments.

In addition to a competitive base salary, Working Solutions employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including, but not limited to:

• Annual merit increases

• Choices for health,…