Forecasting & Planning Manager

We have an exciting opportunity available on a 12 month fixed contract for an experienced Forecast and Planning Manager to join our existing contact centre operations team based in Gosforth.

As our Planning and Resource Manager, you'll be key to delivering consistently excellent service to our customers through delivery of resource scheduling to support successful service experience across the centre. You'll be focused on building resource plans for 100+ people across the contact centre, considering skill sets, contact demand and collaboration across marketing and commercial teams, alerting the business to any shortfalls ahead of time and ensuring service level agreements are met. You'll analyse data and monitor KPIs in order to produce forecasts to effectively plan shifts for all Centre Teams based on predicted call and chat volume.

Job Description:

• A key member of the Operations team providing strategic direction and critical thinking to achieve strategic and operational goals alongside other members of the team.
• Responsibility for the end to end resource planning cycle incorporating forecast creation, schedule release and optimization, and intraday management across multiple teams.
• Manage and lead the planning team to ensure high levels of engagement and continued professional development and empower them to add value to the business.
• Determine and manage resources to meet demand that ensure all KPI targets for speed and productivity are met.
• Constantly evaluate changes short, medium and long term demand and adjust forecast and staffing in an agile and appropriate manner.
• Provide effective management information, reports analysis to enhance future business planning and operational performance.
• Take responsibility and accountability for the Planning team delivering on actions, tasks and initiatives.
• Be responsible for communicating all Contact Centre performance to our management team and senior team including high level summaries.
• Maintaining effective communication channels between resource planning, operations and other support function.
• Formulate capacity and scenario planning models to model headcount requirements and budget.
• Exceptional excel skills required and the ability to simplify processes band improvement automation to support the contact centre environment.
• On occasion you may be asked to perform additional duties or duties unrelated to your role after appropriate training has been given.

Person Specification

• Good understanding of database structure and reporting, contact centre technologies and Mitel and NVM would be advantageous.
• Advanced understanding of contact centre resourcing and modelling techniques.
• Provide flexibility and support to operational delivery and service experience.
• Advocate of continuous Improvement and innovation with the contact centre environment.
• Highly resilient, improvement focused and results focused with the ability to adapt quickly to change.
• The ability to organize and prioritize required tasks effectively, whilst working under pressure.
• Be used to making standalone decisions and have the ability to persuade and influence at all levels.
• Be numerate, analytical and proven strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to develop a high performing team and project assignment including a help desk approach.
• Flexible and adaptable in a constantly changing environment.