Labor Planning & Scheduling Specialist – Retail Ops

Nike Inc; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike Inc in Melbourne is seeking a Labor Specialist to optimize labor planning and workforce management across Nike stores in Australia and New Zealand. You will translate data into actionable recommendations, partner with Retail Operations, Finance and HR to improve labor cost performance, and drive continuous improvement across the marketplace.

The role requires strong analytical capabilities, presentation skills, and the ability to travel for field observations and training activations.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in retail labor planning or related analytics.
• Attention to data accuracy and governance.
• Ability to manage priorities across multiple stores and concepts.

Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvement in labor scheduling and operational excellence.
• Partner with Finance and Retail Leadership to develop labor budgets and monitor payroll performance.
• Own administration and governance of workforce management systems.
• Lead implementation of scheduling, staffing, workload planning and operational measurement capabilities.
• Analyze labor data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities with clear recommendations.
• Communicate effectively with stores and territory leadership teams.
• Collaborate with APLA Retail Operations to remove friction and improve tools and processes.
• Manage reporting and tools including Legion, Workload Planning, Retail Relay and Daily Game Plan.

Skills

Retail labor planning

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Forecasting

Presentation skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Commerce/Finance/HR/Supply Chain

Tools

Legion

Workload Planning

Retail Relay

Operational Excellence

Daily Game Plan

Store Performance Reporting

Job description

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

The Labor Specialist sits within the Retail Operations and Services team and reports to the Retail Operations and Services Senior Manager. Working closely with Nike Stores, Finance, HR and APLA Retail Operations, this role serves as the operational expert for scheduling systems and labor cost management. Through strong cross-functional partnerships, the Labor Specialist supports payroll performance, operational assessments and continuous improvement across Nike stores.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a commercially minded and highly analytical labor specialist who can translate complex workforce and store performance data into clear, actionable recommendations. You will be a strong cross-functional partner, confidently influencing Retail, Finance and APLA stakeholders to solve problems, improve labor and operational performance, and lead change. Success in this role also requires strong presentation skills, a proactive mindset and the ability to become a subject-matter expert in scheduling and forecasting platforms.

The candidate will bring:

• 2+ years experience in retail labor planning, workforce management, store operations, finance, analytics or a related discipline.
• High attention to detail, with a focus on data accuracy, consistency and governance.
• Ability to manage competing priorities across multiple stores and retail concepts.
• A collaborative and solutions-focused approach, with the ability to work effectively across Retail Operations, Finance, HR and Store Leadership.
• Ability to travel across Australia & New Zealand via plane, car or train, including occasional overnight and weekend travel, to observe how labor plans translate into marketplace execution, team off sites, conferences and large-scale training activations.
• A commitment to Nike’s values, culture and inclusive way of working.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, Finance, HR, Supply Chain or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience) preferred.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will power the athletes in our stores who power the consumer experience by optimising labor planning, workforce management systems and operational processes that bring the consumer and athlete journeys to life. In partnership with Store Leadership, Finance and APLA Retail Operations, you will translate data into action, strengthen payroll performance and drive consistent operational excellence across the marketplace.

• Drive continuous improvement in labor scheduling and operational excellence.
• Partner with Finance and Retail Leadership to develop labor budgets, monitor payroll performance, and support store accountability.
• Own the day-to-day administration, governance, and optimisation of workforce management and operational systems.
• Lead the implementation of new scheduling, staffing, workload planning and operational measurement capabilities.
• Analyse labor and operational data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, translating insights into clear recommendations.
• Drive effective communication and capability across stores and territory leadership teams.
• Partner with APLA Retail Operations to remove friction points and improve processes, tools, and ways of working.
• Manage reporting and operating tools, including Workforce Management (Legion), Workload Planning, Retail Relay, Operational Excellence, Daily Game Plan and Store Performance Reporting.undefined