Head of Operational Optimisation & Labour Planning

Places for People; Colchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension match

Bonus scheme

Car allowance

Healthcare cashback

Wellbeing support

Employee discounts

Training & development

Recognition programmes

Gym membership

Life Assurance

Job summary

Places Leisure, part of Places for People, is creating a Head of Operational Optimisation to lead data-driven resource management across its leisure sites. You will enhance labour planning, scheduling and forecasting to ensure the right colleagues and resources are in the right place to hit operational and commercial goals.

Travel to sites 2–3 days per week is expected. You will partner with Operations, Finance and central teams to identify efficiencies, build robust cost models, and underpin

Qualifications

• Significant experience in labour planning, workforce management, operational performance, commercial finance, cost transformation or operational efficiency within a complex, multi-site organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of forecasting operational demand and translating it into practical labour plans, hours and costs.
• Experience analysing labour and non-labour P&L performance, identifying cost drivers and turning findings into measurable action plans.
• Practical experience using DILO, time and motion studies or equivalent methods to assess operational activity, capacity and efficiency.
• Advanced experience using Microsoft Excel and Power BI to build models, tools and reporting that support commercial and operational decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of smarter, data-led ways of managing resources and operating costs across Places Leisure.
• Improve labour planning, scheduling and forecasting to ensure the right colleagues and resources are in the right place.
• Identify efficiencies, reduce avoidable spend and develop practical plans that protect the Customer experience.
• Support refits, bids and growth opportunities by creating robust cost models and ensuring investment decisions are based on realistic resource and payback assumptions.
• Travel to Leisure sites frequently, typically 2 to 3 days per week.

Skills

Labour planning

Workforce management

Operational performance

Commercial finance

Cost transformation

Forecasting

P&L analysis

DILO

Time & motion

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Places Leisure, part of Places for People, is creating a Head of Operational Optimisation to lead data-driven resource management across its leisure sites. You will enhance labour planning, scheduling and forecasting to ensure the right colleagues and resources are in the right place to hit operational and commercial goals.

Travel to sites 2–3 days per week is expected. You will partner with Operations, Finance and central teams to identify efficiencies, build robust cost models, and underpin