Head of Operational Optimisation & Workforce Forecasting

Places for People; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension with matched contributions

Bonus scheme up to 15%

Car Allowance

Healthcare cashback plan

Wellbeing support and EAP

Gym membership to Places Gyms

Life Assurance

Will-writing services

Training & progression

Recognition programmes

Job summary

Places Leisure, part of Places for People, seeks a Head of Operational Optimisation to drive smarter, data-led resource management and cost control across its multi-site portfolio. You will refine labour planning, forecasting and cost models, collaborating with senior leaders to deliver operational and commercial goals.

Travel to leisure sites is frequent (2–3 days per week) and you will influence decisions across Operations, Finance, Technology and Customer Service to protect the customer

Qualifications

• Extensive labour planning and workforce management experience within a multi-site organisation.
• Ability to forecast operational demand and translate into practical labour plans, hours and costs.
• Experience analysing labour and non-labour P&L drivers and turning findings into action.
• Practical experience with time and motion studies to assess activity, capacity and efficiency.
• Advanced Excel and Power BI skills to build models and reporting for decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of data-led approaches to manage resources and costs across Places Leisure.
• Improve labour planning, scheduling and forecasting to meet operational and commercial goals.
• Identify efficiencies, reduce avoidable spend and build practical cost models.
• Support refits, bids and growth opportunities with robust financial analysis.
• Collaborate with Operations, Finance and central teams and travel to sites as required.

Skills

Labour planning

Workforce management

Forecasting

P&L analysis

Cost transformation

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Stakeholder influence

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Places Leisure, part of Places for People, seeks a Head of Operational Optimisation to drive smarter, data-led resource management and cost control across its multi-site portfolio. You will refine labour planning, forecasting and cost models, collaborating with senior leaders to deliver operational and commercial goals.

Travel to leisure sites is frequent (2–3 days per week) and you will influence decisions across Operations, Finance, Technology and Customer Service to protect the customer