Resource Planning Manager (Scheduling & Real-Time)

ao.com; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holidays + bank holidays

Pension 5% company contribution

AO Arena tickets and events access

Health & wellbeing programs

Exclusive product discounts

Family leave enhancements

Paid volunteering days

On-site parking and amenities

Job summary

AO.com is seeking a Resource Planning Manager (Scheduling & Real‑Time) to lead the team turning forecasts into workable schedules and maintain performance across the day. The role is based onsite five days a week in Bolton, with accountability for real-time staffing, intraday decisions and service levels.

You will own scheduling across contact centre areas, design shift patterns, and drive adherence to planning timelines while balancing colleague preferences and demand.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in resource planning, scheduling and real-time management within a contact centre/business operation.
• Strong influencing skills with confidence to challenge and gain buy-in.
• Data-led mindset using insight to guide decisions and improvements.
• Ability to stay calm, focused and agile when plans change.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Proven people leadership experience, developing high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end scheduling across all contact centre areas aligned to forecasted demand and priorities.
• Design and maintain effective shift patterns balancing operational needs with colleague preferences.
• Optimise schedules by managing shrinkage to maximise productivity and service.
• Ensure schedules are delivered on time per planning timelines.
• Lead the Real Time team, monitor intraday performance and take decisive action to protect service levels.
• Manage same-day resource movement including queue and skill changes.
• Respond to spikes in demand or system issues with confidence.
• Drive intraday adherence and ensure swift action by operations teams.
• Track adherence and intraday KPIs and translate insights into improvements.
• Collaborate with Forecasting and Operational leaders to keep plans aligned.

Skills

Resource planning

Scheduling

Real-time management

Influencing

Communication

People leadership

Job description

Our Resource Planning team plays a huge part in helping AO deliver brilliant service every day. As our Resource Planning Manager (Scheduling & Real‑Time), you’ll lead the team responsible for turning forecasts into workable schedules and keeping performance on track throughout the day.

You’ll be accountable for how we plan, deploy and flex our people in real time, making sure we’re always set up to meet customer demand while keeping colleague experience front of mind. It’s a role where your decisions genuinely matter, as you'll be influencing service levels, efficiency and engagement across our contact centres.

Our people are our superpower, and we’re unstoppable when we’re together! We want your ideas to flow, and what better way to make that happen than being based onsite, 5 days a week, where our culture fuels creativity, collaboration and growth. If a £1 bet in the pub between two friends can become the UKs most trusted electrical retailer, imagine what else can be achieved when we’re together.

Here's What You Can Expect To Be Doing

• Owning the end to end scheduling process across all contact centre areas, aligned to forecasted demand and business priorities
• Designing and maintaining effective shift patterns, balancing operational needs with colleague preferences
• Optimising schedules by managing all proactive and reactive shrinkage to maximise productivity and service
• Ensuring schedules are delivered on time and in line with agreed planning timelines
• Leading the Real Time team, monitoring intraday performance and taking decisive action to protect service levels
• Managing same day resource movement, including queue and skill changes
• Responding confidently to unexpected events such as spikes in demand or system issues
• Driving strong real time adherence, making sure operational teams act quickly on intraday actions
• Tracking adherence and intraday KPIs, turning insight into clear recommendations for improvement
• Working closely with Forecasting and Operational leaders to keep plans and delivery aligned

A Few Things About You

• Solid experience in resource planning, scheduling and real time management within a contact centre/business operation
• Strong influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge, advise and gain buy in
• A data led mindset, using insight to guide decisions and improvements
• The ability to stay calm, focused and agile when plans change
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills
• Proven people leadership experience, with a passion for developing high performing teams

A Bit About Us

We’re big on appliances and electricals, REALLY big. Washing machines, fridge freezers and TVs? They’re our bread and butter. Mobiles, Airwraps and Ring doorbells? Yep, those too. If it plugs in, powers up or makes life easier, AO probably has it.

But we’re more than that… For over 25 years, trust has been at the heart of everything we do, helping us become the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer. Our customers rate us 4.9 on Trustpilot from nearly ONE MILLION reviews and more 5-star ratings than any other UK electrical retailer, because they know they can rely on us and it’s the exact same for our AOers too.

We truly believe it’s more than just a job, we genuinely care about each other and our impact on making our customers lives easier, by helping them brilliantly. Everyone here knows how their role makes a difference. Our people are our superpower, so, when it comes to finding new AOers, we know it’s about more than just a CV, it’s about what makes you, YOU.

Our benefits are designed to cover the moments that matter to AOers. From health and wellness to giving back - you’ll be rewarded inside and outside of work.

• Holidays; 25 days, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 2 years with us!)
• Pension; Contribute 5% of your annual salary and we'll do the same, giving you a little extra support for the future.
• Be a VIP at the AO Arena; we have loads of opportunities to win free tickets and pre-sale access!
• Health & wellbeing; discounted gym membership, an onsite spa and our Help @ Hand scheme giving you access to virtual GP’s, Mental Health support and much more.
• Discounts; exclusive discounts across our product range.
• Family leave; Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave.
• Making a difference; 2 fully paid days a year to donate your time to any charity of your choice.
• On site perks; start your day with free on site parking, grabbing a complimentary breakfast and a coffee at our subsidised in house coffee shop!

To see all our benefits and perks, visit our AO Benefits page.