Workforce Planning and Operational Insight Manager

The Automobile Association; Oldbury; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days' annual leave plus bank/public

Up to 7% employer pension contribution

AA breakdown membership from Day One +

GP access and wellbeing support

Employee discounts including car and 2

Job summary

The AA is seeking a senior leader to head forecasting, workforce planning and resource effectiveness within Road Operations. You will bring together demand, staffing, skills, cost and performance insight to guide leaders on practical, affordable options and longer‑term workforce scenarios.

You’ll build a specialist team and partner across Operations, People, Finance, Data and Technology. With proven ability to challenge assumptions and translate complex data into clear recommendations, you will

Qualifications

• Senior experience in workforce planning, resource management or demand and capacity modelling in a complex service environment.
• Practical forecasting, scenario modelling and data visualisation experience.
• Experience leading specialist teams and improving planning or control processes with measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead forecasting, workforce planning and resource effectiveness to turn complex choices into clear recommendations.
• Shape immediate operational plans and longer term workforce scenarios in collaboration with leaders across functions.
• Influence decisions with senior stakeholders and translate insight into practical actions.

Skills

Senior workforce planning

Forecasting & modelling

Team leadership

Analytical judgement

Stakeholder influence

Change governance

Education

Relevant qualifications or demonstrable experience in workforce planning, analytics, operations, project management or change management

Tools

Power BI

Job description

• Lead workforce planning and operational insight across Road Operations, shaping how capacity and skills meet customer demand.
• Influence decisions on resource, productivity and service resilience alongside the Head of Control Tower and Road Operations leaders.
• Develop a specialist team and contribute workforce insight to strategic planning and change.
• Shape workforce planning across Road Operations so demand, capacity, skills and cost decisions support reliable customer service.
• Lead forecasts, capacity models and scenarios that make resource trade-offs clear and help leaders choose practical, affordable options.
• Turn longer-term plans into staffing, skills and shift requirements that improve productivity while supporting resilience and colleague wellbeing.
• Set effective standards for rostering, scheduling and variable pay controls, strengthening consistency and confidence in workforce decisions.
• Translate operational and financial insight into clear recommendations for senior leaders, challenging assumptions and supporting agreed actions.
• Partner across Operations, People, Finance, Data and Technology to improve data quality, planning measures and the decisions they inform.
• Lead and develop the specialist planning and insight team, while using performance evidence and emerging approaches to improve forecasting and resource effectiveness.

Working within the Control Tower, you'll lead the approach to forecasting, workforce planning and resource effectiveness. You'll bring together demand, staffing, skills, cost and performance insight to turn complex choices into clear, practical recommendations for leaders. You'll shape both immediate operational plans and longer‑term workforce scenarios, influence decisions across Operations, People, Finance, Data and Technology, and lead a specialist team. If you combine analytical judgement with collaborative leadership and the confidence to challenge constructively, this is an opportunity to make your insight count.

• Senior experience in workforce planning, resource management, operational insight or demand and capacity modelling in a complex service environment.
• Practical expertise in forecasting, scenario modelling, workforce supply and demand, performance analysis and data visualisation.
• Experience leading specialist teams and improving planning or operational‑control processes with measurable outcomes.
• Sound analytical judgement, with the ability to translate complex information into actionable operational recommendations.
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders, constructively challenging assumptions and explaining insight to non‑technical audiences.
• Strong change‑management and governance skills, with attention to data quality, risk and delivery accountability.

Nice to Have

• Advanced forecasting and modelling skills, with experience using Power BI and other analytics tools to support data‑driven decision‑making.
• Experience using workforce management systems, analytics, automation or AI to improve workforce planning and operational performance.
• Relevant qualifications or demonstrable experience in workforce planning, analytics, operations, project management or change management.

Benefits

• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, the option to buy additional holiday
• Up to 7% employer pension contribution
• Free AA breakdown membership from Day One with 50% discount for family and friends, discounts on AA products including car and home insurance
• 24/7 GP access and wellbeing support for you and your family
• A wide range of employee discounts, including our popular car salary sacrifice scheme

For over a century, The AA has been keeping Britain moving. Today, millions of drivers trust us to be there when it matters most, and we're equally committed to supporting the people who make that possible. With a 4.5-star Glassdoor rating, we've built a culture where colleagues are empowered to grow, collaborate and make a real impact for our customers on every journey. Which has been recognised by Sunday Times 'Best Places to Work' for the last two years.

At The AA, we value the unique perspectives, experiences and ideas that our people bring. We've nurtured a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to do their best work.

Through our employee communities and inclusion initiatives, we've created opportunities for people to connect, share experiences and influence positive change across the business. This is a place where your voice matters and where you can belong, grow and succeed.

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