Workforce Planning Manager

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Pension scheme 11% employer contrib.

Private medical insurance

Health care cash plans

Wellbeing resources

Job summary

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC in Bristol is seeking a Workforce Planning Manager to lead a Scheduling and RTM team for a c.300 FTE Helpdesk. The role drives end-to-end workforce planning, intraday management, and digital-first initiatives to boost service levels and efficiency.

You will partner with operations to improve adherence, governance and data-driven decision-making, while developing a high-performing team and embedding risk and compliance awareness.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Workforce Management (Scheduling, RTA/RTM) within a contact centre environment.
• Strong understanding of multi-channel operations (voice & email essential; chat/digital advantageous).
• Proven leadership experience managing WFM or RTA teams.
• Deep knowledge of workforce planning tools (NICE, Verint, Calabrio).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret operational data.
• Experience working in a regulated environment (financial services preferred).
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive operational change.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end scheduling and workforce planning for Core Helpdesk, ensuring shift patterns, capacity and shrinkage planning are aligned to forecast demand, service requirements, regulatory expectations and colleague fairness.
• Lead the RTA/RTM team to proactively manage intraday performance across voice and email channels, maintaining queue health and service levels through dynamic resource allocation, informed routing, overtime/under-time decisions and effective off-phone activity management.
• Partner with Operations Managers to improve adherence, schedule compliance, productivity and utilization, using intraday and post-day reviews to identify root causes, strengthen planning-to-live execution and reduce reactive firefighting.
• Define and embed governance frameworks, standards and controls across Scheduling and RTM, covering adherence, occupancy, productivity, interval-level service performance, schedule efficiency and compliance.
• Create standardized dashboards, reporting packs and KPIs that improve operational visibility, accountability and workforce management maturity, while ensuring alignment with FCA/PRA expectations and internal risk, audit and compliance requirements.
• Partner with Platform Services, Digital, Transformation and Client teams to use contact-driver, queue and repeat-volume insights to identify automation and improvement process opportunities.
• Implement digital-first and self-service solutions, such as chatbots, IVR deflection and knowledge bases, to reduce avoidable demand and improve client journey efficiency and satisfaction.
• Act as the key WFM interface for senior operations leadership, providing insight into workforce performance, risks and opportunities, influencing data-led decisions and collaborating cross-functionally to improve operational outcomes.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing Scheduling and RTM team, building advanced WFM, analytics and decision-making capability while embedding accountability, continuous improvement, operational excellence, engagement and retention.

Skills

Workforce management

RTA/RTM

Scheduling

Multi-channel ops

Stakeholder influence

Data analytics

Regulated environment

Tools

NICE

Verint

Calabrio

Job description

About the role The Workforce Planning Manager leads a team of Scheduling and Real Time Analysts supporting the end-to-end scheduling and intraday performance activity for a c.300 FTE multi-channel Helpdesk. The role optimizes workforce utilization, service levels and operational efficiency through effective scheduling, real-time management and digital-first initiatives that reduce contact demand, supporting consistent client outcomes in a regulated financial services environment.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead end-to-end scheduling and workforce planning for Core Helpdesk, ensuring shift patterns, capacity and shrinkage planning are aligned to forecast demand, service requirements, regulatory expectations and colleague fairness.
• Lead the RTA/RTM team to proactively manage intraday performance across voice and email channels, maintaining queue health and service levels through dynamic resource allocation, informed routing, overtime/under-time decisions and effective off-phone activity management.
• Partner with Operations Managers to improve adherence, schedule compliance, productivity and utilization, using intraday and post-day reviews to identify root causes, strengthen planning-to-live execution and reduce reactive firefighting.
• Define and embed governance frameworks, standards and controls across Scheduling and RTM, covering adherence, occupancy, productivity, interval-level service performance, schedule efficiency and compliance.
• Create standardized dashboards, reporting packs and KPIs that improve operational visibility, accountability and workforce management maturity, while ensuring alignment with FCA/PRA expectations and internal risk, audit and compliance requirements.
• Partner with Platform Services, Digital, Transformation and Client teams to use contact-driver, queue and repeat-volume insights to identify automation and improvement process opportunities.
• Implement digital-first and self-service solutions, such as chatbots, IVR deflection and knowledge bases, to reduce avoidable demand and improve client journey efficiency and satisfaction.
• Act as the key WFM interface for senior operations leadership, providing insight into workforce performance, risks and opportunities, influencing data-led decisions and collaborating cross-functionally to improve operational outcomes.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing Scheduling and RTM team, building advanced WFM, analytics and decision-making capability while embedding accountability, continuous improvement, operational excellence, engagement and retention.

About you

Essential:

• Extensive experience in Workforce Management (Scheduling, RTA/RTM) within a contact centre environment (300+ FTE preferred)
• Strong understanding of multi-channel operations (voice & email essential; chat/digital advantageous)
• Proven leadership experience managing WFM or RTA teams
• Deep knowledge of workforce planning tools (e.g., NICE, Verint, Calabrio)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret operational data
• Experience working in a regulated environment (financial services preferred)
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive operational change

Desirable:

• Experience driving digital-first or automation initiatives within Helpdesk operations
• Knowledge of forecasting and capacity planning methodologies
• Six Sigma / Lean or continuous improvement qualifications
• Experience with advanced analytics or WFM optimisation tools

Interview process

The interview process for this role will be a 1 stage interview consisting of competency and technical questions and a presentation.

Working Schedule

The Workforce Planning Manager role is a permanent, full time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Our office is based in Bristol, BS2 0TR. Hybrid working is available where only 3 days a week is required in the office.

Why us?

Here at HL, we’re the UK’s number 1 investment platform for private investors, based in Bristol. For more than 40 years we’ve helped investors save time, tax and money on their investments. To achieve our mission, we believe we have a workplace like no other, with constant learning, dynamic teams, and a great ethos. We’re steered by core values that promote service, quality, innovation, and opportunity in everything we do.

What’s on offer?

• Discretionary annual bonus* and annual pay review
• 25 days* holiday plus bank holidays and 1-day additional Christmas closure
• Option to purchase an additional 5 days holiday**
• Flexible working options available, including hybrid working
• Enhanced parental leave
• Pension scheme up to 11% employer contribution
• Income Protection and Life insurance (4 x salary core level of cover)
• Private medical insurance*
• Health care cash plans - including optical, dental, and outpatient care
• Health screening programme
• Help@hand - confidential support including mental health counselling and remote GP
• Wellhub - unlimited access to fitness providers and wellness coach sessions
• Variety of travel to work schemes with bike storage and shower facilities
• Inhouse barista and deli serving subsidised coffee and sandwiches
• Two paid volunteering days per year * dependant on role level
• ** only available to select during our annual benefits window, in November each year

Hargreaves Lansdown is an inclusive employer that values diversity in its workforce. We encourage applications from all individuals without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age. This role may also be available on a flexible working or part time basis – please ask the Recruitment & Onboarding team for more information. Please note, we are unable to provide employment sponsorship to candidates.

Hargreaves Lansdown is the UK's number one platform for private investors. Our purpose is to empower people to save and invest with confidence, and today, we are trusted with more than £120billion by over 1.7 million clients. We are based in the heart of Bristol now with over 2,000 colleagues. We believe we have a workplace like no other, with constant learning, dynamic teams and a great ethos. For more information about careers at HL and to see all our vacancies, please visit our careers website.