Resource Manager

Dentsu; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

Life insurance

Short-term and long-term disability

401k

Flexible paid time off

At least 15 paid holidays per year

Paid sick leave

Paid parental leave

Hybrid/remote work options

Job summary

Dentsu in Chicago operates a hybrid model and is seeking a Resource Manager to optimize staffing across multiple client projects. You will lead Capacity Planning, balance supply and demand, and guide a team of Resource Advisors and Managers with strategic staffing recommendations.

You will partner with growth teams, recruiting, and leadership to ensure right people are at the right time and cost, while maintaining accurate capacity data and reporting to drive operational excellence and improved

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, HR, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 6+ years of resource management, workforce planning, project management, or related function.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and translate insights into action.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Capacity Planning meetings to understand resource needs and mitigate risks.
• Coordinate with growth teams, account leads, recruiting, HR, and operations to fill supply and demand.
• Monitor opportunity pipeline and align dates with resource availability.
• Lead a team of Resource Advisors and Resource Managers overseeing day-to-day responsibilities.
• Maintain accurate data for resource capacity in the workforce management tool.
• Track utilization, analyze anomalies, and drive performance improvements.
• Resolve staffing conflicts and propose staffing alternatives.
• Escalate high-risk staffing situations to leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Organization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Operations, or related field

Tools

Workday

HRIS

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

PowerBI

Adobe Workfront

Job description

Job Description: We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Resource Manager to join our team. In this role, you will support effective Capacity Planning by balancing supply and demand, engaging with professionals to align them with the right opportunities, and partnering with recruitment and leadership teams to maintain workforce optimization. The Resource Manager independently is responsible for a portfolio of Capacity Planning clients and projects and provides accurate reporting and analysis to leadership and project teams by identifying gaps, helping to resolve issues, and making strategic and thoughtful staffing suggestions. This role will also lead a team of Resource Advisors and Resource Managers, aligning employee skills and experience with project requirements to staff projects effectively. The goal is to ensure open staffing needs are filled with the right person at the right time at the right cost. We expect this role to be active in participating in initiatives to improve Resource Management and Operations. Your work will be instrumental in driving operational excellence and enhancing both employee experience and client delivery outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Capacity Planning meetings to understand resource needs on new projects, timeline movement, added scope and facilitate risk/issue mitigations.
• Liaise between growth teams, account leads, service line leadership, recruiting, human resources, and operations for filling applicable supply and demand
• Work closely with Growth teams on early-stage opportunities to align close dates with resource availability across a portfolio of clients.
• Document action items and meeting notes at Capacity Planning meetings with business capability leaders.
• Leads a team of Resource Advisors and Resource Managers overseeing their day-to-day responsibilities for accuracy and completeness.
• Escalate sensitive or high-risk staffing situations to leadership as needed.
• Proactively reviews opportunity pipeline to create and understand the picture of upcoming demand
• Maintain and ensure accuracy of data for resource capacity in workforce management tool
• Track utilization against targets, analyze anomalies, and support remediation strategies to drive performance.
• Validate external hire requests from business capability leaders, tracking approvals and open job requisitions in Workday once approved.
• Work with line of business managers along with resources to gain meaningful understanding of their skills, experience and aspirations and identify the right opportunities for them.
• Propose resources with current or near-term availability to project that align with their skills, professional goals, and/or staffing preferences.
• Influence leadership and resources to accept alternate staffing outcomes by articulating the value and long-term or “big picture” benefits.
• Understand and communicate the impacts (financial, client relationship, skill) of applying one resource over another.
• Point of Contact for conflict resolution as it relates to resource needs, placements, allocations, and shifts.
• Resolve staffing conflicts to the satisfaction of all parties, which may include identifying creative staffing alternatives and negotiating with projects and resources.
• Identify instances of current and potential future over/under utilization and work with leadership to address issues and mitigate risk.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Operations, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 6+ years of experience in resource management, workforce planning, project management, or a related function.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into action.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using Workday or similar HRIS platforms.
• Background in a large agency, consulting or professional services organization.
• Excellent Microsoft application skills (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, PowerBI) Familiarity with capacity planning tools or utilization tracking systems, particularly Adobe Workfront.

Additional Information

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our hybrid way of working combines remote flexibility with regular in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Many of our employees who live within commuting distance (90 minutes) from one of our Headquarter or Hub Offices (New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles) are required to work in the office 2-3 days per week including one Team Day. The minimum number of days may vary by office and role. Dentsu may designate other HQ or Hub offices at any time. Those who do not live near an office may be designated as a remote employee, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect you to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office from time to time.

Location: Detroit Brand: Merkle Time Type: Full time Contract Type: Permanent

Benefits available with this position include:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance,
• Life insurance,
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance,
• 401k,
• Flexible paid time off,
• At least 15 paid holidays per year,
• Paid sick and safe leave,
• Paid parental leave.

Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies.

For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.

The annual salary range for this position is $78,000-$110,000.

Dentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Dentsu is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with us, please send an e‑mail [e-mail] clicking on the link to let usknow the nature of your accommodation request and your contact information. We are here to support you.

About dentsu For over 120 years, innovation is a core tenet of our offering – exploring new ways to reach, engage and nurture relationships with audiences. Together we drive a multiplier effect for clients at a global scale, through the development of Integrated Growth Solutions that are underpinned by our promise to clients: innovating to impact. Be a force for good. Sustainability is a vital part of our business and an important area of focus for our clients. We’re leading the way – helping to build a more sustainable planet. Dream loud. In this moment of transformation, we need our people to be fearless, embracing change and ambiguity, driven by the love for their work and excitement for the future. Team without limits. We create opportunities for connection and collaboration between our colleagues and clients, building a sense of belonging and having some fun along the way. Find out more about us Who we are Our Social Impact Our work