Workforce Management & Optimization Manager

Working Solutions; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual merit increases

401(k) with company match

Generous paid time off

Fully remote work

Health insurance options

Job summary

Working Solutions is seeking a Manager to lead the Workforce Management and Optimization function for a multi-client, multi-channel remote workforce. You will forecast, capacity plan, schedule design, plan-versus-actual analysis, reporting, process improvement, and workforce tools. This role develops the WFM Analysts and partners with Real-Time Operations to connect plans with daily execution.

Schedule: M-F 10-7 CST. Must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Qualifications

• Five or more years leading WFM in contact center or BPO environments.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management.
• Proficient in Excel/PowerPoint; familiar with Power BI and SQL.
• Ability to translate business requirements into staffing plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, prioritize, and support the WFM Analysts; establish client portfolios and development priorities.
• Own workforce forecasts, capacity models, staffing plans, and planning assumptions.
• Direct schedule design, schedule production, and staffing-plan maintenance.
• Review staffing, identify risks, and advise on gaps and actions.
• Perform plan-versus-actual analysis across key workforce metrics.
• Provide strategic workforce insights to support KPI reviews and client planning.
• Translate trends into practical recommendations for operations and client teams.
• Define WFM reporting requirements and collaborate on data governance and dashboards.
• Own design and maintenance of WFM processes and calendars; coordinate with Real-Time Operations.
• Identify and manage workforce-improvement initiatives with clear benefits and risks.
• Maintain an inventory of client deliverables and ownership; escalate conflicts as needed.
• Refine forecasts and schedules using Real-Time Operations feedback.
• Lead client meetings and planning calls; present findings clearly to leaders.
• Participate in real-time staffing discussions for escalations or cross-functional issues.
• Serve as backup for the Manager, Real-Time Operations when needed.

Job description

Lead the forward-looking Workforce Management and Optimization function for a multi-client, multi-channel remote workforce. This role is accountable for forecasting, capacity planning, schedule design, plan-versus-actual analysis, reporting, process improvement, and workforce tools. The Manager develops the WFM Analysts, turns business requirements and operating data into actionable staffing recommendations, and partners with the Manager, Real-Time Operations to connect plans with daily execution. Schedule preferred M-F 10-7pm CST.

To qualify for employee positions, candidates must be legal residents of one of the following states: AR, AZ, FL, IN, IA, MI, NC, NE, OH, TN, TX.

Duties

• Lead, coach, prioritize, and support the WFM Analysts. Establish clear client portfolios, deliverable ownership, backup responsibilities, quality standards, and development priorities.
• Own workforce forecasts, capacity models, staffing plans, and planning assumptions for clients where Operational Insights provides those services. Support and review client-directed plans where responsibility remains with the client.
• Direct schedule design, schedule production, and staffing-plan maintenance according to the approved service model, client requirements, operating constraints, and available workforce.
• Review client staffing and lock plans, identify forward-looking risks, and advise program teams of capacity gaps, coverage concerns, assumption changes, and recommended actions.
• Perform and oversee plan-versus-actual analysis, including volume, workload, staffing, service level, occupancy, adherence, and other relevant workforce measures.
• Provide strategic workforce insights that support business decisions, KPI review, team analysis, client planning, resource allocation, and account performance.
• Research call trends, demand drivers, performance patterns, and recurring operational issues. Translate findings into practical recommendations for Operations, Program Success, and client teams.
• Define WFM reporting requirements and work with Business Intelligence and technical partners on governed data, dashboards, integrations, and data-quality controls.
• Own the design and maintenance of WFM processes, planning calendars, analytical standards, documentation, and fallback methods. Coordinate implementation with Real-Time Operations and program teams.
• Identify, prioritize, and manage workforce process-improvement, automation, and tool-development initiatives. Document expected benefits, adoption requirements, risks, and results.
• Maintain a clear inventory of recurring client deliverables, deadlines, assumptions, dependencies, and ownership. Escalate conflicts between new requests, available capacity, and existing commitments.
• Use feedback from Real-Time Operations to refine forecasts, schedules, staffing recommendations, escalation criteria, reports, and tools.
• Own client meetings, planning calls, and communication related to forecasting, capacity, schedules, staffing plans, performance trends, reporting, and improvement initiatives.
• Present assumptions, findings, risks, recommendations, and follow-up items in terms that client and program leaders can act on.
• Participate in real-time staffing, compliance, and escalation discussions when planning or analytical support is required.
• Serve as backup client-facing leadership for the Manager, Real-Time Operations when that manager is unavailable or when a client issue spans both functions.

• Work as a leadership counterpart to the other Operational Insights Manager and maintain clear handoffs between real-time execution and forward-looking workforce planning.
• Provide secondary support for the counterpart manager’s essential meetings, communications, escalations, and leadership responsibilities to maintain continuity during absences, peak demand, or cross‑functional issues.
• Share significant client risks, staffing concerns, forecast changes, process gaps, and commitments with the Director and counterpart manager in a timely manner.
• Maintain enough cross‑functional knowledge to provide informed backup support without weakening primary accountability for the assigned function.

Requirements

Must be a US citizen or permanent resident to be considered for full‑time employment

• Five or more years of experience with contact center processes, workforce management, analytics, reporting, or closely related work.
• Demonstrated leadership ability, sound judgment, initiative, and ownership in a fast‑paced environment with changing priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including the ability to identify risks, evaluate options, and communicate concerns promptly.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Experience using workforce management and contact center platforms is preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, leaders, program teams, analysts, specialists, and technical partners at all organizational levels.
• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, meet deadlines, maintain attention to detail, and remain accountable for results with limited supervision.
• Commitment to continuous learning and the ability to build team capability through coaching, documentation, knowledge sharing, and feedback.
• Experience with forecasting, capacity planning, scheduling, plan‑versus‑actual analysis, data visualization, or workforce optimization is preferred.
• Working knowledge of reporting, automation, Power BI, SQL, or similar analytical tools is preferred.

• Ability to use a keyboard, attend virtual meetings, and work at a computer for a large portion of the work period.
• Ability to support business needs across client operating hours, including occasional urgent escalations or schedule adjustments.

In addition to a competitive base salary, Working Solutions employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including, but not limited to:

• Annual merit increases
• Choices for health, dental, vision, life, disability and supplemental insurance plans and a 401(k) with company match
• Generous paid time off, holidays, and volunteerism time
• An amazing company culture and all the benefits of fully remote work

We believe in providing equal pay for equal work. Our compensation practices are designed to ensure fairness and are regularly reviewed to maintain this standard.