Director Workforce Planning and Labor Management

Job Overview

The Director of Workforce Planning & Labor Management is responsible for developing and executing enterprise workforce strategies that optimize labor capacity, productivity, and cost across supply chain operations. This role partners closely with Supply Chain, Finance, and HR leaders to align labor planning with demand forecasts, operational rhythms, and long-term business strategy.

Job Responsibilities

• Core Responsibilities

  • Strategic Workforce Planning
  • Lead short- and long-term workforce planning across distribution network
  • Translate volume forecasts into labor demand plans (headcount, skills, shifts)
  • Build scenario models (peak, downturns, automation impacts, network changes)
  • Partner with Finance on labor budgeting, forecasting, and cost optimization

• Analytics & Insights

  • Lead workforce analytics capability (turnover, absenteeism, time-to-fill, productivity trends)
  • Develop dashboards and reporting for senior leadership
  • Use data to proactively identify risks (staffing gaps, burnout, cost overruns)

• Workforce Optimization

  • Align staffing strategies (full-time, part-time, contingent labor) with demand variability
  • Optimize scheduling, shift design, and workforce mix
  • Partner with Talent Acquisition on hiring plans tied to forecasts
  • Support network planning decisions (open/close/expand sites)
  • Identify productivity improvement opportunities and partner with operations on execution

• Stakeholder Partnership

  • Serve as a strategic partner to Supply Chain Operations leadership
  • Collaborate with HR, Finance, and Industrial Engineering teams
  • Influence senior leaders on workforce trade-offs and decisions

Job Requirements

• Education/ Certifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Supply Chain or related field required

• Experience

  • 10+ years in workforce planning, labor management, supply chain, or operations analytics
  • Experience in large-scale, hourly workforce environments (distribution, manufacturing, retail, logistics)
  • Strong analytical capability (forecasting, modeling, scenario planning)
  • Experience with LMS tools
  • Ability to influence senior operational leaders
  • Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel (forecasting models, scenario analysis, Power Query)
  • Workforce planning tools & analytics (labor modeling, scheduling systems)
  • Power BI or Tableau (dashboarding, workforce KPIs, labor insights)
  • Data analysis & forecasting (demand planning, capacity modeling)
  • SQL or data querying (workforce and labor data extraction)
  • Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint for executive reporting)

• Physical Environment/Demands

  • Office
  • Sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal
  • Reach with hands and arms
  • Talk or hear
  • Use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment
  • Stoop, bend, twist, and reach may be required