Senior Workforce Planning Manager

About the role

This role focuses on optimizing staffing within Airbnb's international contact centers. The primary goal is to balance operational costs with service quality by meticulously planning and managing employee schedules. This involves ensuring that staffing levels meet forecasted demand while minimizing both understaffing and overstaffing, and making real-time adjustments based on operational needs.

A key part of the work involves monitoring and controlling labor costs, including overtime and absenteeism, and analyzing performance data to identify areas for improvement. The manager will report on key metrics like occupancy rates and schedule adherence, providing senior management with data-driven recommendations to support strategic business decisions.

The position also includes leadership responsibilities, guiding a workforce operations team and fostering continuous improvement. Collaboration is essential, working with operational teams, HR, and product development to align workforce strategies with broader business objectives and managing relationships with external vendors to enhance workforce management solutions.

The base salary for this role ranges from $108,000 to $135,000 annually, with potential eligibility for bonuses, equity, and travel credits.

Skills that matter here

• workforce management: This role requires at least 10 years of experience in workforce management, specifically in international contact centers, focusing on scheduling, forecasting, and real-time management.
• contact center operations: A deep understanding of contact center dynamics, including call volume fluctuations and their impact on service levels, is essential for optimizing staffing and processes.
• workforce management software: Mastery of WFM tools such as Aspect, NICE, or Verint is required to effectively manage schedules and analyze workforce data.
• analytical and problem-solving skills: The role demands strong analytical abilities to interpret complex data, identify trends, and make strategic decisions based on forecasts and real-time information.
• project management skills: The ability to manage multiple initiatives concurrently is needed to oversee various workforce planning projects and improvements.
• leadership skills: This position involves leading and mentoring a workforce operations team, requiring the ability to empower and motivate colleagues.

Who this role suits

• Someone with a decade of experience in contact center workforce management, especially across international operations.
• A leader who can mentor a team and drive continuous improvement in workforce operations.
• An individual who excels at data analysis, using insights to make strategic staffing and cost control decisions.
• A collaborative professional who can effectively communicate and align workforce strategies with various stakeholders, from frontline staff to senior management.

From the employer

Workforce and Capacity Planning

• Oversee the creation and management of employee schedules to meet forecasted demand.
• Ensure schedules optimize resource allocation, minimizing understaffing and overstaffing.
• Collaborate with operational teams to adjust schedules based on real-time demand and unforeseen events.
• Optimize labor costs while maintaining service quality through strategic workforce management.
• Monitor and control unproductive time categories, ensuring rigorous oversight of overtime, absenteeism, and other factors impacting labor costs.

Service Level Management

• Collaborate in real-time with management to monitor call volume and agent availability, making adjustments on the fly to maintain service levels.
• Design and implement contingency plans during peak periods or unforeseen increases in volume.
• Communicate with operations leads to resolve staffing issues and find solutions to mitigate risks.

Performance Analysis and Reporting

• Analyze performance data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement.
• Report on key staffing metrics such as occupancy rate, schedule adherence, unproductive time, and service levels.
• Provide senior management with analyses and recommendations based on workforce data (e.g., changes in operating hours).

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead and mentor a workforce operations team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Ensure the team is trained and utilizes the latest workforce management practices and technologies.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with external vendors and partners to optimize workforce management solutions.
• Act as a liaison between the workforce operations team and contact center management to ensure workforce strategies support operational goals.
• Collaborate with other departments, such as HR, operations, and product development, to ensure workforce management activities align with overall business strategies.

Expertise

• At least 10 years of experience in workforce management, business operations, or operations management, serving international contact centers, with proven experience in leading and developing a workforce management team.
• Deep functional expertise, knowledge of contact center operations and best practices, as well as a comprehensive understanding of staff scheduling and process optimization.
• In-depth knowledge and expertise in workforce management software and tools: mastery of workforce management software (e.g., Aspect, NICE, Verint) is essential, along with a good understanding of industry best practices.
• Commitment to training on emerging technologies within contact centers is essential.
• Required experience in short-term forecasting, scheduling, real-time management, staffing, and reporting.
• Required experience working closely in the contact center field, with a deep understanding of customer service dynamics, contact volume fluctuations, and the impact of workforce management on service levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven track record of using data to make strategic business decisions.
• Ability to interpret complex data and make informed decisions based on forecasts and real-time data.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to build and lead a high-performing team.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership, empower and motivate teams and colleagues.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with senior management, frontline staff, and various other community service teams.

How We'll Take Care of You

• Our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market demands.
• The base pay range shown below is annualized, is subject to change, and may be modified in the future.
• This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.
• Canada Annual Pay Range $144,000 — $180,000 CAD.