Job Overview

Our client is looking for a specialized and analytical Workforce Planner to join their Operations and Workforce Planning team. This role is responsible for developing, managing, and maintaining effective national workforce and vehicle capacity plans to ensure operational resources align with forecast demand, service requirements, and business objectives.

Unlike traditional operational supervisory roles focused on day-to-day execution, the Workforce Planner brings dedicated forward-planning and analytical capability to the DMP Operating Model. The position owns national vehicle and driver rosters, oversees demand and capacity analysis, conducts workforce forecasting and resource modeling, and identifies forward operational risks. Working closely with Near-Term Planning Leads, Planning Coordinators, and operational stakeholders, the Workforce Planner validates capacity to ensure Scheduling receives achievable data for Optimiser Planning, ultimately building a structured, data-driven, and sustainable workforce planning function.

Schedule: Full time, Shifting schedule | Australia Time

Responsibilities:

Workforce Planning and Roster Ownership

• Own and maintain national vehicle and driver rosters, ensuring resources align with forecast demand and operational requirements.
• Develop and maintain near-term and medium-term workforce plans, providing forward visibility of driver and vehicle requirements.
• Ensure workforce plans account for operational demand, resource availability, planned activities, and anticipated changes in business requirements.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date records of actual, committed, and available workforce and vehicle capacity.
• Review and continuously optimize workforce allocation to maximize resource utilization, stability, and deployment efficiency.
• Ensure workforce plans remain aligned with agreed operational requirements and planning parameters.

Demand Forecasting and Capacity Planning

• Analyze forecast operational demand to determine future driver and vehicle capacity requirements.
• Conduct demand and capacity assessments to identify potential workforce shortages or excess capacity.
• Develop workforce forecasts based on historical demand, operational trends, anticipated workload, and future requirements.
• Undertake resource modeling and scenario planning to evaluate demand changes, workforce availability, and operational constraints.
• Proactively identify capacity risks before they impact operational execution, recommending appropriate scaling or redistribution.
• Maintain suitable capacity buffers to accommodate demand fluctuations, unexpected absences, and operational recovery.

Live Capacity and Resource Availability Management

• Manage and maintain visibility of live workforce and vehicle capacity across key categories: Attendance, Absenteeism, Standby resources, On-call resources, and Planned-off resources.
• Ensure actual workforce availability is accurately reflected in capacity plans and operational records.
• Monitor changes in driver attendance, vehicle availability, and resource commitments, resolving discrepancies promptly.
• Coordinate with Near-Term Planning Leads and operational stakeholders to address resource availability issues.
• Regularly update capacity information to maintain an accurate representation of operational readiness.

Capacity Validation and Scheduling Handover

• Validate driver and vehicle availability before releasing capacity to Scheduling for Optimiser Planning.
• Confirm that workforce and vehicle capacity assumptions are realistic, achievable, and appropriately allocated.
• Resolve discrepancies between planned resources and confirmed availability prior to scheduling cut-offs.
• Establish a structured handover process with Scheduling, communicating known capacity constraints, resource risks, or operational exceptions.

Capacity Risk Management and Stakeholder Coordination

• Proactively identify capacity gaps, surpluses, and emerging operational risks.
• Collaborate with Planning Coordinators, Near-Term Planning Leads, and operational stakeholders to resolve capacity issues and develop mitigation plans.
• Escalate significant capacity risks requiring management intervention or additional resources.
• Provide data-driven recommendations for resource scaling, down-scaling, and corrective actions based on operational trends.

Performance Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

• Reconcile planned versus actual workforce and vehicle capacity to evaluate forecast accuracy.
• Analyze operational outcomes and performance trends to identify recurring issues and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and maintain capacity reports, workforce dashboards, and planning performance metrics.
• Continuously improve workforce planning methodologies using historical data, operational feedback, and performance insights.

Planning Governance and Compliance

• Maintain planning discipline and governance across near-term and medium-term workforce planning activities.
• Ensure compliance with agreed planning cut-offs, resource confirmation requirements, roster management procedures, and relevant regulatory obligations.
• Maintain clear records of planning assumptions, capacity changes, approvals, and exceptions.
• Support the development and standardization of workforce planning procedures and governance frameworks.

Requirements

• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in Workforce Planning, Capacity Planning, Resource Planning, Demand Forecasting, or Operations Planning.
• Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and forecasting large-scale workforce or resource plans and rosters (preferably involving drivers and vehicles).
• Proven track record in demand forecasting, capacity modeling, scenario analysis, and resource allocation.
• Demonstrated ability to identify capacity constraints, forecast operational risks, and execute data-driven mitigation strategies.
• Experience coordinating across multiple operational teams in high-volume environments.
• Experience reconciling planned versus actual capacity to drive continuous process improvements.
• Background or exposure to transport, fleet, logistics, or distribution operations is a strong advantage.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related discipline.
• Formal training or qualifications in Workforce Planning, Resource Planning, Operations Research, or Data Analytics highly regarded.
  

Nice to have:

• Certifications in Workforce Management, Lean Six Sigma, Business Analytics, or Project Management.

Technical Skills and Systems Knowledge

• Advanced analytical and numerical capabilities for demand forecasting, capacity modeling, and roster optimization.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, complex formulas, data analysis, and reporting).
• Experience with workforce management, rostering, and scheduling platforms.
• Familiarity with Power BI or other business intelligence and data visualization tools.
• Proficiency in handling large operational datasets and reporting systems.

Core Competencies

• Analytical Thinking: Data-driven mindset with strong numerical capability to interpret complex operational trends and capacity gaps.
• Strategic Planning: Ability to anticipate future requirements, manage near/medium-term planning horizons, and optimize resource deployment.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Strong communication skills to interact productively with Planning Coordinators, Scheduling, and Operations teams.
• Governance & Detail: High attention to detail, accuracy, process compliance, and commitment to maintaining reliable planning records.
• Accountability: High level of ownership over national capacity outcomes with a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Workforce Forecast Accuracy: Accuracy of forecast driver and vehicle requirements against actual demand.
• Capacity Alignment: Alignment between forecast demand and available workforce/vehicle capacity.
• Roster Accuracy & Stability: Completeness of rosters and reduction in last-minute roster disruptions.
• Resource Availability Tracking: Accuracy of attendance, absenteeism, standby, on-call, and planned-off records.
• Capacity Validation & Handover: Percentage of validated capacity released to Scheduling within agreed cut-offs.
• Capacity Risk Identification: Timely escalation and mitigation of capacity gaps and surpluses.
• Resource Utilization: Optimization of driver and vehicle usage across national operations.
• Planning vs. Actual Reconciliation: Precision in analyzing planned versus actual operational outcomes.
• Governance & Process Improvement: Strict adherence to planning governance and implementation of efficiency initiatives.

Independent Contractor Perks

• Health coverage in eligible locations
• Permanent work from home
• Immediate hiring

Note

Please click the "Apply" button to complete your application, including the assessment questions, technical check, and voice recording. Your hourly pay rate will be established based on your performance in the application process; submissions with all requirements fulfilled will receive priority review.

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