Job Description

The Director, Workforce Planning & Productivity provides enterprise-wide leadership and strategic oversight of workforce models and productivity processes to optimize labor efficiency, service delivery, and profitability. This role establishes labor standards, tools, and methodologies that align business needs with operational capabilities, ensuring workforce decisions enhance sales performance, customer experience, and compliance. Acting as the primary bridge between Finance, Operations, and People teams, the Director leverages data-driven insights to drive accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement across all labor planning activities.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Framework Development

• Lead the development of WHSmith’s labor and productivity frameworks, aligning field execution with business objectives and financial targets.
• Define labor standards, benchmarks, and operational models that drive consistency and efficiency across all locations and formats.
• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, Operations, and People teams to refine labor modeling, planning cycles, and deployment processes.
• Develop forward-looking forecasts, scenario modeling, and simulation tools to support enterprise decision-making.

Operational Oversight & Analysis

• Monitor labor utilization, payroll spend, and staffing performance to ensure adherence to approved budgets and productivity benchmarks.
• Conduct detailed labor and motion studies to validate assumptions and optimize scheduling accuracy.
• Partner with Finance and Field Operations to analyze performance gaps, cost drivers, and labor mix impacts on profitability.
• Drive improvement initiatives that enhance planning accuracy, reporting, and execution accountability.

Continuous Improvement & Enablement

• Lead the evaluation and integration of labor planning tools, dashboards, and analytics platforms to strengthen reporting and visibility.
• Develop and deliver actionable insights for leadership that connect labor decisions with service levels and customer satisfaction.
• Foster a culture of operational excellence and data-informed decision-making across the organization.

Key Metrics

• Labor Efficiency (%): Alignment of actual hours vs. guide hours and benchmarks.
• Payroll Budget Variance (%): Forecast vs. actual performance.
• Labor-to-Sales Ratio (%): Alignment of labor investment to revenue generation.
• Schedule Accuracy (%): On-time and compliant scheduling.

Productivity Gain (%): Annual improvement in labor optimization and cost control.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, or related field (MBA preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in workforce planning, productivity, or retail analytics leadership.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale cross-functional initiatives impacting labor strategy and performance.
• Advanced analytical and financial modeling skills.
• Strong communication and executive presentation capability.

Skills & Competencies

• Workforce analytics and planning expertise.
• Labor forecasting, modeling, and scenario analysis.
• Data visualization and interpretation for decision-making.
• Advanced proficiency with labor management tools and reporting systems.
• Continuous improvement and operational excellence mindset.
• Strategic and detail-oriented thinker with strong execution discipline.

Leadership Attributes

• Analytical and innovative leader who connects data to action.
• Collaborative partner who builds alignment across Finance, Operations, and People teams.
• Results-driven and disciplined with a continuous improvement focus.
• Trusted advisor capable of influencing senior stakeholders through insight and clarity.

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