Forecasting and Planning Manager (12 month FTC)

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About The Role

As a Forecasting and Planning Manager on a 12-month fixed term contract, you'll play a crucial role in shaping how we support our customers by ensuring we have the right people, in the right place, at the right time. You'll lead on long-term forecasting, capacity planning, and scheduling across our multi-skilled and multi-channel operation, supporting both our UK-based and South Africa-based teams.

Using data-driven insight, you'll help maintain strong service levels, optimise efficiency and ensure we deliver a consistent, high-quality customer experience. This role also plays a key part in future planning, identifying opportunities to improve performance and helping to build financial and operational sustainability.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Building and maintaining accurate forecasting models to align resource with expected customer demand across all channels
• Leading the creation of long-term capacity plans and short-term schedules for both internal and outsourced teams
• Managing budgets to ensure financial sustainability while maintaining excellent service
• Monitoring real-time performance data and adjusting plans to meet KPIs and service levels
• Identifying ways to optimise resource allocation and agent occupancy, reducing inefficiencies and improving customer outcomes
• Supporting the development and upskilling of the Performance Lead by sharing knowledge and best practice in forecasting and planning
• Collaborating with operations and insights teams to improve reporting accuracy and drive smarter decision-making
• Designing and improving contact strategies, including IVR enhancements, to improve containment and reduce customer effort
• Ensuring reporting is timely, consistent and supports visibility of key performance trends and forecast accuracy

About You

• Experience in a forecasting, planning or resource management role within a customer service or contact centre environment
• Strong analytical skills and a data-driven mindset, with the ability to turn insight into action
• Experience building and maintaining capacity models, schedules and budgets
• Excellent understanding of service level performance, agent productivity and occupancy metrics
• Skilled in using workforce management tools and systems
• Comfortable mentoring others and sharing technical knowledge in a clear, collaborative way
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• A proactive approach to problem solving, with a focus on continuous improvement
• Able to balance commercial and customer-focused priorities

Benefits

In addition to competitive salaries, we also offer the below core benefits:

• 20% colleague discount, which increases with length of service
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata basis dependant on contracted hours)
• Optional extra holiday buy scheme up to 5 days per year
• PLUS 1 extra free day leave to support your wellbeing
• Thrive Recognition Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme & Wellbeing support provided by the Retail Trust
• Life Assurance
• Retail Rewards platform offering discounts for multiple retailers
• Pension Scheme
• Access to a wide range of career development
• Additional benefits may apply depending on your role and area of the business

About Matalan

From humble beginnings to disruptive innovations in the retail industry, find out about how Matalan is ever-evolving here on our careers site.

We know as a team, we are stronger together - we champion equality for all and make lasting connections that go beyond work. We thrive off our inclusive culture, encouraging our colleagues to bring their true selves to work and contributing to collective creativity, open-mindedness and growth.

We want give every candidate the opportunity to perform at their best throughout the application and interview process and then ultimately in their role. If you require any adjustments during our recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know. In the event that a high volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.

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