Workforce Optimisation Manager at Pepkor Payments & Lending

Key Responsibilities: 

Workforce Management

• Lead the overall WFM function covering Forecasting, Scheduling, Real-Time Management, Capacity Planning and Reporting & Analytics
• Design and implement workforce strategies to meet service level agreements and internal operational goals and business targets
• Ensure accurate and timely delivery of short- and long-term forecasting and capacity planning for voice, chat, email and back-office processes
• Oversee creation and optimization of schedules, adherence monitoring, and real-time service delivery
• Implement effective seat optimization strategies within Operations
• Drive efficiencies in staffing and cost management while meeting Service Level Agreements (SLAs), productivity, and key performance metrics
• Collaborate with business leaders and cross-functional teams to ensure WFM alignment with business objectives
• Ongoing stakeholder engagement across all business units to ensure effective execution of strategy
• Drive process automation, technology adoption (such as NICE IEX, Verint, Genesys WFM, or equivalent tools), and analytics-led decision-making
• Provide timeous and accurate information for delivery of Operations payroll

Business / Operations Management 

• Design, develop and maintain resource and capacity planning models for all business areas
• Develop projections of capacity needs based on workload volume forecasts (including growth/efficiencies, planned, unplanned and attrition trending, scheduling practices, business process changes, marketing initiatives etc.)
• Engage operations management on monthly staffing and recruitment requirements based on projection
• Analyze workforce metrics and trends to identify areas for improvement and support strategic decision-making
• Provide regular reports and recommendations to operations management on workforce planning performance
• Participate in reviews and presentations to demonstrate WFM performance and initiatives, and provide input i.t.o scenario-planning for new product/ process implementations
• Active participation with quality input in Budget process
• Compliance to relevant and applicable Labour legislation

Projects and Initiatives

• Collaborate cross-functionally on business transformation and digital optimization initiatives with measurable WFM impact
• Identify, scope, and manage continuous improvement opportunities using data-led insights, propose efficiencies, methodologies or automation tools
• Track, report and communicate project milestones, risks, and successes to stakeholders and leadership
• Serve as the WFM lead on strategic business initiatives (e.g. New system led implementation, channel adoption and integration, AI implementation, workforce digitization) 
• Champion change management to ensure the successful rollout and adoption of any new workforce processes, systems or technologies
• Continuously benchmark industry trends to inform innovation in WFM practices and strategic workforce design

Leadership and People Management

• Builds and drives an engaged culture within the Capfin & Tenacity teams
• Identifies individual employee growth, training and development needs within Department
• Conducts regular departmental meetings to ensure high level of communication, teamwork, integration and motivation
• Ensures that the departmental structures (roles and responsibilities) and resources are in place to support departmental operational performance and objectives
• Complies with Company performance management policies, procedures, and practices
• Ensures that the employee objectives are identified, updated, and agreed with by the employee in the Individual Development Plan
• Conducts Probation Review discussions with new employees to ensure that the employee is integrated into the business and that the performance standards are met during the probation period
• Coaches and mentors direct reports to ensure that they obtain the required skills and performance standards
• Conducts periodic performance feedback discussions with direct reports as per the company’s Performance Management process
• Identifies and implements appropriate corrective action to address non-performance by an employee through the performance improvement process to ensure that the performance standards are met within a specified time frame
• Manage the team’s absenteeism in line with the Company’s Absence Management Policy i.e. return to work etc.  

Requirements
Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Analytics, Statistics, Computer Science, Finance, or related field or Diploma in Data Analysis / Data Science is advantageous
• 8 - 10 years of workforce planning and forecasting experience in a large-scale operations (500+ FTE), in-and outbound, multi-channel Contact Centre environment at a managerial level
• Solid understanding of call centre workforce management tools, principles, and theories
• Capacity planning experience
• Knowledge of statistics, and experience in using statistical packages for analysing datasets is advantageous