Planning Manager - Durban, South Africa (external)

WE'RE HIRING | CUSTOM CONNECT BPO

Planning Manager

Durban, South Africa - On-Site - Workforce Management

This is an exciting opportunity to step into a senior role within our WFM function, taking ownership of the full planning cycle across a complex, multi-site, global portfolio.

Why This Role?

You already understand how we work. You know the accounts, the rhythms, and the complexity of what we deliver. This role lets you take that knowledge and apply it at a higher level, shaping how planning is done rather than just doing it.

This is a role for someone who is ready to lead, to own outcomes, and to develop others while continuing to drive the technical quality of planning across the business.

The Opportunity

As Planning Manager, you will sit between the WFM Manager and our team of four Planners, acting as the operational owner of the planning cycle across approximately 18 accounts spanning the UK, Europe, USA, and South Africa.

You will be the quality gate, the coach, and the driver of continuous improvement across the planning function. You will own the forecast, lead capacity planning, oversee scheduling delivery, and represent the WFM function in client-facing conversations.

What You Will Be Accountable For

Forecast and Capacity Ownership

• Own the end-to-end forecasting process, with model development and refinement delivered in partnership with your planner team

• Validate and interrogate forecast inputs, outputs, and assumptions across all accounts

• Lead capacity planning, building headcount models that account for hiring timelines, attrition, shrinkage, and business growth

• Develop short-, medium-, and long-term workforce plans aligned with client and business objectives

Scheduling Oversight

• Oversee the design and delivery of optimised schedules across all accounts, delivered through the planner team

• Set and maintain scheduling frameworks, including shift patterns, break optimisation, and adherence strategies

• Review and approve scheduling outputs to ensure alignment with forecasted demand and SLA requirements

• Balance cost efficiency with service level performance across the portfolio

Team Leadership and Development

• Directly manage and develop four Workforce Planners, fostering a high-performance culture built on accountability and continuous improvement

• Allocate accounts and responsibilities across the team based on complexity, volume, and individual capability

• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and structured development to build planning expertise across the team

• Act as a quality gate for all planning outputs before they are communicated internally or externally

Client and Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent the WFM function in client-facing interactions, including governance calls, planning reviews, and business reviews

• Present planning outputs, forecast insights, and capacity positions clearly and confidently to both internal and external audiences

• Partner with Operations, Finance, and HR to align workforce plans with broader business needs

• Support budget planning and resource forecasting in collaboration with Finance

Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Track, analyse, and report on key planning KPIs including forecast accuracy, schedule efficiency, utilisation, and service levels

• Conduct root cause analysis on variances between planned and actual performance

• Identify and lead initiatives to improve planning processes, tools, and methodologies

• Stay current with WFM best practices and industry developments, bringing relevant innovations into the team

What We Are Looking For

• Proven experience in workforce planning, forecasting, or capacity management within a BPO or contact centre environment

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a planning team

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interrogate data and translate it into clear, actionable insight

• Confident communicator, comfortable presenting to clients and senior stakeholders

• Experience working with multi-client or multi-site portfolios

• Self-driven and able to work with a high degree of autonomy

Role Details

Job Title: Planning Manager

Reporting To RTM

Direct Reports 4 Workforce Planners

Portfolio Approximately 18 accounts

Location Durban, South Africa (office-based)

Working Hours Flexibility required to support global accounts across UK, Europe, USA, and South Africa

Accounts Supported Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Germany

If you are ready to take the next step in your WFM career, we encourage you to apply.

Sound like you?

Apply now with your CV and a short cover letter telling us about a time you developed someone on your team and what happened as a result.