Workforce Planning Specialist

• The Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) role exists to ensure the organisation has the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles, at the right time and cost, to deliver on its strategic and operational objectives.

• Responsible for translating business strategy into actionable workforce plans.

1. Workforce Forecasting & Scenario Planning

• Predict future workforce needs using business trends, operational shifts, and transformation priorities.

• Develop and run scenario models to test workforce structures and enable responsive, data-driven decisions.

2. Workforce Structuring & Alignment

• Align org structures and roles with strategic direction, labour market realities, and efficiency goals.

• Standardize roles and grading to promote consistency and internal mobility.

3. People Cost Management

• Partner with line leaders to model and manage people costs.

• Link reward strategies to market benchmarks and ROI goals, optimizing talent mix and cost efficiency.

4. Capability Mapping & Talent Readiness

• Identify and close capability gaps through strategic upskilling, reskilling, and succession planning.

• Integrate insights with talent reviews and transformation programs to ensure workforce preparedness.

5. Governance & Execution

• Establish SOPs, policies, and QA frameworks to ensure rigor, accountability, and standardization.

• Translate workforce plans into practical initiatives: role design, internal mobility, and hiring strategies.

6. Continuous Improvement & Analytics

• Apply advanced analytics and AI for predictive planning, optimization, and structural refinement.

• Track impact through audits, feedback loops, and regular framework updates.

7. AI & Automation Integration

• Champion automation and AI in workforce planning, from attrition modeling to skills analysis.

• Work with IT and data science teams to embed intelligent tools across planning activities.

• Honours degree in Mathematics, Business, Finance, or Economics

• 5+ years of reward and workforce planning experience

• Fluent in the technical terms associated with the field and therefore able to interact effectively with external service providers and other reward specialists

• Strong Excel, numeric, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Use of machine learning

• Data Analytics and Visualisation

• Programming capability

• Creativity in taking cutting-edge reward and workforce planning practices and adapting them where relevant to the organisation

• Good understanding of how workforce planning can be leveraged to improve the delivery of strategic objectives and productivity 

• Capacity to think conceptually, as well as to plan and implement operational requirements meticulously

• Ability to influence and interact confidently at Exco and Remco levels

• Ability to work effectively as a Specialist and as an integral part of the HC Services Management team

• Ensure that personal and professional integrity builds credibility