Capacity Planning & Labour Manager

Please note this is an OD vacancy, this means impacted colleagues will be prioritised in the recruitment process and there will be a delay in providing an update on all other applications.

Lead the strategic planning of Logistics depot capacity and labour capability across the network, ensuring our depots are resourced effectively to meet both operational demand and longer-term business change.

This role acts as the central connector between depot operations, payroll, finance, change, and governance teams - providing clarity on available capacity, ensuring labour hours are used effectively, and embedding a culture of forward planning.

By driving alignment across all stakeholders and maintaining a clear view of depot readiness, this role enables the business to deliver change sustainably, protect operational performance, and safeguard the colleague experience.

Direct 4 (5 interim)

In-Direct 1

Contribution

Description of how role-holder contributes to our Co-op, and co-operates with their colleagues within their team or community of practice to deliver our Co-op vision

• Owns and drives the overall capacity and labour planning strategy across our depots, ensuring sites are operationally equipped for what's coming - not just today, but for the future.
• Acts as the gatekeeper of total logistics hours capability, balancing cost, efficiency, and operational needs across the network.
• Accountable for labour planning and governance, connecting key areas including LM steering, payroll, and union engagement, and ensuring alignment through a clear logistics governance framework.
• Role models a collaborative, high-performing team culture that reflects Co-op values and our Ways of Being.
• Provides trusted specialist logistics knowledge to senior leaders across depots and central teams to guide planning, issue resolution, and strategic direction.
• Acts as an end-to-end logistics expert, using broad operational insight across multiple sites to ensure plans and advice are grounded in real-world delivery.
• Embeds a proactive culture of risk management in planning activity, ensuring it's part of everyday thinking - not an afterthought.
• Acts as the business owner for the Logistics Operating Model, ensuring our policies, processes, and risk controls are up to date, understood, and embedded consistently across the network.
• Strengthens cross-functional collaboration between depots, the Logistics OSC, and the wider Co-op (e.g., Retail OSC), ensuring consistent standards and shared ownership of key routines.
• Plays a lead role in supporting and influencing depots and the wider Supply Chain to build capability, improve governance, and land operational change successfully.
• Champions strong decision-making, holding self and others accountable to prevent disruption and keep colleagues set up for success.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with senior stakeholders up to Director level across Logistics, CBS, Risk, Retail, and the wider business to influence outcomes and drive joined-up thinking.
• Acts as a key integrator across stakeholders to deliver our unified purpose - ensuring labour and capacity planning remains a value-adding support, not a blocker.
• Embeds a proactive culture of risk management in planning activity, ensuring it's part of everyday thinking - not an afterthought.
• Support the wider team in the development of Logistics Business Continuity plans and meeting any regulatory or compliance requirements

Most relevant Co-op Behaviours and how they are applied within the role (max 5)

• Co-operation
• Speaking up
• Forging relationships
• Endless inclusion
• Driving innovation

The decision-making, planning, budgetary control and stakeholder engagement which the role-holder will own

Decision making - to define the team purpose and its on-going strategy. Making recommendations to senior decision makers, up to and including business executives about the product strategy & initiatives.

Planning- detailed planning for the current cycle and high-level planning for the 4-year strategic plan. Focus is on short-term Logistics initiatives and its delivery.

Budget control - accountable for any budget associated with their area or projects, including payroll and headcount.

Stakeholder engagement - business partners with stakeholders across Logistics operations, including depot leadership, digital, technology and support services. Guides and advises leadership colleagues, up to Director level.

The attributes needed to succeed within the role (including self-management)

(organisational capabilities reflected here where established)

• Logistics/retail background (desirable)
• Leads and supports a team with a clear focus on development, performance and ownership, creating an inclusive culture where everyone can do their best work
• Strong understanding of the Logistics Operating Model and how policy, labour, payroll and governance frameworks come together to support the business
• Demonstrates commercial acumen and uses data to inform decisions, spot risks, and understand the wider implications across the end-to-end network
• Confident analysing complex data sets, connecting insight to action in a way that adds operational value
• Builds and sustains relationships with senior leaders, stakeholders, unions, depots, and peers to align activity and influence outcomes
• Has excellent communication skills-able to distil complexity into clear, practical messaging, both verbally and in writing
• Understands how to lead successful change-with the ability to land activity in a way that protects service and supports colleague understanding
• Brings structure and discipline to ways of working; highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Competent in relevant technology tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) with a practical approach to using tech to solve problems
• Experience or understanding of project methodology and process design, with a mindset of continuous improvement
• Demonstrates resilience, curiosity and a calm approach under pressure
• An expectation that a reasonable amount of time is spent in our depot network across the UK, including overnight stays when needed

Accountability

• Delivery of specialist work based on subject matter expertise, or leadership of large, complex teams.
• Responsible for developing the right capabilities either individually or within their team, enabling work to be delivered effectively.
• Manages team delivery in accordance with agreed budgets.

Impact

• As a people-leader, takes responsibility for the delivery of work over shorter timeframes, contributing to achievement of the team's annual plan - empowering their team to deliver discrete pieces of work based on agreed processes.
• As an individual contributor, provides thought leadership to help shape the team's response to challenges, and approach to delivery of the short-term plan.
• Supports and promotes a culture of inclusivity through the actions they take.

Co-operation

• Contributes to short-term planning within the team and collaborates with peers to deliver great work that enables the team to succeed.
• If an SME, collaborates with other teams proactively to ensure their expertise helps leaders make the best decisions for Co-op.