Strategic Workforce Planning Manager

Western Governors University
life insurance, flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time
United States, Utah, Salt Lake City
3949 South 700 East (Show on map)
Nov 13, 2025
If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 312 Pay Range: $106,700.00 - $165,400.00 Job Description Job Profile Summary The Workforce Planning Manager embeds Workforce Planning (WFP) into the entire ecosystem, ensuring it informs and strengthens every aspect of how we plan, develop, and enable talent. Through close collaboration across skills, analytics, succession, performance, and culture, this role helps create an agile, insight-driven approach to workforce decision-making. This role leads and drives strategic workforce forecasting and scenario modeling, enabling data-informed decisions that improve workforce agility, optimize headcount, and anticipate future talent needs. It provides the frameworks and governance to design scalable workforce programs that enhance employee engagement and drive operational, financial, and business outcomes. The Workforce Planning Manager builds cross-functional partnerships with both functional areas of P&T and enterprise business leaders to ensure alignment between strategic priorities and workforce capacity. Primary Responsibilities Workforce Planning Strategy & Integration Serve as the strategic connector between Workforce Planning (WFP) and core People & Talent (P&T) functions such as talent development, analytics, DEI, performance, and employee experience, as the disciplines relate to workforce planning Design and implement frameworks that integrate WFP into annual and long-term talent planning cycles. Ensure workforce plans align with business strategy, transformation efforts, and future-of-work priorities. Partner with senior business leaders and HR Business Partners to translate strategic initiatives/goals into workforce needs. Lead the creation of workforce strategy that anticipates evolving skill requirements and integrates into business operating plans. Capability Building & Advisory Support Build WFP capability across the organization and P&T by designing and delivering training, toolkits, and guidance for Business Partners and functional leaders. Establish and lead a WFP community of practice to share insights and strengthen cross-functional collaboration. Provide direct consultation to P&T and business stakeholders to support workforce scenario planning and organizational design. Serve as a thought leader and internal consultant on organizational design, workforce segmentation, and optimal workforce composition. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Enablement Collaborate with other Centers of Excellences (e.g., Talent Acquisition, People Analytics, People Development) to embed WFP practices into enterprise processes. Facilitate workshops and planning sessions to connect WFP with related initiatives such as career pathing, succession planning, and skills strategies. Act as a liaison with external consultants and vendors, ensuring solutions are aligned and scalable. Establish governance models and decision-making frameworks to ensure workforce planning is embedded in enterprise-wide initiatives. Data-Driven Decision Support Partner with People Analytics to leverage data insights to uncover workforce trends, risks, and opportunities. Translate workforce data into actionable insights, dashboards, and reports to guide strategic decisions. Support scenario modeling, demand planning, and headcount forecasting to anticipate and respond to talent needs. Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure workforce data infrastructure supports integration across systems. Innovation & Workforce Agility Champion modern and flexible talent strategies such as internal mobility, gig work, talent marketplaces, and agile workforce models. Monitor external labor market trends and best practices to evolve internal WFP capabilities. Drive continuous improvement of WFP tools, processes, and methodologies. Change Enablement & Impact Measurement Facilitate the application of workforce strategies during annual planning, reorganization, or strategic shifts. Develop measures of success for workforce initiatives and assess their impact on business and talent outcomes. Promote WFP as a lever for improving engagement, capability readiness, and business performance. Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Strategic Thinking & Systems Orientation: Strong ability to think long-term and connect workforce planning with organizational strategy, operating models, and transformation initiatives. Workforce Planning Expertise: Understanding of workforce planning concepts such as scenario modeling, critical role segmentation, capability gap analysis, and demand/supply forecasting or transferrable experience applying similar methodologies in talent analytics, organizational design, or business planning and demonstrates curiosity and a drive to continuously elevate capability and educate others in this space. Data Analysis & Storytelling: Skilled at working with data and visualization tools (e.g. Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or comparable systems) to analyze trends and tell a clear workforce story. Facilitation & Communication: Confident communicator with experience facilitating planning sessions, delivering training, and presenting to executive audiences. Stakeholder Engagement: Proven ability to build trust and influence across diverse stakeholders, including P&T BPs, business leaders, and cross-functional teams. Learning Agility & Adaptability: Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities; demonstrates curiosity, continuous learning, and resilience in dynamic environments. Capability Building: Experience designing and delivering tools, resources, and programs that elevate organizational WFP maturity and readiness. Consulting Orientation: Brings a consultative mindset to internal partnerships, enabling structured problem solving, alignment, and effective solutioning across business units. Education Bachelor's degree required. Experience 8+ years of direct, hands-on workforce planning experience within a mid- to large-size highly matrixed organization or equivalent combination of experience leading workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, or talent strategy initiatives (typically gained through 6-8 years in HR, analytics, or business strategy roles). 5+ years of experience using workforce planning, people analytics, or business intelligence tools (e.g. Excel, Tableau, Power Bi, or HCM systems) to analyze and visualize workforce or business data, identify insights, and support strategic decision-making. 2+ years of experience leading cross-functional planning efforts that connect people data, business strategy, and resource forecasting to support organizational decision-making. Experience in lieu of education WGU recognizes that professional expertise and impact are not always gained through traditional educational pathways. Candidates who do not hold a bachelor's degree may still qualify based on a combination of directly related experience and demonstrated proficiency in strategic workforce planning, talent analytics, organizational planning, or other relevant areas. Typically, one additional year of relevant, progressively responsible experience may substitute for each year of required education. Final determination is at the discretion of the hiring manager and based on the candidate's ability to perform the essential functions of the role. Preferred Qualifications 3+ years of experience in a related HR discipline (e.g., talent management, organization design, or HR analytics) Professional certification in workforce planning, HR analytics, or related fields (e.g., SWP by HCI, SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or similar). Experience designing or implementing enterprise-wide workforce planning processes, especially in organizations undergoing transformation or growth. Background in organizational design and change management is a strong plus. Position & Application Details Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave. How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday. Additional Information Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.