PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The Workforce & Steering Manager is responsible for the accuracy and reliability of volume forecasting and the day-to-day steering of the contact centre workforce across internal and partner channels.
This role acts as the operational backbone of workforce planning: it owns forecast production, volume distribution between internal teams and partners, staffing and shift plans, real-time intraday steering, and capacity/training planning — ensuring the front line always has the right resources at the right time ( planning ahead).
The role partners closely with the Manager, Workforce & Performance, providing dedicated forecasting and steering expertise and ensuring these critical activities never depend on a single point of ownership.
This is a build-from-scratch role: processes, tools, and ways of working are not yet in place, so the person needs to operate independently and take ownership from day one.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Forecasting & Volume Steering
• Build and maintain short-, medium-, and long-term volume forecasts (calls, chats, emails, tickets) based on historical trends, seasonality, and business events.
• Extend forecasting methodology to different types of activities beyond standard contact volumes, adapting models and assumptions as new needs arise.
• Forecast and steer volumes across multiple language markets, reflecting the company's multi-lingual, Switzerland-based footprint.
• Own the split of volume between internal teams and outsourcing/BPO partners, adjusting allocation as demand and capacity evolve.
• Continuously monitor forecast accuracy and refine models, tools, and assumptions to improve precision.
• Alert Operations leadership early to significant forecast deviations or emerging volume risks.
• Ensure contract requirements are respected (BPO Partners)
Staffing & Real-Time Management
• Design and maintain staffing plans and shift schedules that balance service level targets with efficiency and employee wellbeing.
• Own real-time / intraday steering: monitor performance against plan, adjust staffing and breaks, and escalate deviations as they happen.
• Coordinate staffing adjustments across internal teams and partner sites to maintain service continuity.
Capacity & Training Planning
• Manage capacity planning for new hires, attrition, seasonal peaks, and planned absences.
• Plan and coordinate training capacity needs in line with hiring and volume forecasts, ensuring training does not compromise coverage.
• Maintain a rolling view of capacity risk and flag gaps ahead of time.
Collaboration & Continuity
• Act as a dedicated backup and close partner to the Manager, Workforce & Performance on all forecasting and steering matters.
• Ensure critical steering activities are documented and shareable, reducing reliance on a single person.
• Partner with Operations, Training, and Partner/BPO teams to align on volume, staffing, and capacity decisions.
REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
• 4+ years of experience in workforce management, forecasting, or capacity planning, ideally within a call center, customer care, or BPO environment.
• Experience working with outsourcing/BPO partners and managing volume distribution across internal and external teams is a strong plus.
• Proficiency with WFM tools (e.g., NICE, Genesys, Verint, Calabrio, or equivalent) and strong Excel skills; BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) a plus.
• Strong analytical mindset — comfortable building and refining forecasting models from historical data, and creative/out-of-the-box thinking to design forecasting approaches for new or non-standard activities.
• Solid understanding of core contact center KPIs (Service Level, AHT, Occupancy, Shrinkage, Adherence, etc.).
• Rigorous and precise, with a strong track record of respecting timelines and contractual agreements.
• High resistance to stress, able to stay effective under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Highly autonomous and self-driven, comfortable building processes and ways of working from scratch with limited existing structure.
• Clear communicator, able to coordinate across internal teams and external partners.
• Autonomous in his work, fluent in English; must be able to forecast and steer volumes across multiple language markets (Switzerland-based, multi-lingual environment).
• Degree in Business, Statistics, Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
• Used to model with AI
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs) FOR THIS ROLE
• Forecast accuracy per internal (volume and influencing factors) within target variance.
• Schedule adherence and occupancy across internal and partner teams.
• Service Level achievement against target.
• Accuracy and timeliness of volume split decisions between internal/partner channels.
• Capacity and training plan alignment with actual demand.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Six months into the role, a successful Workforce & Steering Manager will have: a forecasting process and model that is accurate, documented, and no longer dependent on a single person; a clear and well-governed approach to internal/partner volume distribution; and a real-time steering practice that catches and corrects issues before they impact service level.