Workforce Planning Manager

Location: Northamptonshire
Contract: 3–6 Month Fixed-Term Contract
Working Pattern: Part-time, 2–3 days per week, onsite
Salary: £50,000–£58,000 FTE (pro rata for part-time hours)

Are you an experienced Project Manager with a background in workforce transformation, HR or organisational change? Do you have a strong understanding of UK employment legislation and the commercial considerations involved in managing a flexible workforce?

We are recruiting for a Workforce Project Manager to support a significant workforce transformation project within a complex, fast-paced, event-led organisation.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a high-impact project, assessing existing workforce arrangements, identifying legislative and operational risks, and developing a practical plan for the future.

Working closely with senior stakeholders across People, Legal, Finance, Technology and Operations, you will help shape a workforce model that balances compliance, cost efficiency, operational flexibility and employee experience.

This is a hands-on assignment suited to someone who can quickly understand a complex environment, bring structure to ambiguity and translate analysis into actionable recommendations.

• Review current workforce arrangements across casual workers, agency staff, contractors and volunteers.

• Map existing contracts, policies, processes and systems to understand how different workforce groups are engaged.

• Analyse workforce expenditure, identify inefficiencies and highlight potential cost savings.

• Assess the implications of UK employment legislation, including Employment Rights Act reforms, worker status and agency worker regulations.

• Identify key compliance risks, operational gaps and opportunities for improvement.

• Develop options for a future workforce model, balancing legal compliance, commercial requirements and workforce flexibility.

• Build a robust business case, including financial implications, potential savings and implementation recommendations.

• Engage with senior stakeholders across HR, Legal, Finance, Technology, Events and Operations to develop and validate proposals.

• Support consultation planning, communications and change management to prepare managers for implementation.

• Establish project governance, guidance and processes to ensure sustainable outcomes beyond the assignment.

You will be an experienced Project Manager who can combine strong analytical capability with a pragmatic, delivery-focused approach.

Ideally, you will bring:

• A proven track record of delivering workforce, HR or organisational change projects from initial analysis through to implementation planning.

• A solid working knowledge of UK employment law, ideally including worker status, IR35, agency worker regulations and Employment Rights Act reforms.

• Experience working with casual, contingent, seasonal or event-based workforces.

• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret workforce data, assess expenditure and identify cost-saving opportunities.

• Experience developing business cases and presenting recommendations to senior stakeholders.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and build consensus across different functions.

• Strong project planning, governance and risk management capabilities.

• The ability to work at pace, prioritise effectively and deliver meaningful outcomes within a short contract.

• Clear communication skills and a practical understanding of how workforce changes affect people and day-to-day operations.

• Location: Northamptonshire.

• Working pattern: Part-time, 2–3 days per week, with all working days onsite.

• Contract length: Initially 3–6 months.

• Salary: £50,000–£58,000 FTE, pro rata to reflect the part-time working arrangement.

This is an opportunity to lead a strategically important workforce project, influence senior-level decision-making and help shape a sustainable workforce model within a dynamic operational environment.

If you are a commercially minded Project Manager with relevant workforce transformation experience and can make an immediate impact, we would welcome your application.