Assistant Director of Workforce Planning, Insights, Analyst & Enablement Lead

Join the People Insights & Enablement - Workforce Planning Team!

We're seeking a highly collaborative and skilled individual to join our enterprise Workforce Planning team within People Insights & Enablement (PIE).  As a key member of our team, you will play a critical role in supporting the development and implementation of strategic workforce planning initiatives across Northwestern Mutual.

About Workforce Planning

Workforce Planning is a comprehensive process that involves analyzing, forecasting, and identifying Talent strategies to align the workforce to current & future business needs. This process ensures that our business has the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost. At Northwestern Mutual, Workforce Planning is a core capability that we’re advancing, partnering with key stakeholders from Enterprise Planning, Finance, Business, HR Centers of Excellence, and various functions to transform the workforce value stream.

Summary:

Leverage understanding of data and systems to help influence business planning and talent practices, ultimately helping partners understand workforce needs for now, near, and far, and ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time with the right skills to achieve business goals.

This role will also help to support HR Community with relevant workforce data insights, Talent data/ dashboards, analysis tools and templates, and additional adoption support including communications and presentations. This person will work cross-functionally to collect data and/to determine trends utilizing a variety of data sources. They will analyze and summarize internal & external workforce trends and employee data in order to optimize effectiveness, measure impact of current strategies and inform areas of opportunity.  The ideal candidate will lead with curiosity, have a proven consultative approach, strong analytical skills, and visual data storytelling skills.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Strategic Workforce Planning: They use data insights to inform workforce plan development that align with business objectives, including recruitment, training, retention, and succession planning. 
• Modeling (Predictive preferred): They use data to forecast future workforce needs, conduct attrition modelling and understand headcount supply and demand.
• Strategic Recommendations: They provide data-driven recommendations on how to optimize workforce resources, identify potential skill gaps, and spotlight areas of potential challenges/ risks.
• Performance Measurement: They track and measure the effectiveness of workforce planning initiatives and identify areas for improvement. 
• Labor Market Insights: Use external market intelligence tools to understand labor supply and demand for specific initiatives and operational needs, and inform project and talent plans
• Change Management: Support workforce planning capability building, leveraging processes, tools, and data to drive change and providing support where needed
• Workforce Insights: Collaborate with People Insights & Enablement team members to mature workforce intelligence

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience with minimum of 3 years in a workforce planning or data & analytics role.
• Data Analysis: Strong analytical skills, proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, SQL), and statistical/ forecast modeling. 
• Critical Thinking: Ability to identify patterns, draw conclusions, and make data-driven recommendations. 
• Communication: Excellent verbal & written communication skills using PowerPoint or similar presentation & training applications
• Problem-solving: Ability to identify and address workforce challenges and develop effective solutions. 
• HR Knowledge: Understanding of HR processes, talent practices, and workforce planning principles. 
• Advanced Excel and VBA skills required.  Experience in Data Visualization tools (i.e. Tableau) strongly preferred.
• Use data to extract & elevate relevant insights that translate into compelling stories and consider issues from multiple perspectives
• Experience with Strategic Workforce Planning, Headcount Planning, Human Resource Planning or similar

Northwestern Mutual pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement in the salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. At Northwestern Mutual, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. Please note that the salary range listed in the posting is the standard pay structure. Positions in certain locations (such as California) may provide an increase on the standard pay structure based on the location. Please click here for additional information relating to location-based pay structures.

We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you work or would be working in California, Colorado, New York City, Washington or outside of a Corporate location, please click here for information pertaining to compensation and benefits.