Amazon is seeking an experienced Labor and Operations Planning Specialist to analyze and optimize labor planning and operations across our food manufacturing facilities. This individual contributor role combines workforce analytics, capacity planning, and operational efficiency expertise to ensure our manufacturing sites are properly staffed to meet production demands while maintaining cost-effectiveness and operational excellence. This role includes stretch leadership opportunities including mentoring, influencing cross-functional teams, and driving strategic initiatives.
Key Job Responsibilities:
• Develop and maintain comprehensive labor plans for multiple food manufacturing facilities based on production forecasts, historical data, and operational requirements. • Analyze workforce capacity needs and create staffing strategies that balance production demands with cost optimization. • Create labor forecasting models using production volume data, associate performance rates, attendance patterns, and attrition trends. • Support the rhythm of labor planning, ordering, and hiring lifecycle to ensure adequate staffing across all facilities. • Coordinate with Workforce Staffing (WFS) teams to provide data-driven hiring recommendations and minimize gaps in labor hours. • Develop and maintain labor planning assumptions including rates, attendance, attrition, and productivity metrics.
Operations Planning & Analysis:
• Analyze manufacturing operations data to identify opportunities for labor efficiency improvements and cost reduction. • Create and maintain labor planning tools, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to track key performance indicators. • Conduct capacity planning analysis to ensure facilities can meet production volume requirements. • Develop labor allocation strategies across different production lines, shifts, and departments. • Monitor and report on labor utilization, overtime trends, and productivity metrics. • Translate labor plans into actionable recommendations for operations teams regarding shift schedules and staffing assignments.
Data-Driven Decision Making:
• Build and maintain workforce analytics platforms to monitor labor efficiency, cost per unit, and productivity trends. • Develop forecasting models that predict labor needs based on production schedules, seasonal demand, and business growth. • Analyze historical labor data to identify patterns and optimize future planning decisions. • Create reports and presentations on labor planning performance and recommendations for leadership. • Utilize data analysis tools to provide insights that drive operational improvements. • Regularly review performance metrics and proactively identify areas for improvement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence:
• Partner with operations leadership, human resources, finance, learning teams, and supply chain to align labor plans with business objectives. • Participate in labor planning meetings with site leadership to review assumptions, capacity needs, and staffing strategies. • Collaborate with HR teams on attendance management, conversion strategies, and roster accuracy. • Work with finance teams to ensure cost-effective labor decisions and budget alignment. • Coordinate with learning and development teams to ensure adequate training capacity for new hires. • Build consensus across stakeholders on labor planning priorities and trade-offs. • Influence team-level and cross-functional decisions through data-driven recommendations and subject matter expertise.
Process Improvement & Standardization:
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance labor planning accuracy and efficiency. • Develop standardized labor planning processes and best practices across multiple facilities. • Create mechanisms to proactively identify and address labor planning blockers. • Implement tools and systems that automate labor planning tasks and reduce manual work. • Document labor planning procedures and train site teams on planning tools and methodologies. • Lead initiatives to improve data quality and integrity in labor planning systems. • Champion process improvements that have organization-wide impact.
Labor Lever Analysis:
• Analyze capacity gaps and recommend labor levers (mandatory overtime, voluntary extra time, incentivized shifts) to address production needs. • Develop strategies for flexible staffing that can respond to volume fluctuations. • Monitor labor lever utilization and cost-effectiveness across facilities. • Create frameworks for when and how to deploy different labor adjustment strategies. • Ensure labor lever decisions comply with company policies and labor regulations.
Leadership & Mentorship (Stretch Responsibilities):
• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor to junior team members and peers on labor planning methodologies and best practices. • Lead knowledge-sharing sessions and training initiatives to build labor planning capabilities across the organization. • Guide and coach team members on complex labor planning scenarios and analytical approaches. • Act as a thought leader in workforce planning, sharing insights and innovations with broader teams. • Take ownership of cross-functional initiatives that require influencing stakeholders without direct authority. • Represent labor planning expertise in strategic discussions with senior leadership. • Identify and develop talent within the organization by providing constructive feedback and growth opportunities.
A Day in the Life:
• Position may require up to 25% travel to manufacturing facilities. • Flexibility to work across time zones to support multiple facility locations. • Ability to work on manufacturing floor to understand operations and validate planning assumptions. • Occasional evening or weekend work during peak planning cycles or production ramps.