Sr Manager, Workforce Planning (Project Hire)

Sr. Manager, Workforce Planning (Project Hire)

As Sr. Manager, Workforce Planning (Project Hire), you will lead the workforce planning and forecasting function that informs headcount, capacity, and talent decisions across the organization. Operating within the Corporate segment, you willact as a strategic partner to HR, Finance, and senior leaders by providing clear, data-driven insights that align workforce strategy to business priorities, financial targets, and long-term organizational needs.

Responsibilities: As Sr. Manager, Workforce Planning (Project Hire), you will lead the design and execution of workforce planning while mentoring a team of specialists to deliver accurate, trusted insights. You will collaborate with cross-functional partners to interpret scenarios, guide trade-off decisions, and standardize planning processes that are scalable, well-governed, and aligned with the company's strategic priorities. This role matters because it ensures the right talent and capacity are in place at the right time, requiring a knowledgeable, strategic, and collaborative leader who can prioritize effectively, influence senior stakeholders, and inspire high performance across multiple teams.

• Own AOP labor plans, forecasts, and scenario modeling outputs
• Define and maintain headcount planning frameworks and assumptions
• Integrate workforce planning with financial planning cycles and processes
• Lead capacity planning methodology and application
• Own variance explanations and executive-level narratives
• Ensure data integrity, consistency, and quality of planning outputs
• Drive process improvements and automation roadmap for planning
• Ensures consistency and alignment between workforce plans and financial plans
• Owns final planning narratives presented to executives
• Serves as primary partner to HRBPs, Finance, and business leaders
• Ensures compliance with COE planning playbooks, decision frameworks, and engagement model
• Accountable for evolving and operationalizing the workforce planning model
• Leads and develops a team of workforce analysts
• Assigns work, sets priorities, and ensures quality of outputs
• Accountable for team performance and delivery consistency

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Data Analytics, Human Resources, or a related quantitative or business discipline or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of relevant experience in workforce planning, financial planning and analysis, or related strategic planning roles, with a minimum 3 years in people management.
• Strong expertise in workforce planning, headcount and capacity planning, and labor forecasting in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Advanced analytical and quantitative skills, including scenario modeling, variance analysis, and translating data into clear business insights.
• Proficiency with workforce planning tools and spreadsheets, and familiarity with financial planning and reporting systems.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and partner effectively with HR, Finance, and senior business leaders.
• Proven leadership capabilities, including mentoring, coaching, and developing high-performing teams of professional staff.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning, and prioritization skills, with the ability to align team efforts to organizational goals.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to craft and present executive-ready narratives and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvement, standardization, and automation within planning or analytics functions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a large, global corporate environment, ideally within media, entertainment, or other innovative industries.
• Background working in or closely with Centers of Excellence (COEs) for HR, Finance, or workforce analytics.
• Experience implementing or optimizing workforce planning technologies and automation solutions.
• Track record of leading cross-functional initiatives that enhance planning accuracy, governance, and scalability.
• Professional certification in workforce planning, HR analytics, finance, or project management.
• Master's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Data Science, or a related field.

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $168,200.00 to $205,400.00 per year and in Orlando, FL is $160,200.00 to $195,600.00. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

About The Walt Disney Company (Corporate)

At Disney Corporate you can see how the businesses behind the Company's powerful brands come together to create the most innovative, far-reaching and admired entertainment company in the world. As a member of a corporate team, you'll work with world-class leaders driving the strategies that keep The Walt Disney Company at the leading edge of entertainment. See and be seen by other innovative thinkers as you enable the greatest storytellers in the world to create memories for millions of families around the globe.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney's stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Disney HR Strategies & Services, LLC, which is part of a business we call The Walt Disney Company (Corporate).

Disney HR Strategies & Services, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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