Strategic Workforce Planning Manager - 12 Month Fixed Term

Joining Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world. Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services. Through our work, we make a positive difference in the world.

The Opportunity

The Arup People Function is undergoing an exciting period of transformation. As we move towards a new operating model, we are streamlining our processes and aligning our global delivery to ensure an excellent member experience that reflects our values and promotes the Arup strategy. Our Future Skills Team is an integral part of the Talent Acquisition & Mobility (TA&M) Centre of Expertise (CoE). Our globally integrated team operates within a matrix organisation spanning five regions, our other global functions, and over 30 countries to deliver integrated talent acquisition and mobility initiatives that empower and inspire our members.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) team in our Future Skills team. The overall purpose is to deliver material impact for the organisation through SWP by partnering across the four regions, to ensure we have the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time to deliver our strategy. This is a developing area which is key to boosting the new Arup strategy, by creating an agile, engaged future-proof workforce to enable growth, focus and change.

You will be accountable for promoting and developing aspects of the Strategic Workforce Planning capability and contribute to setting a directional view of the 5-year rolling workforce plan, underpinned by data driven insight into specific areas of the business, critical roles and skills. You will work with your aligned region to implement a cadence and methodology for SWP, enabling specific, tangible interventions and drive decision-making to allow us to build and retain future skills. A key part of this role is to promote the People Partners in working with business principals to design and operationalise workforce planning roadmaps to build a sustainable, effective workforce for the short, medium and long term.

Operating within the aligned region, this role focuses on building data-focused Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) models that identify future skill requirements and translate them into actionable, practical solutions. Working closely with People Partners, the person drives the implementation of these plans to boost the deployment of change projects that enable the acquisition and development of critical skills. Central to the role is cultivating strong relationships with business stakeholders and key partners across the Group to comprehend and quantify both current and future role and skill needs, and convert this insight into impactful workforce interventions. The role also involves developing and delivering tools that enhance strategic workforce planning knowledge and capability across the People team and business management. Proactive external horizon scanning is essential to monitor emerging trends, market shifts, and advancements that may impact workforce strategies, while partnership with the Talent Acquisition Delivery team ensures a comprehensive appreciation of external skill availability.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share, and unite our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas. You will have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

Is This Role Right For You?

We are interested in speaking to people with the following:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to problem solve, generate hypotheses, structure problems and generate robust conclusions and strategic objectives. Ability to work with ambiguity, taking on non-fully defined opportunities to structure and resolve with the necessary levels of personal investment and resilience.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Demonstrable experience in SWP methodology development and implementation.
• Communication & Storytelling: Excellent written and verbal communication, in particular evidence of producing written outputs for a senior audience.
• Data diagnostics: Ability to review and perform good quality exploration, including resourcefulness in sourcing and validating data, to present recommendations.
• Stakeholder management: Using a commercial appreciation and excellent communication skills, to develop and maintain positive relationships with a range of people and business areas.
• Programme Delivery: Ability to take ownership for a workstream, develop project plans and work right to left to deliver required outputs, at pace.
• Partnership: Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet allocated objectives. Ability to create a strong network and good working environment within the team and the organisation, working with colleagues at all levels of seniority.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together. Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts. We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.

Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence. Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference.

Discover more about life at Arup. We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact Ken Wilkins to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our Application Process

To understand what to expect next, please visit our website. Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process. Recruitment Agencies – We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on the list.

Closing date: 18 May 2025