Resource Planning Specialist (Hybrid or Remote) in Preston

Remote/Hybrid Working with 2 days in Preston, Lancashire. Fully home working contracts will be considered for candidates living 50+ miles from our offices in Preston.

A glance at the role: We have a brand-new opportunity for a Resource Planning Specialist to join us on a full-time, permanent basis. Our Resource Planning Specialists play a key role in ensuring the right people are in the right place at the right time, balancing member demand with operational capacity. Sitting within the Planning & Insights team, the role uses data, insight and forecasting to turn complex information into clear, practical plans that support confident decision-making. This role helps drive a member‑first approach by optimising resources, improving performance, and influencing decisions that balance service, cost, and colleague experience.

A bit about us: Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We strive to deliver the best experience for over 1,500 employers and more than 700,000 members of Local Government, Police and Firefighter pension schemes, keeping them fully informed about their pensions whilst working closely with employers to continuously educate and support them.

What we can offer you:

• Salary circa £38k dependent on experience.
• 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays and 2 additional concessionary days and a half day for your Birthday, with the ability to ‘buy and sell’ leave.
• Access to an excellent pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contributions.
• Access to Health or Dental Plan.
• Access to our Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme for when you might need some support.
• The opportunity to earn through our Employee Referral Scheme.
• Access to our bespoke Reward Discount Scheme – ‘Your Perk Site’.
• Opportunities to attend Wellbeing webinars and social events.
• Daily free fruit and snacks available to you in our office.
• Free Car Parking in Preston City Centre.

What you’ll be doing:

• Develop short, medium and long‑term resource plans using historical data, project pipelines and demand forecasts.
• Build and maintain capacity models to align workforce supply with demand across teams, projects and locations.
• Conduct scenario modelling ('what‑if' analysis) to assess the impact of changes in volumes, staffing or priorities.
• Monitor utilisation, KPIs and operational performance to identify risks, trends and improvement opportunities.
• Analyse complex datasets to uncover patterns, bottlenecks and insights that inform planning decisions.
• Collaborate with the Insights team to integrate wider customer and operational data into planning assumptions.
• Produce clear reports, dashboards and visualisations to support decision‑making at all levels.
• Create and manage schedules, rosters and resource plans, adapting them to reflect changing priorities and demand.
• Partner with operational leaders and stakeholders to understand upcoming demand and constraints.
• Present planning recommendations and trade‑offs clearly, influencing stakeholders to deliver optimal solutions.
• Communicate updates, risks and changes to plans in a timely and transparent way.
• Continuously review and improve forecasting accuracy, planning processes and resource utilisation.
• Support the development of planning frameworks, tools and best practice ways of working.

What we need from you:

• Strong analytical skills with experience working with large datasets to identify trends and insights.
• Proven experience in forecasting, capacity planning and resource management (ideally in operational, back‑office or project environments).
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with BI tools (e.g. Power BI, Tableau).
• Experience using WFM or resource planning tools.
• Understanding of project delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall or hybrid).
• Ability to balance competing demands and resolve resource conflicts effectively.
• Strong commercial awareness, with an understanding of cost, productivity and efficiency drivers.
• Confident communicator, able to present complex data in a clear and engaging way.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Highly organised, detail‑oriented and adaptable in a fast‑changing environment.

Experience & Qualifications:

• Ideally 5+ years’ experience in a resource planning, workforce analysis or operational analytics role.
• Experience working in high‑volume or multi‑team environments.
• Track record of using data and insight to influence decisions.
• Knowledge of forecasting methodologies (e.g. regression, time series) desirable.
• Understanding of UK working time regulations preferred.
• Degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience (desirable).
• Professional certifications in planning, data, or project management (beneficial but not essential).

Our Values: We are committed to a member‑first approach, underpinned by data, insight and strong governance. This role plays a key part in delivering decisions that support sustainable growth and service excellence.