Planning Specialist

We are looking for a Planning Specialist to own the manpower capacity plan for dark store operations within our Planning & Fulfilment department. You will translate forecasted demand and store requirements into shift-level manpower plans that maximize utilization and minimize Cost Per Order (CPO), ensuring the right headcount is available for each shift. You will also monitor planning accuracy, investigate the root causes of deviations, and track daily staffing shortages across stores.

This role sits within the Manpower Planning team and reports to the Planning Manager. You will work with Operations Fulfilment, Store Management, Operations Performance, and Ground Operations. The role is office-based, with regular visits to dark stores across the network.

Responsibilities

• Build manpower capacity plans by store, city, day, and shift. Convert order forecasts into headcount requirements using productivity standards and workload assumptions, and update plans when demand or store conditions change.
• Create shift schedules that maximize manpower utilization and minimize CPO. Account for labor regulations, contract hours, rest periods, staff availability, skills, third-party logistics (3PL) allocations, and store capacity.
• Follow up with the Operations Fulfilment team to confirm that shifts are uploaded and the planned headcount is deployed. Resolve gaps and escalate blockers to the Planning Manager.
• Compare forecasted and actual demand, as well as planned and actual staffing, by store and shift. Identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and report planning accuracy KPIs to the Planning Manager.
• Monitor daily staffing shortages by store. Flag their impact and recovery options to the Fulfilment team and Store Management, and publish the daily shortage report.
• Maintain planning models, trackers, and dashboards. Prepare weekly planning reports and recommendations for the Planning Manager.

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in workforce planning, operations planning, or capacity planning in quick commerce, retail, or logistics.
• Experience converting demand forecasts into staffing requirements and shift plans.
• Experience with shift scheduling and labor optimization under multiple constraints.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with root cause analysis.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Understanding of CPO drivers and labor cost structures.
• Ability to coordinate with fulfilment and store teams to implement staffing plans.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Statistics, Business Administration, or a related field.