Labour Optimisation Manager
Drive Change - Shape Smarter Workforces
Location: [Hybrid - 1 day/week in Birmingham head office + field travel]
Salary: [£62,000-£65,000]
Hours/Contract: [Monday-Friday, Flexible Working Hours]
Reports to: Head of Optimisation
Why This Role Is a Great Fit for You
Are you a confident communicator and experienced project manager who thrives on using data to unlock performance? Do you enjoy guiding others through change and making complex things simple? At Compass Group UK&I, we're looking for a Labour Optimisation Manager to lead smarter labour planning across our Compass One sites - driving workforce efficiency, unlocking value, and supporting a culture of continuous improvement.
In this high-impact role, you'll be a key partner to operational leaders, using insights and expertise to improve how our people are deployed - ensuring the right resources, in the right place, at the right time.
What You'll Be Doing
Partnering & Project Leadership Work with operational leadership, finance, and site teams to improve labour deployment and drive consistent productivity Brief sector leadership teams on labour performance, trends, and opportunities Act as a trusted advisor - taking teams on a journey through data and change initiatives Lead field-based labour efficiency projects from discovery to implementation
Analysis & Reporting Use WFM systems (like Zebra Workforce and Infor Cloud) to assess time, motion, and labour utilisation Identify and quantify labour-saving opportunities with clear, actionable insights Create reports and dashboards that help track productivity and project ROI Regularly share root cause analysis and improvement recommendations
Tools, Systems & Change Enablement Be the go-to expert for labour planning queries, tools, and models Help shape the future of our WFM systems by feeding in user needs and operational insight Support the rollout of labour-related change initiatives across the business Act as gatekeeper for any process changes impacting labour efficiency
You'll Be a Great Fit If You
Have strong experience as a field-based project manager - ideally within contract catering, facilities management, retail, or hospitality
Are confident using labour systems and WFM platforms (e.g. Zebra Workforce, Infor, or similar cloud-based tools)
Are a natural people-person who can engage teams, manage stakeholders, and present complex info clearly
Are passionate about data-led decision-making - with a keen eye for time and motion studies
Are curious, proactive, and always seeking smarter, better ways of working
Know your way around labour legislation and compliance
Love solving puzzles - and finding the why' behind the numbers
Have excellent Excel and analytical tool skills, and know how to turn numbers into narrative
Benefits That Support You
Wellbeing 24/7 Digital GP access for you & your family Wellness, fitness & mindfulness resources Mental health and EAP support
Financial Contributory pension scheme Discounted shopping at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's & more Travel savings with Booking.com, Expedia, TUI Wow Points and cashback through PerksAtWork
Career Development Full access to MyLearning & Career Pathways Opportunity to grow with the UK's No.1 catering services provider Internal mobility, upskilling, and leadership training
About Compass Group UK&I
We're the UK's market leader in food and support services - bringing people together through great food, service, and innovation across 6,000+ sites.
Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer LinkedIn Top Company to Grow Your Career Disability Confident Leader Investors in People - Gold Standard
Inclusion Matters
At Compass, we celebrate individuality. We're proud to be an equal opportunities employer and create a workplace where everyone can thrive. If you need reasonable adjustments in the recruitment process, just let us know.