Workforce Planner

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

Air New Zealand is seeking a full-time on-site Workforce Planner in Auckland to develop medium to long-term workforce and leave plans that balance demand, costs, contractual obligations and operational resilience. You’ll partner with operational leaders, use data and modelling to turn insights into practical plans, monitor outcomes, and drive improvements in planning processes and tools. What matters most: proven experience in workforce planning or similar analytical roles, strong numeracy and communication skills, the ability to influence stakeholders with evidence-based recommendations, and a continuous improvement mindset; Excel and tools like Power BI or GroundStar are assets. To apply, tailor your CV to quantify impact, show end-to-end planning wins, and demonstrate handling ambiguity. Applications close 13 July 2026.

Job Description

Kia ora! 

Are you someone who enjoys solving complex problems, finding patterns in data, and turning information into practical plans? Do you like working with people as much as you enjoy working with numbers? 

We’re looking for a Workforce Planner to join our team. 

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring we have the right people, in the right place, at the right time to support a large and complex operation. 

As a Workforce Planner, you’ll work closely with operational leaders and stakeholders to develop workforce and leave plans that balance customer demand, operational resilience, cost efficiency, contractual obligations, and regulatory requirements. Your work will directly influence how we plan, make decisions, and deliver for our people and customers every day. 

In this role, you will: 

• Develop and maintain accurate workforce and leave plans across medium and long-term planning horizons, from approximately 6 months to 5 years ahead. 
• Analyse workforce demand, labour capacity, leave requirements, operational risks, and performance trends. 
• Balance operational requirements, labour costs, contractual obligations, and regulatory requirements to deliver effective workforce plans. 
• Monitor workforce plans and provide reporting, insights, options, and recommendations to support informed business decisions. 
• Identify workforce constraints, risks, and opportunities, and recommend practical solutions to support operational readiness. 
• Use data, modelling, and structured problem-solving to shape decisions, influence outcomes, and create clarity where there are competing priorities or ambiguity. 
• Build strong relationships with operational leaders and key stakeholders to understand business priorities, constructively challenge where needed, and translate requirements into workable plans. 
• Identify and lead improvements in workforce planning processes, tools, systems, and ways of working. 
• Maintain accurate workforce planning data and systems to support reporting, compliance, and decision-making. 
• Champion safety, security, and compliance in everything you do. 

We’re looking for someone who brings: 

• Experience in workforce planning, workforce management, resource planning, rostering, operational planning, or a similar analytical planning role. 
• Strong analytical thinking, numerical ability, logical reasoning, and problem-solving capability. 
• The ability to interpret data, identify trends, assess options, and turn insights into clear, practical recommendations. 
• Strong organisation and planning skills, with a high level of attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities. 
• Confidence engaging with stakeholders, constructively challenging where needed, and influencing decisions through clear communication and evidence-based recommendations. 
• The ability to take ownership, work through ambiguity, and help create structure where the path forward is not already well defined. 
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills and confidence working with data-driven planning tools. 
• Experience with workforce planning, reporting, or visualisation tools such as GroundStar Planning, Power BI, or similar systems would be advantageous. 
• A continuous improvement mindset and a genuine interest in finding smarter ways of working. 
• A relevant tertiary qualification is advantageous, but not essential if you can demonstrate equivalent experience. 

If you’re passionate about solving workforce challenges, enjoy working with data, and want to help shape how we plan for the future, we’d love to hear from you.

Applications close 13/07/2026.

Additional Information

At Air New Zealand, we are proudly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and believe in creating a truly inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. Our people are our greatest asset – because while everything else we do in our operation can be replicated by our competitors, it is our people that truly set us apart. We are firm believers in celebrating the differences and diversity of thought our people bring to their roles. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, including those with a disability, additional health and mental health needs, and/or are neurodiverse to apply for our roles.

If you have encountered any accessibility barriers and require further information or reasonable accommodations to our recruitment process, please reach out to the recruiter listed on this job advert so they are able to support you to freely participate equitably in our recruitment and selection process.

Whāia te pae tawhiti kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua, kia tina.

"Seek to bring distant horizons closer. Once near, seize them and make them your reality."