Program Release Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Job Type
Full-time
Description
We are HALO! We connect people and brands to create unforgettable, meaningful, and lasting experiences that build brand engagement and loyalty for our over 60,000 clients globally. Our nearly 2,000 employees and 1,000 Account Executives located in 40+ sales offices across the United States are the reason HALO is the global leader in branded merchandise, uniform programs, and recognition and incentive solutions.
HALO is seeking an External Workforce & BPO Program Manager to lead and evolve our contingent workforce and outsourced services programs. This role serves as the primary owner of the processes, partnerships, and operational controls that support our global non-employee workforce, including domestic and global temporary labor, as well as agency and BPO partners.
The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing workforce strategies and executive-level partnerships as they are maintaining accurate records, tracking headcount, generating reports and insights, auditing data, and ensuring operational excellence. This role requires a hands-on, detail-oriented professional who thrives in building structure, creating scalable processes, managing vendor relationships, and driving business outcomes across a complex global workforce environment.
Duties & Responsibilities
Stakeholder Consultation & Workforce Planning

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Finance, and business leaders regarding contingent labor and outsourced workforce strategies.
• Consult with business stakeholders on talent fulfillment options, including employee, contingent labor, project-based resources, and BPO solutions.
• Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and business leaders on the optimal talent fulfillment approach, working to understand workforce needs and develop scalable, cost-effective staffing solutions.
• Build strong working relationships across functions to ensure alignment, transparency, and effective decision-making.
• Partner with Finance and business stakeholders to support workforce planning, budget forecasting, labor cost analysis, and spend reporting associated with contingent workforce and outsourced labor programs.

Program Creation & System Administration

• Own the day-to-day administration of contingent workforce records, tracking systems, vendor rosters, contracts, and reporting tools to ensure accuracy and visibility across the organization.
• Maintain a high degree of data integrity through regular audits, reconciliations, reporting reviews, and process documentation.
• Establish and continuously improve processes that create structure, accountability, and scalability as the program evolves.
• Reconcile and process invoices associated with agencies, ensuring accuracy against approved contracts, rates, and SOWs
• Investigate and resolve invoice discrepancies, payment issues, and vendor inquiries.

Contingent Workforce Program Governance

• Lead cross-functional collaboration with business leaders, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Finance, and Legal to assess workforce solution providers, staffing partners, and contingent labor vendors.
• Direct operational lifecycle workflows of domestic and global contract talent, ensuring successful implementation through established governance, contracting, risk management, onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Partner with HRBPs and TA to create guidelines for how and when hiring needs are released to secondary or tertiary staffing agencies.
• Ensure QBRs are conducted to assess optimization, program savings, SLA, and other agreed-upon metrics.
• Track contract renewals, fee structures, volume discount tiers built into various agreements.

BPO Relationship & Vendor Management

• Develop trusted, collaborative relationships with external partners locally and globally while holding vendors accountable for performance, service delivery, compliance, and business outcomes.
• Influence vendor behavior through partnership, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives rather than solely through contractual enforcement.
• Serve as the primary point of contact to investigate and resolve third-party delivery bottlenecks, performance lags, or cross-border vendor staffing issues.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 6+ years of experience in contingent workforce management, workforce programs, talent acquisition operations, vendor management, HR operations, procurement, program management, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience managing programs that require both strategic stakeholder consultation and detailed operational execution.
• Proven ability to establish, document, and continuously improve processes while maintaining data integrity, operational controls, and program consistency in evolving environments.
• Experience evaluating workforce fulfillment models and advising stakeholders on employee, contingent labor, project-based, and outsourced workforce solutions.
• Strong relationship management and influencing skills with the ability to effectively partner with business leaders, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Finance, Legal, vendors, and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Prior success migrating a corporate entity from manual spreadsheet-based vendor tracking to a formal Vendor Management System (VMS) strongly preferred.
• Certification in Contingent Workforce Management (CCWP) or project management principles (PMP) strongly preferred.

Compensation: The estimated base salary range for this position is between $95,000 and $110,000 annually. Please note that this pay range serves as a general guideline and reflects a broad spectrum of labor markets across the US. While it is uncommon for candidates to be hired at or near the top of the range, compensation decisions are influenced by various factors. At HALO, these include, but are not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's work experience, location, education and training, key skills, internal equity, external market data, and broader market and business considerations.
Benefits: At HALO, we offer benefits that support all aspects of your life, helping you find a work-life balance that's right for you. Our comprehensive benefits include nationwide coverage for Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability insurance, along with additional Voluntary Benefits. Prepare for your financial future with our 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, Health Savings Accounts (HSA), and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
Application Information: To apply to this opportunity, click the APPLY button at the top right or very bottom of the screen to complete our online application. A resume is optional, so you may choose to upload and have the application prefill with your information. There are 5 sections to complete in total, including General information, Work History, Education, Compliance, and optional demographic questions. Once you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive a submission confirmation email from our system.
Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed and processed only when there is a specific need or opportunity, rather than on a fixed schedule or at a set deadline. Because they are reviewed on an as-needed basis, a job posting will be removed once the position has been filled or is no longer available.
More about HALO
At HALO, we unleash the energy of our client's brands and amplify their stories to capture the attention of those who matter most. For that reason, more than 60,000 small- and mid-sized businesses work with HALO and have made us the global leader of the branded merchandise industry.

• Career Advancement: At HALO, we love promoting from within. Internal promotions have been the key to our exponential growth in the last few years. With so many industry leaders at HALO, you'll have the opportunity to accelerate your career by learning from their experience, insights, and skills and gain access to HALO's influential global network, leadership experiences, and diverse thinking.
• Culture: We love working here and know that you will too. You can expect a positive culture of ingenuity, inclusion, and relentless determination. We push the limits of possibilities and imagination by staying curious, humble, and provocative in order to break through yesterday's limit. Diversity is the source of our creativity and we thrive when each of us contributes to an inclusive culture of respect, dignity, and equity mindset in everything we do. We keep our promise for excellence with an unrelenting commitment to achieving results and supporting one another to stay accountable, transparent, and dependable.
• Recognition: You're going to succeed here, and you can count on us to celebrate your wins. Colleagues across the company will join in recognizing your big milestones and nominate you for awards. Over time, you'll earn so much recognition that you can convert into gift cards, trips, concerts, and merchandise at your favorite brands.
• Flexibility: Most roles offer hybrid work. In addition, we pride ourselves on flexible schedules that help you find a balance between professional and personal demands. We believe that supporting our customers is the priority and trust that you and your manager will find a schedule to achieve that priority.

HALO is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We insist on an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Inclusion is a core value at HALO and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people.
HALO participates in E-Verify. Please see the following notices in English and Spanish for important information: E-Verify Participation and Right to Work .
HALO is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process - including the online application and/or overall selection process - you may email us at hr@halo.com. Please do not use this as an alternative method for general inquiries or status on applications as you will not receive a response. Reasonable requests will be reviewed and responded to on a case-by-case basis.