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Strategic Workforce Planning Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

You'll be the connective tissue between Forecasting, Capacity Planning, Scheduling, Operations, Finance, and Recruiting- turning workforce strategy into operational reality. In this role, you will:

You'll be the connective tissue between Forecasting, Capacity Planning, Scheduling, Operations, Finance, and Recruiting-- turning workforce strategy into operational reality. In this role, you will:

Workforce Planning Lead

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$180 - $220/hr

... planning rituals on a quarterly basis, tying our market goals to workforce plans to cost reality ... strategic about what gets done by hand, what gets automated, and what gets skipped. * Bring the ...

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Workforce Planning Lead

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$180K - $220K/yr

... planning rituals on a quarterly basis, tying our market goals to workforce plans to cost reality ... strategic about what gets done by hand, what gets automated, and what gets skipped. * Bring the ...

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Strategic Workforce Planning information

What is strategic workforce planning?

A Strategic Workforce Planning job involves analyzing an organization’s current and future workforce needs to ensure the right talent is in place to achieve business objectives. Professionals in this role assess workforce trends, skills gaps, and succession planning while aligning talent strategies with long-term business goals. They collaborate with HR, finance, and leadership teams to develop data-driven workforce solutions. This role requires a strong understanding of labor market trends, organizational strategy, and workforce analytics.

What does a typical week look like for someone working in strategic workforce planning?

A typical week in Strategic Workforce Planning involves a mix of data analysis, forecasting future talent needs, and meeting with department leaders to understand business objectives. You may spend time developing workforce models, reviewing hiring trends, and creating reports to present recommendations to senior management. Collaboration with HR business partners, finance, and operations teams is common, making effective communication and relationship-building important. The work is both analytical and strategic, offering exposure to high-level decision-making and providing a solid pathway for career advancement into broader HR or organizational leadership roles.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in strategic workforce planning, and why are they important?

To thrive in Strategic Workforce Planning, you need strong analytical abilities, business acumen, and a solid understanding of human resources principles, typically supported by a degree in HR, business, or a related field. Familiarity with workforce analytics platforms, HRIS, and advanced Excel skills—plus certifications like SHRM-SCP or SWP—are often considered a plus. Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills help you influence decision-making and foster cross-departmental collaboration. These competencies are crucial because the role requires aligning talent strategies with business goals and ensuring the organization can anticipate and respond to workforce needs.

What does a strategic workforce planner do?

A strategic workforce planner analyzes an organization’s current and future staffing needs to ensure the right talent is in place to meet business goals. They use data, forecasting, and planning tools to develop strategies for talent acquisition, development, and retention, often collaborating with HR and leadership. Strong analytical skills and knowledge of workforce trends are essential for this role.

What are the most commonly searched types of Strategic Workforce Planning jobs in California?

The most popular types of Strategic Workforce Planning jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Strategic Workforce Planning jobs in California?

For Strategic Workforce Planning jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Strategic Workforce Planning jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Strategic Workforce Planning jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Strategic Workforce Planning jobs?

Cities in California with the most Strategic Workforce Planning job openings:

Infographic showing various Strategic Workforce Planning job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 60% Full Time, and 40% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Lead, Strategic Workforce Planning & Analytics

Agilent

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Full-time

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Agilent Technologies rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 42 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

48th of 543 rated manufacturers


Job description

Job Description

We're looking for a Lead, Strategic Workforce Planning & Analytics to define and scale Agilent's enterprise workforce planning capability. This is a high-impact leadership role at the intersection of business strategy, financial planning, and workforce transformation.

You will own the enterprise workforce plan-connecting headcount, skills, workforce mix, capacity, and cost to business outcomes. As a trusted advisor to senior leaders across HR, Finance, and the business, you will shape decisions on workforce strategy, investments, and long-range planning.

This is a build-from-scratch opportunity to establish modern, enterprise-grade workforce planning-designing the frameworks, models, governance, and insights that guide how Agilent plans, invests in, and evolves its workforce.

Impact

Your leadership will define how Agilent plans for growth, transformation, and productivity. By aligning workforce strategy with financial and business planning, you will enable more informed decisions on talent investments, workforce efficiency, and future capability needs.

What You'll Do
  • Build and lead Agilent's enterprise strategic workforce planning capability, including frameworks, governance, planning cadence, and executive reporting.

  • Own the integrated workforce plan, connecting headcount, skills, workforce mix, labor cost, capacity, and business priorities into a single, actionable view.

  • Serve as a strategic advisor to HR, Finance, and business leaders on workforce strategy, investment decisions, and long-range planning scenarios.

  • Partner with Finance to align workforce planning with annual operating plans, forecasts, long-range planning, and enterprise scenario modeling.

  • Translate workforce demand into hiring strategies by partnering with Recruiting on capacity models, pipeline strategy, and time-to-fill assumptions.

  • Build predictive and scenario-based models for attrition, mobility, skills gaps, hiring demand, productivity, and workforce readiness.

  • Integrate workforce data across HR, Finance, and business systems to establish a reliable source of truth for planning and decision-making.

  • Lead cross-functional planning across HRBPs, Finance, Recruiting, People Operations, and Facilities to align workforce, cost, and capacity decisions.

  • Translate AI, automation, and digital labor trends into workforce strategies, including impacts to productivity, workforce mix, and future capability needs.

  • Deliver executive dashboards and insights that drive decisions on workforce investments, transformation priorities, and operational performance.

QualificationsWhat You Bring
  • 12+ years of experience in workforce planning, workforce analytics, people analytics, FP&A, consulting, or a related field, with enterprise or global scope.

  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in Business, Finance, HR, Analytics, or a related field preferred.

  • Proven experience building or leading strategic workforce planning capabilities in complex, matrixed organizations.

  • Deep expertise in headcount planning, workforce modeling, labor cost forecasting, and scenario analysis.

  • Strong ability to connect workforce strategy to financial planning, business strategy, and operating model decisions.

  • Experience partnering closely with Finance on workforce planning tied to operating plans, forecasts, and long-range planning.

  • Experience translating workforce demand into hiring strategy in partnership with Recruiting or Talent Acquisition.

  • Advanced analytical and data storytelling skills, with experience using tools such as Workday Adaptive Planning, Power BI, Tableau, Anaplan, or similar.

  • Strong understanding of HR and workforce data ecosystems (HRIS, ATS, Finance), with preference for Workday environments.

  • Practical fluency in AI and automation, with the ability to assess implications for workforce composition, productivity, and cost.

  • Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders across HR, Finance, and the business in complex, cross-functional environments.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in life sciences, healthcare, diagnostics, technology, or other complex, regulated industries.

  • Experience building a workforce planning function or Center of Excellence from the ground up.

  • Consulting background or experience with enterprise transformation initiatives.

  • Experience incorporating contingent labor, outsourced services, and digital/AI-driven capacity into workforce models.

Hybrid Workplace Model: This role follows Agilent'shybrid, site-basedwork model.The selected candidate should expect to work on-site a minimum of3 days per weekto support collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders, with remote flexibility on other days based on business needs and manager alignment.

Additional Details

This job has a full time weekly schedule. It includes the option to work remotely. Applications for this job will be accepted until at least July 4, 2026 or until the job is no longer posted.The full-time equivalent pay range for this position is $210,528.00 - $328,950.00/yr plus eligibility for bonus, stock and benefits. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. During the hiring process, a recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for a preferred location. Pay and benefit information by country are available at: https://careers.agilent.com/locationsAgilent Technologies, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity and merit-based employer that values individuals of all backgrounds at all levels. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, pregnancy, race, religion or religious creed, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, local law, ordinance, or regulation and will not be discriminated against on these bases. Agilent Technologies, Inc., is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive in the workplace where everyone is welcome, and strives to support candidates with disabilities. If you have a disability and need assistance with any part of the application or interview process or have questions about workplace accessibility, please email job_posting@agilent.com or contact +1-262-754-5030. For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please visit www.agilent.com/en/accessibility.Travel Required: OccasionalShift: DayDuration: No End DateJob Function: HR

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