What are the responsibilities and job description for the Resource Manager position at Blue State?
The Role
Staff projects with a people first approach. The People Operations team is looking for a Resource Manager to help optimize project staffing by leveraging data and cultivating a deep understanding of the skills our people bring to our work. The Resource Manager has the ability to drive and facilitate decision making across client services with senior leadership teams and build trust amongst various levels of staff. When staffing projects, the Resource Manager will be able to find the right solutions balancing business and client needs with the growth of our people - understanding that their role is integral to putting our DEI practices to work in a tangible way. This role requires strong communication skills and is highly organized; being able to effectively navigate a variety of stakeholder needs with decisiveness and empathy.
You will work closely with the Operations Analyst team to partner on project staffing needs by adding context to the data, and report to the Director of Operations with direct mentorship from the Head of Inclusion and People Operations in a fast paced environment to help ensure we are building successful project teams in a timely and inclusive manner.
Responsibilities:
- Lead regular scheduling & planning meetings across the agency weekly, creating agendas that highlight scheduling conflicts and priorities for discussion.
- Work with our Partnerships team to align on teams for pitches and new client projects, partnering with Business Development leads and Operations Analysts team to confirm project start dates and reviewing capacity
- Develop an understanding of skill sets and career ambitions across discipline teams to enable thoughtful staffing recommendations
- Utilize project management tool, Mavenlink, to review data for individual and team capacity; working with Operations Analysts to ensure data is up to date
- Create staffing plans for all new hires partnering with Team Leads and Director of Operations
- Own all communications around project staffing - making sure all stakeholders are informed, creating space and facilitating discussion where needed
- Manage contractor hiring and staffing in collaboration with Talent Acquisition team
- Onboarding new hires to Scheduling and Planning process
- Create utilization and staffing reports for office and executive leadership where needed, as well as contribute context to our people reporting led by our Director of Operations.
The team
The People Operations team is the foundation of Blue State; we work closely with all staff at a all levels across all five offices to keep the business grounded in what we value most - its people. The People Operations team is responsible for recruitment, hiring, resource management, and revenue management with diversity, equity, and inclusion considered at every point. The team brings together the people, the data and the work to help Blue State be a people-first business.
Top things we're looking for
- 4-6 years experience in Resource or Project Management - understanding project workflows and/or staffing an effective team with timeline and budget in mind.
- Experience with stakeholder management (internal or external) - with experience managing upward and downward with patience and understanding; the ability to see a problem from all sides.
- Solution-oriented thinker - you enjoy taking complex problems and breaking it down into its elements to ensure forward movement.
- The ability to multitask and balance priorities while staying organized
- Adept at adopting and managing a variety of communication channels simultaneously (via Slack, Email, Zoom, etc) - and an expert and responsive communicator
- A collaborative and supportive working style that encourages continuous growth and improvement for teams as well as individuals
- Empathy, respect, and a strong interest in Blue State's values
- Curiosity and pro-activity, with a willingness to learn and adapt to new processes
- Proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets and experience working with project management software is a plus!
Once Blue State offices reopen, on-site presence is strongly preferred at a minimum of two days a week. To enter our US offices or attend Blue State events, staff and visitors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including with a booster shot when eligible. Exceptions for protected grounds will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
At Blue State, diversity is a necessity, not a nice-to-have. We encourage those from underrepresented communities — women, people of color, LGBTQIA , immigrants, indigenous folks, those with disabilities and people at all the intersections in between — to apply. Even if you don't think your current skill set checks every box, but this role seems to align with your strengths, we want to hear from you.
The Company
Blue State is a purpose-driven agency. We partner with leading causes, brands, and campaigns and create real change. From Google and UNICEF to Amnesty International and Oxfam, we transform how brands and causes raise money, influence policy, build platforms, and grow communities of supporters. Led by the most creative and analytical minds from the political, nonprofit, and brand worlds, Blue State is a part of WPP Digital and has 150 employees in five offices around the world.