Resource Manager

Omnicom Production•Chicago, IL

2d•$65,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Resource Manager is a detail-oriented and highly organized operator who excels in cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and the execution of complex resourcing plans in a fast-paced production environment. Proficient in resource management tools, this role owns availability tracking, allocations, rolloffs, client billable utilization visibility, and partners closely with Production leadership to translate pipeline demand into actionable staffing plans. In addition to day-to-day resourcing execution, the Resource Manager supports short- and mid-range capacity planning, proactively identifying risks, constraints, and opportunities to improve internalization and overall operational efficiency.

Requirements

5-8+ years of experience in resource management, production coordination, project management, or agency environment
Proven experience with resource allocation and capacity planning fundamentals in a production or agency environment
Strong proficiency in resource management tools (Workfront experience highly preferred)
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data management
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
Comfort working with financial and operational data to support staffing and capacity decisions
Experience supporting production or delivery organizations with high client risk and tight timelines

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with production workflows (digital, print, experiential, and/or video) is a plus
Experience working in an agency or fast-paced production environment is preferred
Experience tracking and managing billable utilization in an agency or production environment

Responsibilities

Resource Allocation & Scheduling
Partner with the Head of Production on intake triage, feasibility assessment, and staffing scenarios for new work
Own the scheduling / allocation / rolloff planning of agency producers across multiple concurrent projects in Workfront
Maintain a forward-looking view (4-8+ weeks) of producer availability, holds, and confirmed assignments
Partner with Resourcing Director on freelance and FTE allocation decisions, providing availability, utilization, and duration-based recommendations
Proactively identify upcoming rolloffs and redeployment opportunities to minimize bench and freelance dependency
Attend weekly status meetings to track progress and update allocations across agency producers’ projects (within Workfront)
Capacity Planning & Utilization Management
Track and report billable utilization for Production Management roles, monitoring actuals against forecast and identifying risks or variances
Maintain accurate, forward-looking availability and capacity views by role and individual
Analyze workload trends, utilization patterns, and pipeline demand to identify capacity gaps, overages, and internalization opportunities
Proactively escalate utilization risks, sustained underutilization, or overutilization to the Resourcing Director and Production leadership
Partner with leadership & Capacity Lead to support staffing, hiring, and freelance decisions using data-driven capacity and utilization insights
Review timesheets and actuals to validate plans, inform forecasting, and continuously improve resourcing accuracy
Tools & Data Management
Host weekly capacity review meetings for key leadership in region utilizing Workfront data
Own data accuracy and integrity of resource plans in Workfront
Maintain workload balancer (Workfront) accuracy to support real-time and forward-looking decision-making
Develop and deliver recurring utilization, availability, and capacity insights/metrics for Production & Capacity leadership
Ensure resourcing systems and data support real-time execution, forward planning, and leadership decision-making.
Collaboration & Communication
Collaborate with creative, production, and account teams to understand project requirements and timelines
Communicate scheduling decisions and resource updates to relevant stakeholders
Serve as the primary point of contact for day-to-day Production Management resourcing questions
Partner with Production leads to align resourcing decisions with skill development, performance progression, and career aspirations where possible
Act as an early-warning system for delivery, capacity, or utilization risk, escalating with context and recommended actions
Exercise independent judgment in resourcing tradeoffs, balancing delivery risk, utilization, and internalization
Surface options and recommendations to leadership, not just constraints or conflicts
Challenge assumptions when capacity, utilization, or delivery risk is present, providing data-backed alternatives
Process Support & Optimization
Support the implementation of established ways of working and processes for the resource management team
Assist with freelance request/extension processing and future capacity assessments
Help identify process improvement opportunities within the resource management function
Maintain organized documentation of resource plans, assignments, and changes
Support the evolution of Production Management resourcing workflows, intake standards, and planning horizons
Help distinguish between demand signal issues, capacity constraints, and staffing execution gaps
Compliance & Reporting
Support the Resourcing Director with compliance-related resource documentation
Maintain accurate records of resource assignments, hours, and utilization
Own the preparation of resource reports for leadership
Ensure all resource information is accurate, up-to-date, and properly documented in Workfront
Support leadership with clear, decision-ready summaries