Resource Manager

Overview

FWD People is a full-service strategic marketing agency delivering meaningful and measurable results in the health and non-profit sectors. We take pride in being our clients' trusted strategic partner—staying ahead of the curve, and leveraging our expertise and foresight to help them navigate change and seize opportunities. We approach every challenge with a commitment to innovation, excellence, and empathy, and we seek the same qualities in our leaders. As a fast-growing, senior team, we're excited to welcome more forward-thinking individuals who will help us drive growth, foster positive change within our client's industries, and have fun along the way.

We’re looking for a Resource Manager to centralize resource planning across the agency. As part of our growing business operations team, you’ll plan, allocate and manage in-house and freelance resources, ensuring that resources align with project needs, required skills, and client expectations. You’ll be the connective point between team leads and Operations to ensure our teams are deployed in a balanced, efficient, and on-target way. This role is central to how we run the business day to day and our operational excellence — ideal for someone who finds satisfaction in bringing clarity to complexity, spotting patterns, and building systems that help people and projects thrive.

At FWD, we care deeply about our work and the people we work with — we take our no-jerk policy seriously. You’ll thrive here if you bring ownership without ego, a sense of humor, and a love of building teams and brands that matter.

What You'll Do

• Drive accountability for accurate data in our business planning tool (Parallax), reviewing schedules and timesheets weekly, partnering with Account teams to ensure project plans, timelines, and pipeline forecasts are current and accurate across all active and upcoming work.

• Lead agency staffing meetings and serve as the central point for resourcing decisions, maintaining clear communication as priorities shift and facilitating alignment on trade-offs, timing, and priorities with division and account leadership.

• Build strong, trusted relationships with Account, Creative, and Operations leads, facilitating direct, solutions-oriented conversations to align on trade-offs and resourcing decisions.

• Assess staffing options thoughtfully, considering team dynamics, skills, growth goals, and time zones to make sound allocation recommendations that align with organizational needs.

• Monitor and interpret utilization trends to guide staffing and workload decisions, surfacing insights on utilization and planning efficiency, and advising Account, Operations, and Managing Directors when adjustments are needed to stay aligned with utilization targets and support sustainable work across teams.

• Manage the PTO approval and tracking process, confirming data is current and visible in the relevant platforms.

• Manage contractors from SOW approval through onboarding and offboarding, coordinating setup through Docusign and IT for access, maintaining the contractor directory and spend projections, and partnering with Finance to ensure accurate documentation and expense tracking.

• Maintain and support the evolution of resource planning systems and workflows, championing accurate use of Parallax and reinforcing time-tracking and scheduling habits that strengthen data quality and improve how resourcing information flows across tools and teams.

What You'll Bring

• 4+ years of experience in resource management, project management, creative operations, or a similar coordination role — ideally an agency or creative setting.

• You’re detail-oriented and data-minded. You notice patterns others miss and use them to anticipate needs, spot risks early, and strengthen how the team plans and works.

• You’re organized and proactive, able to keep multiple timelines and conversations in motion while maintaining calm clarity.

• You’re comfortable owning complex systems and tools, keeping them accurate, consistent, and easy for others to use. You have proficiency in Excel and work confidently within Google Workspace — especially Sheets.

• You’re a strong communicator who values clear, timely follow-up. You know how to facilitate decisions and build alignment across departments with professionalism and steadiness.

• You build trust easily. People come to you because you’re reliable, balanced, and approach challenges with a calm, steady presence.

• You bring a positive, team-first attitude and take ownership without ego — equally comfortable zooming out to see the big picture or digging into the details when needed.

• You’re self-motivated, adaptable, and solutions-oriented, thriving in a dynamic environment where priorities shift and collaboration drives results.

• You enjoy creating order, understanding how moving parts connect, and helping teams operate efficiently, sustainably, and on target.

Interviewing at FWD People

We believe in transparency and respect for your time. Our hiring process is designed to be open, fair, and as straightforward as possible, giving you a clear picture of what to expect while also giving us a chance to get to know you. Here’s how it works:

• Initial Conversation: A friendly chat to learn about your background, goals, and what excites you about this opportunity (and in general).

• In-Depth Interview: A deeper discussion about your skills, experiences, and how you envision contributing to our team.

• Scenario Conversation: A collaborative discussion where we’ll walk through a few real-world scenarios together. This is an opportunity to show us how you think through challenges, make decisions, and approach problem-solving.

• Final Interview: An onsite conversation with some additional folks on our team and leadership to explore how your unique talents align with our mission and values.

We know that interviewing can sometimes feel overwhelming, which is why we’re committed to keeping the process clear and communicative every step of the way. We’re excited to learn more about you and appreciate you taking the time to get to know us!

Working at FWD People

We are a senior team that champions integrity, adaptability, excellence, and growth. Here, you’ll collaborate with solution-focused colleagues to advance both our clients and our teams.Our office is located in Brooklyn Heights, and we offer a flexible hybrid work schedule.

We value in-person collaboration and connection but also understand the importance of offering the flexibility to work from home.

We are dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal-opportunity employer, we welcome differences in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and more. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunities and fostering a culture of respect and collaboration.

Benefits & Comp

At FWD, we believe in supporting our team both personally and professionally. We offer excellent benefits, including 25 days off per year +16 paid holidays, matching 401(k), medical, dental & vision, paid maternity & paternity leave, home office setup, yearly team retreats, and a comprehensive professional development program including executive coaching and a yearly professional development stipend. As we continue to grow, we enhance our benefits package to meet the needs of our team.

The salary range for this role is $90,000-$115,000. This role is ideally based in NYC (Brooklyn) with a flexible hybrid work schedule.