Career Manager (Public Sector, Professional Services)

Appian; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Flexible time off

Paid parental leave

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Wellness programs

HSAs & FSAs

Referral bonus program

Learning and development resources

Equity awards

Government clearance differential

Job summary

Appian is seeking a Career Manager to guide consultants’ careers within the Public Sector Professional Services team from its HQ in McLean, VA. The role focuses on coaching, performance management, onboarding, and development, not staffing, with frequent in-person collaboration across leaders and engagement managers.

The position requires managing career growth, aligning with business goals, and building strong relationships with consultants and internal stakeholders to drive outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Organization Development, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in Human Resources, Talent Management, or Career Counseling within a consulting or professional services environment.
• Experience coaching individual consultants one-on-one.
• Ability to strategically align workforce capability development with business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Oversee systems supporting talent development, evaluation, feedback, and retention.
• Partner with top consultants to develop consulting career development frameworks.
• Contribute and enhance performance management processes, including feedback cycles and promotion calibrations.
• Work with Customer Success global leaders to align talent initiatives with regional objectives.
• Guide consultants through their learning and development journey.

Skills

Talent Management

Coaching

Performance Management

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Org Development

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

As a Career Manager, you will make a meaningful impact on our Public Sector Professional Services team, guiding Consultants’ careers while strengthening operational excellence within Customer Success. Career Managers partners closely with Regional Leaders to develop their consulting teams and collaborates with engagement managers to enhance the end-to-end consultant experience, including onboarding, professional development, performance management, and other key people processes. This is a coaching and performance management-focused role: this team does not currently focus on staffing. This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 4 - 5 days per week to foster that culture, ensure we thrive through shared ideas and teamwork, and maximize opportunities to connect with the exceptional people across Appian. While working in‑person with our team is our main priority, we also believe the office environment enables more opportunities to celebrate wins, collaborate effectively, and build strong relationships across teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and continuously improve systems and processes that support talent development, evaluation, feedback, and retention.
• Partner with top consultants to develop consulting career development frameworks.
• Contribute and enhance performance management processes, including feedback cycles, performance reviews, and promotion calibrations, in collaboration with Project Engagement Managers and Technical Advisors.
• Work closely with Customer Success global leaders to align talent development and retention initiatives with regional business objectives.
• Ensure career aspirations and business needs are aligned in support of consultants’ professional growth, skill development, and career progression.
• Serve as a trusted resource to consultants, fostering ongoing conversations around career growth and performance.
• Guide consultants through their learning and development journey, advising on training, skill-building, and engagement opportunities to advance their careers.
• Connect consultants with the most appropriate advisors to support their career ambitions.
• Drive strong engagement through frequent consultant interaction and alignment with key internal stakeholders.
• Support internal operational processes (e.g., feedback tracking, timesheets, compliance) to ensure efficiency without disrupting client‑facing responsibilities.
• You’re a people person, capable of providing proactive 1-on-1 counsel to 50 consultants, promoting a positive and productive work environment.

Qualifications

• You have a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Organization Development, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in Human Resources, Talent Management, or Career Counseling within a consulting or professional services environment.
• You have proven experience in managing a pool of resources in a consulting and professional services organization, including strong experience in coaching individual consultants one‑on‑one.
• Ability to strategically align workforce capability development with short and long-term business objectives.
• Proven ability to develop talent in a way that directly supports business performance and growth.

Preferred Experience

• Detail‑oriented, highly organized, and excel at setting up meetings, tracking goals, and managing processes.
• You’re adept at navigating challenging situations and driving conversations toward resolution.
• Facilitative working style; you excel working in a place characterized by ambiguity and unknowns.
• You lead with questions, not only answers.
• Passion for continuous improvement.
• Possess humility and continual drive for learning.
• Collaborative and support others; you do not view the world as a zero‑sum game.

Compensation

Base Salary Range $100,000—$200,000 USD

In addition to the base salary, this position is eligible for a government clearance differential. Actual compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible time off
• Paid parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Wellness programs
• Flexible spending accounts
• Health savings account contributions
• Employee referral bonus program
• Learning and development resources
• Equity awards (certain positions may be eligible)
• Employees may receive government clearance differential
• Discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance
• Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation, commission, bonus, or benefit plans.

Tools and Resources – Training and Development

During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department‑specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First‑Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.

Growth Opportunities

Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.

Community

We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee‑led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for mission‑critical work. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN] Follow Appian: LinkedIn, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook

Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity & Inclusion

Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail].

Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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