Engagement Manager

cai; New Jersey; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

CAI is seeking an Engagement Manager to lead an HR Modernization initiative for a public sector client. You will hire, manage, and coordinate the staff augmentation team, ensure staffing and delivery against the contract, and act as the primary liaison between the agency and the consulting firm.

This is a full-time, hybrid role in Trenton, NJ. Candidates must be within a one-hour commute; you will work with agency IT, leadership, and architecture teams to align resources, monitor performance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• 10+ years in engagement management, resource management, or client-facing leadership roles.
• 5+ years hiring staff augmentation or consulting teams for technology initiatives.
• Experience recruiting technical talent, including cloud developers, data engineers, business analysts, and QA professionals.
• Experience managing consultant performance and staffing changes.
• Experience managing executive-level stakeholder relationships.
• Experience with contract, budget, and invoice management.
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar platforms.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• PMP Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Source, screen, interview, and hire candidates for staff augmentation roles aligned with client definitions and rates.
• Coordinate onboarding, including background checks, system access, equipment, and agency orientation.
• Keep a pipeline of qualified candidates ready for backfills and ramp-ups.
• Plan staffing ramp-up and ramp-down to match program phases and project plan.
• Direct day-to-day coordination of augmented staff across BA, development, data, and testing roles.
• Align staff assignments with the Project Manager's plan and pod structure.
• Manage time reporting, approvals, and capacity across the team.
• Oversee consultant performance and deliverables against contractual obligations and SLAs.
• Request reassignment or replacement of staff when skills or performance lag.
• Ensure resources are used effectively to meet changing project needs.
• Serve as the liaison between the consulting firm and DCF stakeholders and leadership.
• Build relationships across business units, technology teams, and vendor organizations.
• Maintain clear communications so priorities are understood by all parties.
• Track hours and spend against budget and contract ceilings; reconcile invoices.
• Ensure compliance with SOW, procurement rules, and agency policies.
• Report staffing status, spend, and performance to agency leadership.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Contract management

Budget management

Problem-solving

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Jira

Microsoft Project

Smartsheet

Job description

Engagement Manager

Req number: R8702

Employment type: Full time

Worksite flexibility: Hybrid

Who we are

CAI is a global services firm with over 9,000 associates worldwide and a yearly revenue of $1.3 billion+. We have over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for our clients, colleagues, and communities. As a privately held company, we have the freedom and focus to do what is right-whatever it takes. Our tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors, and we are trailblazers in bringing neurodiversity to the enterprise.

Job Summary

As an Engagement Manager, you will be the lead an HR Modernization initiative with responsibilities for the team's staffing, performance, and delivery.

Job Description

We are looking for an Engagement Manage r to hire, manage, and coordinate the staff augmentation team supporting key initiatives for a public sector client, including the agency's HR Modernization initiative. You will be the primary liaison between the agency and the consulting firm, accountable for the team's staffing, performance, and delivery against the contract. This position will be full-time contract and hybrid in Trenton, NJ.

Only candidates not requiring sponsorship now or in the future will be considered. Candidates must be within a 1-hour commute of Trenton, NJ.

What You'll Do

• Source, screen, interview, and hire candidates for each staff augmentation role in line with client role definitions, required skills, and approved rates
• Coordinate onboarding, including background checks, system access, equipment, and agency orientation
• Keep a pipeline of qualified candidates ready for backfills and planned ramp-ups
• Plan staffing ramp-up and ramp-down to match program phases and the project plan
• Direct day-to-day coordination of augmented staff across business analysis, development, data, and testing roles
• Align staff assignments with the Project Manager's plan and pod structure
• Manage time reporting, approvals, and capacity across the team
• Oversee and continuously evaluate consultant work quality, productivity, and deliverables against contractual obligations and service level expectations
• Request reassignment or replacement of consulting staff when skill alignment or performance issues arise
• Ensure consulting resources are used effectively to meet changing project needs
• Serve as the primary intermediary between the consulting firm and internal DCF stakeholders, including client IT, executive leadership, the Application Manager, client EDS, and architecture teams
• Act as a trusted advisor to client leadership, building strong relationships across business units, technology teams, and vendor organizations
• Keep communication clear and consistent so that priorities and staffing decisions are understood by all parties
• Track hours and spend against budget and contract ceilings, and reconcile invoices
• Ensure compliance with statement of work terms, state procurement rules, and agency policies
• Report staffing status, spend, and performance to agency leadership

What You'll Need

Required:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• 10+ years of experience in engagement management, resource management, or client-facing leadership roles
• 5+ years of experience hiring and managing staff augmentation or consulting teams for technology initiatives
• Demonstrated experience recruiting technical talent, including cloud developers, data engineers, business analysts, and QA professionals
• Experience managing consultant performance and staffing changes
• Demonstrated experience managing executive-level stakeholder relationships
• Experience with contract, budget, and invoice management
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar platforms
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong conflict resolution, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities

Preferred:

• PMP Certification
• Experience supporting State of New Jersey agencies
• Experience within Human Services, Child Welfare, Public Health, or Social Services programs
• Experience staffing AWS or other cloud modernization programs
• Experience implementing HR or human capital management modernization
• Familiarity with state procurement, governance, and compliance processes

Physical Demands

Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA and other federal, state and local standards Sedentary work that involves sitting or remaining stationary most of the time with occasional need to move around the office to attend meetings, etc. Ability to conduct repetitive tasks on a computer, utilizing a mouse, keyboard, and monitor

Reasonable accommodation statement

If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employment selection pro