Public Sector HR Modernization Engagement Lead

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

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,