Career Manager (Public Sector, Professional Services)

Appian•McLean, VA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Appian is seeking a Career Manager for its Public Sector Professional Services team. This role focuses on guiding Consultants' careers and enhancing operational excellence within Customer Success. The Career Manager will partner with Regional Leaders to develop consulting teams and collaborate with engagement managers on 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, not a staffing role. The position is based at Appian's HQ in McLean, VA, with an expectation of 4-5 days per week in the office to foster a culture of in-person collaboration, shared ideas, teamwork, and connection.

Requirements

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.
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.

Nice To Haves

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

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 to 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.
Provide proactive 1-on-1 counsel to approximately 50 consultants, promoting a positive and productive work environment.