Senior Manager, Early Career Programs - Mission Critical Sector

Suffolk Construction•Boston, MA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Early Career Programs leads the strategy and execution of the Career Start program in Suffolk’s Mission Critical sector, reporting to the Senior Director, Early Career Programs. The role oversees hiring, onboarding, and rotational experiences for Career Starts on Mission Critical job sites and partners with operational leaders, HR Business Partners, and project leadership to attract, develop, and retain early-career talent. The position requires an on-site presence four days per week at the Boston office. The Senior Manager leads regional recruiting and program operations for California, Las Vegas, South Central, and Florida. Responsibilities include forecasting hiring needs, managing participant onboarding and rotations, supporting employee development and retention, advising business leaders, and using talent data to guide workforce planning. The role also collaborates with East and West Region Managers to support a consistent national Early Career experience and contributes to enterprise-wide initiatives and program improvements. The employee works in an office environment with quiet to moderate noise and may also walk on job sites. The position involves regular sitting, talking or hearing, and fine motor use of a keyboard, telephone, or writing; frequent standing, walking, and reaching; and vision abilities including close and distance vision, depth perception, and adjusting focus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
At least 6 years of management experience in early career programs, university recruiting, talent development, or a related field.
Confidence in coaching, mentoring, and motivating early-career talent.
Demonstrated ability to build strong partnerships with senior business leaders.
Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with Mission Critical leadership, HR Business Partners, and jobsite leaders.
Experience collaborating across departments.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and prioritize effectively.
Flexible, agile, adaptable, and resilient, with the ability to thrive in ambiguity.
Tact, discretion, and ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong facilitation, consulting, and presentation skills.
Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
Reliable, self-motivated, and attentive to detail.
Possess Suffolk’s Core Values: Passion, Integrity, Hard Work, Professionalism, and Caring.

Responsibilities

Lead the regional recruiting strategy for the Mission Critical sector.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with Mission Critical operational leaders.
Develop diverse, high-quality talent pipelines to support current and future business needs.
Partner with regional leadership to forecast hiring needs and develop annual recruiting plans.
Serve as hiring manager for the California, Las Vegas, South Central, and Florida regions.
Manage day-to-day execution of Career Start in the California, Las Vegas, South Central, and Florida regions.
Oversee onboarding, rotations, performance reviews, compensation milestones, promotions, and employee development.
Partner with project teams to ensure participants receive meaningful assignments and development opportunities.
Monitor participant engagement, retention, and overall program health.
Coach and mentor Career Start participants throughout their program experience.
Partner with managers to develop Individual Development Plans and career progression strategies when needed.
Facilitate talent review discussions and identify high-potential employees for future leadership opportunities.
Advise Regional Operations leaders, HR Business Partners, and hiring managers on Early Career initiatives.
Use talent data and regional insights to inform workforce planning.
Partner with leaders to improve participant experiences while balancing regional business priorities.
Track and analyze recruiting, hiring, retention, engagement, and promotion metrics.
Identify trends and recommend process or program improvements.
Prepare regional reports and communicate key insights to senior leadership.
Collaborate with East and West Region Managers to deliver a consistent national Early Career experience.
Share best practices across regions while accommodating local business needs.
Support enterprise-wide initiatives, process improvements, and strategic projects that strengthen Suffolk’s Early Career Programs nationally.