Associate Director - Talent Acquisition Government

This position requires office presence of a minimum of 5 days per week and is only located in the location(s) posted. No relocation is offered. 

We’re looking for an Associate Director of Talent Acquisition to lead a team of recruiters supporting high impact hiring across Public Sector programs covering National Security, DOD, DHS, DOJ and Civilian contracts. In addition, the Associate Director will also manage recruitment for our SLED (State and Local Education) business and dedicated FirstNet public safety networks. The Associate Director, Talent Acquisition partners with Hiring Managers, Program/Project Management Office (PMO) teams, Security, and HR Business Partners to ensure staffing for both awarded and pending-award contracts is executed accurately, compliantly, and on time. This leader owns staffing plan design and delivery, manages recruiter workloads and candidate flow, oversees key recruiting operations (requisition governance, offers, background/drug screening coordination, referrals), and drives stakeholder alignment to meet customer/prime expectations and protect contract performance.

What you’ll do:

Contract & Program Staffing Leadership (Awarded + Pending Award)

• Partner with Hiring Managers, PMO teams, and Security to manage personnel requests, bill rate considerations, security crossovers, clearance approvals, talent reviews, and other contract staffing requirements.

• Lead staffing execution for pending-award contracts by assigning work to recruiters, managing candidate flow to the client, and adapting to award timing changes, delays, and unique contract requirements.

• Work with client leadership to identify and recruit Key Personnel/Strategic Hires required for proposal submissions (RFP support).

• Upon contract award, ensure all awarded roles are posted, assigned, and filled quickly to avoid performance risk and contract jeopardy.

Staffing Plan Design & Recruiting Strategy

• Design and manage program Staffing Plans (forecasting, prioritization, timelines, and execution).

• Assign and direct work for recruiters and Staffing Specialists; ensure appropriate capacity planning and prioritization across programs.

• Determine the correct job key/level for roles based on qualifications and applicable government labor rates/salary guidance.

• Build and execute recruiting strategies including sourcing approach, funnel management, and interview process improvements.

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead and develop a recruiting team (Program Manager, Senior Recruiters, Sourcers, Staffing Specialists) through coaching, performance management, and operational rigor.

• Ensure timely posting of requisitions, approvals, offer execution, background/drug screening coordination, and referral management.

• Provide guidance on process exceptions, escalations, and issue resolution when clients are unresponsive or process questions arise.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Governance

• Partner regularly with HR Business Partners on items such as salary exception requests, off cycle pay increases, and management of surplus candidates during the offer process.

• Conduct regular meetings with senior leaders, Security, HRBPs, and Hiring Managers to provide accurate, timely status of open requisitions and hiring progress.

• Maintain compliance-minded recruiting practices aligned to clearance constraints and program requirements.

Analytics & Reporting

• Monitor and manage recruiting metrics (time-to-fill, aging, pipeline health, conversion rates, quality indicators).

• Use data to identify bottlenecks, improve throughput, and strengthen hiring plan predictability.

What you’ll bring:

• 5+ years of proven people leadership in Talent Acquisition (leading recruiters; coaching, performance management, capacity planning).

• Direct experience supporting DoD / IC / National Security programs with understanding of role families and talent markets.

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) desired; advanced degree a plus.

• Demonstrated success recruiting cleared and hard-to-fill technical/professional talent (e.g., cyber, IT/network, engineering, program management, intel/ops support).

• Working knowledge of security clearance concepts (eligibility, timelines, crossover considerations, candidate constraints) and compliance-focused recruiting operations.

• Strong senior stakeholder management; ability to drive intake rigor, influence decisions, and set realistic hiring plans.<