Talent Acquisition & Business Development Recruiting Manager

Manhattan Strategy Group seeks a Talent Acquisition & Business Development Recruiting Manager to lead full-cycle federal recruiting and build proactive talent pipelines in support of proposals, contract awards, and strategic growth, onsite in Bethesda, MD.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end recruitment for contingent proposal hires, contract awards, and strategic business development initiatives.
• Design and execute sourcing strategies to identify qualified candidates, subject matter experts, consultants, and key personnel for federal contracting opportunities.
• Build proactive talent pipelines to support current and future proposals, recompetes, and anticipated awards.
• Create job postings and run sourcing campaigns using LinkedIn, Indeed, professional associations, industry networks, referrals, and other channels.
• Source, screen, interview, and evaluate candidates to assess qualifications, availability, interest, and fit with opportunity requirements.
• Conduct phone and virtual interviews and coordinate candidate progression through the recruitment process.
• Manage candidate relationships throughout the lifecycle to ensure a positive experience and timely communication.
• Negotiate compensation, salaries, and terms with candidates, consultants, and subcontractor personnel.
• Prepare and extend contingent and direct offers, and present company information, benefits, and employment details.
• Partner with Business Development, Proposal Operations, Program Management, HR, Contracts, Finance, and Executive Leadership to shape staffing strategies for proposals and awarded work.
• Participate in proposal planning meetings, staffing discussions, color team reviews, and related business development activities as needed.
• Maintain regular contact with high-potential candidates and industry contacts to anticipate future needs.
• Develop and maintain recruiting metrics, pipeline reports, and staffing status updates for leadership.
• Maintain accurate candidate activity records within the applicant tracking system (ATS).
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and company recruiting policies.
• Stay informed on labor market trends, compensation practices, competitor activity, and federal contracting recruiting best practices.
• Independently manage multiple concurrent recruiting priorities while delivering high-quality candidates under tight proposal and hiring timelines.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of full-cycle recruiting experience within the federal government contracting industry.
• Demonstrated experience supporting business development, capture, proposal, and pre-award recruiting efforts.
• Proven success recruiting for professional services, consulting, research, training and technical assistance, communications, program management, and technical positions for federal clients.
• Strong experience sourcing passive candidates through LinkedIn Recruiter, networking, referrals, databases, and other creative sourcing techniques.
• Demonstrated success identifying and engaging subject matter experts, consultants, and key personnel for proposal efforts.
• Experience negotiating compensation, consulting agreements, and contingent employment arrangements.
• Experience using applicant tracking systems; Jobvite experience preferred.
• Knowledge of federal employment regulations and recruiting compliance requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage candidates and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with candidates, hiring managers, business development professionals, and executive leadership.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while managing competing priorities.
• Proven ability to operate with urgency and consistently meet demanding deadlines.
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent proposals and recruiting efforts in a fast-paced federal contracting environment preferred.

Technologies

• LinkedIn Recruiter
• Jobvite
• LinkedIn
• Indeed

What makes someone successful in this role

• Operates with urgency in a fast-paced environment.
• Is highly proactive and resourceful in identifying talent.
• Enjoys building relationships and networking within the federal contracting community.
• Balances speed and quality while managing multiple priorities.
• Takes ownership of recruiting outcomes and follows through on commitments.
• Thrives in a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.