Signaling - should I contact HR?

I'm looking for advice. The background: Our company routinely makes weird internal moves and calls it innovative, among other things. The latest incredulous move is outsourcing the major part of four people's jobs (my teammates and I) to one new (rehire) part-time person plus an outside company who is salivating for more of our business. I have NO idea how this one person is going to handle the majority of the production work of our department. My manager is clueless and incompetent when it comes to our department and our role. They run three departments, one of which seems to be the apple of their eye because they used to work in it and manage it before their promotion. This person is very much a micro-manager and plays favorites. This manager also called upon our team to help shape procedures that will essentially help the new hire and the outside company more easily handle our jobs. (Yes, I am actively looking for a new job, just not having any luck so far!) Said manager also volunteers us to lead pointless team meetings, of which we have less and less desire to be a part of. The conundrum: should I talk to HR about the undesired, unplanned change in job role? Specifically, when the manager asks for the kind of "over and above" contributions, such as leading our team meetings? I (and another one of my coworkers) feel like we are dangling on the edge of being let go, despite our great track record of our team contribution. (More back story: the company, like many during COVID, is facing financial difficulties.) I'm trying to be hopeful that my manager is just absolutely clueless and that this plan will backfire tremendously but it seems intentional and that the writing is on the wall for some of us.