Recruiting Team Lead, Engineering

Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage. The Recruiting Team Lead will play a critical role in scaling Hermeus’ most important technical teams. This is a high-impact, full-time leadership role responsible for delivering against aggressive hiring goals while building and leading a high-performing recruiting function. This role operates as a strategic partner to Engineering leadership and functions as a player/coach, personally owning critical searches while developing the recruiting team and driving consistent execution. Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Ownership

• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of engineering recruiters
• Drive accountability, performance, and consistency across all searches
• Partner with Recruiting Leadership on headcount planning, prioritization, and resource allocation
• Act as the escalation point for complex, high-stakes, or at-risk searches
• Operate as a recruiting leader across the entire organization, not just Engineering, driving a one-team mindset, partnering across all functions, and prioritizing overall company hiring success over individual pod performance

 

Full Lifecycle Recruiting (Player/Coach)

• • Personally own and execute high-priority and complex engineering searches
  • Lead kickoff meetings with Hiring Managers to align on role requirements and hiring strategy
  • Drive structured, efficient interview processes that balance speed and quality
  • Maintain ownership through offer stage and close to ensure successful outcomes

   

  Strategic Talent Partnering

  • • Serve as a trusted advisor to Engineering leadership using data and market insights
    • Influence hiring decisions by calibrating talent and setting clear expectations
    • Build long-term hiring strategies aligned to technical roadmap and business needs

     

    Sourcing & Pipeline Development

    • • Develop and execute proactive sourcing strategies across engineering disciplines
      • Engage highly passive candidates using creative and differentiated outreach
      • Leverage referrals, events, partnerships, and non-traditional channels to build durable pipelines

       

      Candidate Experience & Process Excellence

      • • Ensure a high-quality, consistent candidate experience from initial outreach through close
        • Drive strong communication, preparation, and process discipline across all stages
        • Maintain accurate and reliable data within the ATS to support reporting and decision-making

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 8+ years of experience recruiting for highly technical roles
• 2+ years of leadership, mentorship, or team ownership experience
• Prior experience recruiting within aerospace, defense, or complex hardware environments

Preferred Qualifications

Experience operating in a startup or high-growth environment

Advanced sourcing capability beyond LinkedIn (events, niche platforms, referrals, etc.)

Experience with Lever or similar ATS platforms

What Success Looks Like

Engineering roles are filled with high-quality candidates at speed

Hiring managers view recruiting as a strategic partner

The recruiting team operates with consistency, urgency, and high standards

Pipelines are proactive, predictable, and aligned to future hiring needs