Talent Acquisition Leader, Aerospace Engineering

Company Overview Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas—including airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special mission aviation, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. Wherever we operate, we build vertically integrated full stacks of capability—designing, building, and operating turnkey solutions that let customers scale capacity while benefiting from continuous cycles of innovation. With operators and engineers under one roof, we close the gap between lab and field—what we call connecting design with effect. Metrea's solutions are built for elegance: effective, efficient, and evolving. This approach enables our partners to do more with less and achieve outsized, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Metrea has facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond. Group Overview Our People Team functions as the architect of our mission-critical teammate strategies, ensuring the enterprise is synchronized and optimized for high-intensity output. Through a sophisticated Talent Acquisition engine, we secure the elite technical expertise required to maintain our competitive edge, while our Total Rewards framework provides the high-performance incentives necessary for long-term retention. We maintain operational continuity through a streamlined People Partnering infrastructure, simultaneously driving the evolution of our workforce via rigorous People Development programs. Underpinning this entire ecosystem is our Firmware, the core values-set hardcoded into our culture to ensure that every individual's trajectory is aligned with our overarching mission objectives. Position Summary The Recruiting Lead will be a strategic force multiplier within Metrea's Aerospace Engineering Group (AERO) - one of the fastest growing areas of the enterprise - shaping the talent engine behind rapid aircraft modification and mission delivery. This is a new role necessary to lead rapid growth as Metrea invests in bringing additional full stack end-to-end solutions in house. This role goes beyond traditional recruiting - owning talent acquisition across highly specialized domains, from design engineering and FAA certification to airframe integration and operational execution. As a trusted partner to technical and operational leaders, the Recruiting Lead translates evolving mission requirements into proactive, precision hiring strategies that keep pace with AERO's speed and complexity. Embedded within a uniquely integrated ecosystem - spanning the Airborne Asset Adaptation (A3) Cell, Aircraft Integration Center (AIC), and Aerospace Design (ASD) - this role serves as the connective tissue between vision and capability. The Lead will anticipate workforce needs from program inception through deployment, building pipelines of elite talent capable of delivering certified, mission-ready aircraft under demanding timelines. Success in this role requires fluency in both aerospace and talent strategy, enabling alignment between technical execution and organizational growth. This is an opportunity to architect the future of a mission-driven enterprise operating at the edge of innovation; through elevating market knowledge and capture, refining recruiting operations, and team mentorship, all while ensuring Metrea remains the destination for top-tier aerospace talent. What You'll Do Serve as a player-coach by directly owning full-cycle recruiting for critical roles while building, mentoring, and scaling a high-performing team—setting the standard through hands-on execution, establishing repeatable processes, and driving consistent delivery Build and execute market-informed sourcing strategies across specialist talent pools including aircraft supply chain, FAA Part 21 and Part 145 environments, avionics, integration engineering, maintenance, and production Develop deep understanding of external talent markets and use data and insight to guide hiring leaders on talent availability, market constraints, and competitive dynamics Partner closely with senior and highly specialized stakeholders, bringing clear recommendations, thoughtful challenge, and sound judgment throughout the hiring process Develop targeted pipelines through direct sourcing, market mapping, and proactive relationship-building across niche talent pools Strengthen Metrea's capability in emerging talent markets through market mapping, insight sharing, and the development of repeatable hiring approaches Guide hiring managers through structured and high-quality selection processes that improve decision-making and candidate experience What You Bring A player-coach mentality that balances ownership and empowerment - leading from the front through hands-on contribution, a high performance bar, and developing others through real-time coaching, accountability, and shared wins Proven success in complex, technical environments (e.g., aerospace, defense, engineering), with the ability to deliver high-quality hires at speed Ability to translate ambiguous, evolving mission or program requirements into clear, executable hiring strategies and priorities Strong partnership skills with technical and operational leaders; credible, consultative approach to influencing hiring decisions and workforce planning Data-driven mindset with the ability to use insights to guide strategy, improve funnel performance, and communicate impact High ownership, discernment, and bias for action in fast-paced, ambiguous environments Experience hiring across specialized domains such as design engineering, certification, manufacturing, maintenance, or integration functions Working knowledge of FAA-regulated environments (e.g., Part 21 and/or Part 145) or similar highly regulated industries is strongly preferred, though not required Benefits Comprehensive medical plan options HSA/FSA accounts Dental and vision coverage 6% employer 401(k) match Fully paid parental leave for all new parents Generous PTO Life and disability insurance Long-term and Short-term disability coverage AD&D Coverage Pet Insurance Employee Assistance Program Subsided gym membership / plans AAP/EEO Statement This Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time exempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs. Travel Up to 20% Our Firmware At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems. Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.