Recruiting Team Lead, Engineering
Hermeus
People & HR
Los Angeles, CA, USA
USD 150k-180k / year + Equity
Posted on Mar 30, 2026
Hermeus is a high-speed aircraft manufacturer focused on the rapid design, build, and test of high-Mach and hypersonic aircraft for the national interest. Working directly with the Department of Defense, Hermeus delivers capabilities that will ensure that our nation, and our allies, maintain an asymmetric advantage over any and all potential adversaries.
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Candidate Experience & Process Excellence
Sourcing & Pipeline Development
Strategic Talent Partnering
Full Lifecycle Recruiting (Player/Coach)
Team Leadership & Ownership
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
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS
The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. US persons include U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Hermeus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions at Hermeus are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
150000 - 180000 USD a year
The salary information provided is a general guideline only. Hermeus takes various factors into account, including, but not limited to, the position's scope and responsibilities, the candidate's professional background, education and training, essential skills, and market and business considerations, when presenting a job offer.
Salary is only one part of our total compensation and benefits package. Hermeus offers competitive salary and equity, unlimited PTO policy, paid parental leave, potential for year-end bonuses, and more!
100% employer-paid health care
401k & Retirement Plans
Flexible PTO
Weekly Paid Office Lunches
Fully stocked breakrooms
Stock Options
Paid Parental Leave