Senior Technical Recruiter

Space Kinetic•El Segundo, CA

16h•$140,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, including experience hiring engineers and technical professionals
Demonstrated experience building teams within the aerospace, defense, space, robotics, autonomous systems, or deep technology sectors
Strong sourcing experience utilizing LinkedIn Recruiter, referrals, networking, and direct outreach strategies
Track record of successfully hiring highly specialized technical talent in competitive markets
Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and candidate-closing skills

Nice To Haves

Experience helping scale an early-stage aerospace or defense technology startup
Existing network within the commercial space and national security space communities
Experience recruiting spacecraft, propulsion, GNC, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering talent
Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding startup atmosphere

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end recruiting processes across engineering, operations, and leadership roles.
Develop sourcing strategies to identify exceptional candidates from aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, and adjacent industries.
Manage candidate pipelines from initial outreach through offer acceptance and onboarding.
Leverage existing networks across the commercial space, defense, and advanced technology ecosystems.
Identify and recruit top talent from established aerospace primes, venture-backed startups, government laboratories, and research institutions.
Build talent pipelines for critical technical functions including systems engineering, flight software, avionics, structures, manufacturing, propulsion, and mission operations.
Partner closely with engineering leaders to define hiring needs, role requirements, and candidate evaluation criteria.
Develop structured interview processes that assess technical excellence, startup aptitude, and cultural alignment.
Serve as an ambassador for Space Kinetic's mission, culture, and technology vision.
Build and maintain recruiting processes, metrics, and reporting mechanisms that support company growth.
Represent Space Kinetic at industry conferences, networking events, university recruiting activities, and technical communities.