Talent Acquisition Leader, Aerospace Engineering

Metrea•Tampa, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. The company owns the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give partners a decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats. Metrea's operating model is built around three interlocking pillars: Support Groups (global shared-service), Core Groups (develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end), and Market Groups (apply a regional lens). The company emphasizes being a true partner with skin in the game, driving a continuous cycle of innovation. This is a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to a growing enterprise. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The People Team functions as the architect of mission-critical teammate strategies, ensuring the enterprise is synchronized and optimized for high-intensity output. Through a sophisticated Talent Acquisition engine, they secure elite technical expertise. The Total Rewards framework provides high-performance incentives for long-term retention. Operational continuity is maintained through a streamlined People Partnering infrastructure, while People Development programs drive workforce evolution. Core values are hardcoded into the culture to align individual trajectories with overarching mission objectives. The Recruiting Lead will be a strategic force multiplier within Metrea’s Aerospace Engineering Group (AERO), shaping the talent engine behind rapid aircraft modification and mission delivery. This new role is necessary to lead rapid growth as Metrea invests in bringing additional full stack end-to-end solutions in house. The 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 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.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

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.