Worker Type

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced, market-savvy Sr. Technical Recruiter to join our recruiting team, focused on cleared Cyber & Intelligence roles in the Annapolis Junction / Fort Meade corridor. This is a mid-level, strategic recruiting role for a recruiter who has already cut their teeth in defense contracting and is ready to take full ownership of high-priority technical requirements.

You are not starting from scratch-you already understand the unique rhythms, competitors, talent dynamics, and localized hiring challenges of the Annapolis Junction corridor. You know how to build credibility with cleared professionals, navigate the nuances of the local polygraph pipeline, and execute creative sourcing strategies to engage passive talent in one of the most competitive cleared markets in the country.

As a Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, you will be responsible for strategic recruitment and sourcing for technical, professional, and (as needed) executive roles. You will develop and implement innovative recruiting solutions to hire the right skills and quantity of talent to meet program and corporate staffing objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic, Full-Lifecycle Recruiting

• Own and manage the end-to-end recruitment process for mid-to-senior level technical positions (Cyber, Software, Cloud/DevSecOps, Systems Engineering, etc.).

• Lead requisitions from intake through offer acceptance, including:

  • Role/scoping alignment with hiring managers

  • Sourcing and outreach

  • Screening and qualification

  • Interview scheduling and coordination

  • Feedback management and debriefs

  • Offer development, negotiation, and closing

• Provide a high-touch, consultative candidate experience that reflects our brand and mission.

• Partner with managers on staffing and recruitment policies/procedures to ensure compliance and understanding of EEO hiring guidelines and internal process expectations.

Targeted Annapolis Junction Sourcing

• Leverage deep sourcing expertise, Boolean search logic, and cleared networks to identify and engage passive candidates holding active TS/SCI with Full-Scope Polygraph (or comparable agency polygraphs).

• Conduct complex research, analysis, and networking to develop active and passive candidate pipelines aligned to:

  • Key programs and current mission needs

  • Anticipated surge hiring and future requirements

• Maintain accurate, organized pipelines and documentation in the ATS and sourcing tools to support real-time visibility into candidate flow and status.

• Keep abreast of market trends, competitors, compensation baselines, and innovative recruiting techniques to remain competitive in state-of-the-art recruiting practices.

Hiring Manager & Stakeholder Partnership

• Act as a trusted advisor to program leaders and hiring managers:

  • Lead intake calls and calibration discussions

  • Set realistic pipeline, timeline, and market expectations

  • Provide continuous market intelligence (talent availability, competitors, clearance constraints, compensation trends).

• Influence and educate stakeholders on:

  • Sourcing strategies and talent mapping

  • Process efficiency and candidate experience improvements

  • Data-driven recruiting decisions using pipeline, time-to-fill, and conversion metrics.

• Demonstrate strong business acumen and the ability to engage and influence executives in a polished, professional manner.

Community & Event Activation

• Represent the company at:

  • Local meetups and technical user groups

  • Career fairs and cleared networking events

  • Intelligence Community (IC) and cleared defense sector gatherings across the Annapolis Junction / Fort Meade corridor.

• Help design and execute localized talent branding and event strategies to increase visibility and attract cleared technical talent.

• Partner internally on special projects and continuous improvement initiatives for the staffing function, including process enhancements and use of generative AI tools.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum 3-5 years of recruiting experience, including:

  • Focus on technical and/or professional roles (defense, IC, cleared environments strongly preferred).

  • Screening, selection, and candidate management

  • Full lifecycle recruitment

  • Experience consulting or working in a consultative capacity, supporting multiple projects with competing demands simultaneously.

  • Proven success recruiting in the Annapolis Junction / Fort Meade tech or closely related cleared markets.

• Demonstrated success qualifying candidates in domains such as:

  • Systems Engineering

  • Cloud / DevSecOps

  • Software Engineering (e.g., Java, Python, C++)

  • Cyber Security

• Strong working knowledge of clearance processing

• ​Experienced with ATS platforms and applicant tracking software; able to keep pipelines and documentation organized and up to date.

• High proficiency with ClearanceJobs, LinkedIn Recruiter, and other sourcing/research tools.

• Exposure to generative AI sourcing tools for market research, talent mapping, and outreach optimization.

• Demonstrated proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to build rapport and trust with cleared candidates and hiring teams.

• Demonstrated competency in conducting phone and in-person interviews and providing comprehensive candidate assessments.

• Strong relationship-building skills; able to establish trust with leaders, hiring managers, colleagues, and candidates.

• Highly organized, with strong time management skills and attention to detail; able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment where small teams share a broad variety of duties.

• Strong initiative and ownership; takes responsibility for current and past work products and drives to meet company objectives.

• Committed to learning from mistakes and continuously improving performance-in self, in team processes, and across the company.

• Team-player mindset; focuses on team success above individual interests.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to build rapport and trust with cleared candidates and hiring teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Established network or strong familiarity with the cleared technical community in Central Maryland (Annapolis Junction / Fort Meade).

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal oversight, while maintaining organized metrics, pipelines, and documentation.

• Strong negotiation and closing skills, with a solid grasp of:

  • Localized salary baselines

  • Compensation drivers for cleared cyber and mission-focused talent.

• Prior experience supporting mission-critical programs in the IC or defense sector.

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) required, per ITAR definition

• Occasionally may be required to travel within the Continental U.S.

Clearance Level

The salary range for this role is:

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:  AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.  For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit:  http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply.  NO agencies please.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology-we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian-but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters-with speed, scale, and purpose-there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR