Technical Talent Acquisition Partner

Defcon AI is hiring a Talent Acquisition Partner to play a critical role in our next phase of growth. This is a position for a builder – someone who thrives on high-impact technical recruiting but also finds genuine satisfaction in owning and scaling People Operations processes.

Reporting directly to the Head of HR, this role is primarily focused on technical recruiting (80%+), spanning both technical hiring (Senior Software Engineers, DevSecOps Engineers, AI/ML Engineers, Data Engineers, and other specialized engineering roles) and non-technical hiring across the business. This is a true right-hand role: you will take full ownership of talent acquisition/recruiting and the onboarding program, freeing the Head of HR to focus on broader People strategy as Defcon AI scales.

• →Full-Cycle Ownership: Lead and execute the end-to-end hiring process for specialized technical roles including Senior Software Engineers, DevSecOps Engineers, AI/ML Engineers, and Data Engineers, as well as non-technical roles across the business.
• →DoD & Cleared Talent Strategy: Bring established fluency in recruiting for Department of Defense programs and government contracts – including security clearance requirements, timelines, and the specific talent landscape of the defense and intelligence community.
• →Hiring Manager Partnership: Collaborate closely with hiring managers and the Head of HR to scope roles, align on candidate profiles, and drive efficient hiring decisions.
• →Strategic Sourcing: Proactively build a pipeline of elite passive talent within the AI and Defense sectors, with a focused lens on candidates holding (or eligible for) security clearances.
• →Elevate Candidate Experience: Continuously refine the interview process and feedback mechanisms to ensure a top-notch experience that reflects our brand.

• Full Ownership of Onboarding: Take the lead in evolving our onboarding program from a manual process into a scalable, "day-one ready" experience that integrates new hires quickly – with full ownership of the program going forward.
• Process Optimization: Identify and resolve friction points across the employee lifecycle – from offboarding workflows to documentation and data integrity.
• People Ops Partnership: Serve as a true thought partner to the Head of HR on People program design and process improvement as the function scales.

• 5+ years of technical recruiting experience, ideally within a high-growth startup, government contractor, or fast-paced technology environment.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting technical talent for Department of Defense programs or government contracts, including direct familiarity with security clearance processes (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) – this is a core requirement, not a nice-to-have.
• Proven ability to manage the entire talent funnel, from initial intake to complex offer negotiations.
• A strong interest in People Operations; you don't just want to fill seats.
• Demonstrated maturity and executive presence – comfortable operating as a strategic partner to senior leadership and engineering stakeholders, and confident navigating ambiguity independently.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• You are comfortable with ambiguity and are excited to build processes from the ground up.

• Experience designing or improving onboarding and employee lifecycle programs
• Experience working with Greenhouse (ATS and Onboarding)