Staff Hardware Recruiter

Remote / Boston, MA / Dallas, Texas / San Diego, California / San Francisco, California / Washington, DCPeople Experience Division – People Experience /Full Time Employee /On-siteShield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. We are looking for a highly strategic and execution-focused Staff Hardware Recruiter to help scale some of the most critical engineering organizations within the company. This person will own full-cycle recruiting for complex hardware engineering functions with a particular emphasis on Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Avionics, and other highly specialized technical domains supporting next-generation aerospace and autonomous systems development.This is not a traditional recruiting role. We are looking for someone who can operate as a true talent partner to engineering leadership — helping shape hiring strategy, influence workforce planning, drive prioritization discipline, and build scalable pipelines for some of the hardest-to-hire technical talent in the industry.The ideal candidate thrives in high-growth, high-ambiguity environments and brings a strong track record of closing senior and niche hardware engineering talent while balancing speed, quality, and stakeholder partnership.WHAT YOU’LL DO:Own full-cycle recruiting for highly specialized hardware engineering roles across Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, Embedded Systems, Avionics, PCB Design, Power Distribution, RF, Systems Integration, and related technical domainsPartner directly with engineering leadership and hiring managers to define hiring strategy, interview processes, and prioritization plans aligned to business objectivesBuild and execute proactive sourcing strategies for difficult-to-find technical talent across aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, energy, and adjacent industriesAct as a strategic advisor to leadership on market trends, talent availability, compensation competitiveness, and hiring risksDrive strong operational rigor across pipeline management, funnel health, data accuracy, and stakeholder communicationHelp influence workforce planning and ensure hiring activity remains aligned to approved business prioritiesImprove recruiting scalability through process improvements, documentation, interview calibration, and tooling optimizationDeliver an exceptional candidate experience while maintaining urgency and high hiring quality standardsMentor junior recruiters and sourcers while helping elevate recruiting best practices across the organizationREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:7+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, including significant ownership of complex hardware engineering searchesProven success recruiting Electrical Engineers, Power Electronics Engineers, Embedded Hardware Engineers, Avionics Engineers, or similar technical talentStrong understanding of technical hardware concepts and engineering organizational structuresExperience partnering with senior engineering leadership in fast-paced or high-growth environmentsDemonstrated ability to manage multiple complex searches simultaneously while maintaining strong hiring outcomesStrong sourcing and market-mapping capabilities across highly competitive technical domainsExcellent communication, stakeholder management, and operational execution skillsExperience using ATS systems, sourcing platforms, and recruiting analytics to drive decisions and pipeline visibilityAbility to operate strategically while remaining highly execution-orientedPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:Experience recruiting within aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, energy, or other highly technical industriesFamiliarity with hardware development lifecycle concepts, embedded systems, power systems, avionics, or electromechanical integrationExperience supporting hiring at scale during periods of rapid organizational growthExperience influencing workforce planning, prioritization, or recruiting operations initiatives$120,000 - $180,000 a yearFull-time regular employee offer package:Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + EquityTemporary employee offer package:Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.###Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.