Principal Talent Acquisition Lead

Job Title: Principal Talent Acquisition Lead Job Description The Principal Talent Acquisition Lead plays a strategic and hands-on role in driving full-cycle recruitment for and hard-to-fill technical and corporate positions. This role partners closely with leadership and talent acquisition leadership to provide market insights, optimize hiring processes, and build a high-performing recruiting team. The position requires a strong blend of data-driven recruiting expertise, people leadership, and the ability to solve complex hiring challenges in hardware and deep-tech engineering environments. Responsibilities

- Partner directly with leadership to provide clear market data, compensation guidance, and regular updates on candidate pipelines.
- Own full-cycle recruiting for key and hard-to-fill roles across hardware, software, wireless, systems engineering, and corporate G&A functions.
- Collaborate with talent acquisition leadership to drive momentum on critical searches, resolve hiring challenges, clear team bottlenecks, and support operational recruiting tasks.
- Work closely with the talent acquisition manager to build and scale the talent team, including assisting with hiring, onboarding, and balancing workload across new recruiter team members.
- Train new recruiters on recruiting tools and platforms, including best practices for applicant tracking system (ATS) usage and data cleanup.
- Directly manage, guide, and mentor a small group of recruiters, providing coaching, performance feedback, and professional development support.
- Create and maintain sourcing playbooks that outline effective strategies for identifying and engaging candidates across technical and corporate disciplines.
- Streamline recruiter workflows to improve efficiency and ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for both candidates and hiring managers.
- Support interviewer and hiring manager training, including how to draft clear and inclusive job descriptions, prepare for interviews, select interview panels, develop question banks, and deliver structured interview feedback.
- Track and analyze key recruiting metrics and KPIs, including time to fill, pipeline health, offer acceptance rates, and areas of friction or opportunity in the hiring process.
- Use data and metrics to guide search strategies and inform conversations with hiring managers about market conditions, candidate availability, and process improvements.
- Perform campus recruiting and represent the organization at recruiting events, career fairs, and similar activities, with up to 10% travel required.
- Ensure compliance with relevant hiring policies and practices, including a check and drug test requirements.
- Manage multiple concurrent searches and priorities, maintaining organization and clear communication in a fast-moving environment.
- Perform other related duties as needed to support the overall effectiveness and success of the talent acquisition function.

Essential Skills

- Bachelors degree in a relevant field.
- 10+ years of full lifecycle recruiting experience across both technical and corporate roles.
- Direct recruiting experience in hardware or complex engineering environments, such as defense, aerospace, telecommunications, robotics, autonomous systems, or related deep-tech industries.
- At least 2 years of experience supervising, mentoring, and leading a team of recruiters.
- Strong familiarity with recruiting metrics and the ability to use data to guide search strategies and inform hiring manager discussions.
- Extensive experience with data-driven sourcing tools, such as LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, Handshake, and advanced Boolean/X-ray search techniques.
- Demonstrated proficiency using Applicant Tracking Systems, such as Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, or similar platforms.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at multiple levels.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and multiple searches simultaneously.
- Proven success operating in a fast-moving environment while maintaining attention to detail and process integrity.
- A solution-oriented mindset, with the ability to identify bottlenecks or hiring friction and propose actionable, practical solutions.
- Experience in full cycle recruiting, talent acquisition, and compliance within a structured hiring process.
- Technical recruiting experience in hardware engineering, RF engineering, wireless engineering, embedded systems, and firmware roles.
- Team leadership and people management experience, including hiring team development.
- Ability to meet employment requirements contingent upon successful completion of check and drug test.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Experience supporting a high-growth company with competing deadlines and multiple demands.
- Comfort navigating ambiguity and adapting quickly when business priorities shift.
- Demonstrated experience managing multiple candidate funnels, functions, and levels while tracking progress throughout the recruitment process.
- Experience in corporate recruiting and engineering recruiting across a range of specialized disciplines.
- Ability to design and refine recruiting processes that enhance candidate experience and hiring manager satisfaction.
- Strong analytical mindset for interpreting recruiting data and translating insights into improved strategies and workflows.
- Experience participating in campus recruiting, career fairs, and related external talent attraction activities.
- Comfort working within complex, highly technical environments and engaging with engineering stakeholders.
- Commitment to maintaining organized, accurate candidate and requisition data within ATS and sourcing tools.

Work Environment This role operates primarily in an office environment with a hybrid work schedule based in West Los Angeles. The typical hybrid arrangement includes in-office work on Tuesdays and Fridays, with flexibility on other days as appropriate. The position involves sitting for extended periods while working at a computer and using recruiting technologies such as Applicant Tracking Systems and online sourcing platforms. Occasional travel, up to approximately 10%, is required for campus recruiting, career fairs, and external recruiting events. The work may involve lifting materials or equipment up to 20 pounds when setting up or participating in events. The culture emphasizes collaboration with leadership and cross-functional teams, a focus on data-driven decision-making, and support for professional growth within a well-established and growing organization.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $155000.00 - $175000.00/yr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Incentive Bonus Plans
Medical, Dental, Vision benefits
401K with Company Match
10 Paid Holidays
Generous Paid Time Off Packages
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Paid Parental & Family Leave
and more!
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Nov 10, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Los Angeles,CA.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.