Shield 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, visitwww.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andYouTube.

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 idóneo 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 domains





Partner directly with engineering leadership and hiring managers to define hiring strategy, interview processes, and prioritization plans aligned to business objectives

Build and execute proactive sourcing strategies for difficult-to-find technical talent across aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, energy, and adjacent industries

Act as a strategic advisor to leadership on market trends, talent availability, compensation competitiveness, and hiring risks

Drive strong operational rigor across pipeline management, funnel health, data accuracy, and stakeholder communication

Help influence workforce planning and ensure hiring activity remains aligned to approved business priorities

Improve recruiting scalability through process improvements, documentation, interview calibration, and tooling optimization

Deliver an exceptional candidate experience while maintaining urgency and high hiring quality standards

Mentor junior recruiters and sourcers while helping elevate recruiting best practices across the organization
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

7+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, including significant ownership of complex hardware engineering searches
Proven success recruiting Electrical Engineers, Power Electronics Engineers, Embedded Hardware Engineers, Avionics Engineers, or similar technical talent





Strong understanding of technical hardware concepts and engineering organizational structures

Experience partnering with senior engineering leadership in fast-paced or high-growth environments

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex searches simultaneously while maintaining strong hiring outcomes

Strong sourcing and market-mapping capabilities across highly competitive technical domains

Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and operational execution skills

Experience using ATS systems, sourcing platforms, and recruiting analytics to drive decisions and pipeline visibility

Ability to operate strategically while remaining highly execution-oriented
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience recruiting within aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, energy, or other highly technical industries

Familiarity with hardware development lifecycle concepts, embedded systems, power systems, avionics, or electromechanical integration

Experience supporting hiring at scale during periods of rapid organizational growth

Experience influencing workforce planning, prioritization, or recruiting operations initiatives
$120,000 - $180,000 a year
Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary 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

📌 Staff Hardware Recruiter (Madrid)
🏢 shieldai
📍 Madrid