Lead, Talent Acquisition

About the role

Canada Rocket Company is building sovereign launch capability for Canada, and that starts with building the right team. As our first Lead, Talent Acquisition, you will own the full talent function from strategy through to offer.  Reporting directly to the Head, People Operations, you will be integral to our systems design and setup, owning our sourcing pipelines, and refine our hiring processes to bring world-class engineers and operators into CRC. This is an opportunity to build the talent infrastructure that scales with us as we grow from startup to launch. 

What you'll do

• Design and implement CRC's end-to-end talent acquisition strategy, including sourcing channels, hiring processes, candidate assessment frameworks, and offer practices 

• Own full-cycle recruiting across all open roles, with a focus on hard-to-fill technical and engineering positions 

• Build and maintain proactive sourcing pipelines for critical disciplines, identifying and engaging passive candidates across aerospace, defence, technology, and adjacent industries 

• Partner directly with hiring managers and hiring teams to define role requirements, calibrate on candidate profiles, and move searches to close with speed and precision 

• Develop and lead CRC's employer brand presence across LinkedIn, job boards, industry communities, and events to position CRC as the destination for top aerospace talent in Canada 

• Establish recruiting metrics, reporting cadences, and hiring forecasts that give leadership clear visibility into pipeline health and headcount progress 

• Build the tools, templates, and documentation standards that create a repeatable, high-quality candidate experience as the talent team scales 

• Ensure all recruiting practices comply with Canadian employment standards and pay equity legislation 

• Develop hiring workflows that account for ITAR and CGP requirements relevant to CRC's defence-funded programs 

• Represent CRC at industry events, university programs, and professional networks to grow our talent community ahead of need 

• Design and launch CRC's co-op and internship program, creating a structured early talent pipeline that converts top students into full-time hires as the team scales 

• Evaluate and manage relationships with external search firms and specialist agencies 

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies that intentionally broaden CRC's candidate pools 

• Support the design, execution, and continual improvement of CRC's onboarding program 

Qualifications

Required 

• 7+ years of full-cycle talent acquisition experience, including direct sourcing of technical and engineering candidates 

• Demonstrated experience building or significantly scaling a recruiting function, not just executing within one 

• Proven ability to close senior and specialized technical roles in competitive markets 

• Strong sourcing instincts and hands-on proficiency with LinkedIn, ATS platforms, and non-conventional search techniques 

• Excellent communication, coordination, and influencing skills, with the ability to advise and provide constructive feedback to hiring teams and managers 

Preferred 

• Experience recruiting in aerospace, defense, deep tech, or other safety-critical hardware industries 

• Familiarity with the Canadian engineering talent landscape and cross-border recruitment considerations 

• Experience standing up an ATS, careers page, or broader recruiting tech stack from scratch 

• Exposure to compensation benchmarking, offer strategy, and headcount planning in a high-growth environment 

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a dynamic and process light workplace where self-direction is essential