Sr Recruiter; on-site

Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry’s leading flight‑proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine.

We are looking for a strategic, hands‑on Recruiter within aerospace, launch systems, or adjacent deep‑tech industries. This individual must have a strong understanding of the specialized roles within the rocket ecosystem and a proven ability to source high‑impact talent from leading rocket and space organizations.

This role requires someone who is both technically fluent and creatively resourceful — leveraging AI‑driven sourcing tools, advanced research strategies, and industry connections to identify and engage top‑tier candidates.

• Work at the forefront of rocket innovation.
• Help build a team that will redefine access to space.
• High‑impact role with visibility across executive leadership.
• Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits.

• Lead full‑cycle recruiting for highly specialized aerospace and rocket roles including propulsion, avionics, GNC (Guidance, Navigation & Control), structures, systems engineering, launch operations, test engineering, and manufacturing.
• Partner with leadership and technical hiring managers to deeply understand role requirements and future workforce planning.
• Manage internship program.
• Develop proactive hiring strategies for hard‑to‑fill and confidential roles.

• Utilize AI‑powered sourcing tools and automation platforms to identify, qualify, and engage passive candidates.
• Build and refine Boolean search strategies across multiple databases and talent platforms.
• Analyze talent market data to guide compensation and hiring strategies.
• Continuously experiment with emerging AI recruiting tools to improve sourcing efficiency and candidate quality.

• Identify and build pipelines from leading rocket and aerospace organizations (e.g., commercial launch providers, satellite companies, propulsion startups, defense contractors).
• Map organizational structures of competing rocket companies to identify high‑potential talent and succession targets.
• Leverage industry networks, conferences, and referrals to generate strong leads.
• Build strategic relationships with engineers and technical leaders across the aerospace ecosystem.

• Serve as a trusted partner to candidates throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
• Assess both technical capability and startup mindset (speed, adaptability, ownership).
• Promote the company’s mission and value proposition to attract top‑tier rocket talent.

• Maintain and optimize recruiting workflows within Rippling Talent (preferred experience).
• Track and report recruiting metrics (time‑to‑fill, source effectiveness, pipeline conversion rates).
• Continuously improve recruiting processes to scale alongside company growth.

• Minimum 5 years of recruiting experience, with substantial focus on aerospace, space, defense, or rocket companies.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting for highly specialized rocket‑industry roles.
• Deep understanding of rocket‑related disciplines such as:
• Propulsion systems
• GNC
• Avionics
• Structures & composites
• Launch operations
• Test engineering
• Manufacturing & integration
• Experience leveraging AI sourcing tools, automation platforms, and advanced search techniques.
• Strong ability to identify connections, referrals, and industry crossovers to generate new leads.
• Experience using ATS platforms;
  Rippling Talent experience preferred.
• Experience in AI tools:
  ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, Perplexity.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, startup environment.

• Proven track record sourcing passive candidates from top aerospace and launch organizations.
• Experience recruiting for aerospace startups.
• Existing network within the commercial space or…