Lead Talent Acquisition

Alta Ares is a deeptech startup founded in 2024, building real-time AI for defense operations (ISR, C-UAS). Our primary clients are NATO-aligned militaries, with regular deployments during live exercises. Raised €2M pre-seed in May 2025. Products include:Real-time AI ISR module deployable on drones and tactical platformsFull-stack MLOps platform for training & deploying military-grade AI modelsData fusion and trajectory predictionLocation: ParisLanguage:French : Native or fluent (required)English : Professional fluency (required)Role & MissionWe are looking for our first dedicated Lead Talent Acquisition to build and scale our recruitment function. This is a hands-on role requiring both strategic vision and operational excellence. You will own the entire recruitment infrastructure—from sourcing critical hires to implementing scalable processes, tools, and systems.Strategic Recruitment & Sourcing :Lead end-to-end recruitment for strategic and hard-to-fill positions across engineering, operations, and business functionsHands-on sourcing and headhunting for critical roles (hardware engineers, software developers, defense specialists, international positions and more)Build and maintain talent pipelines for key technical and operational profilesPartner with leadership (COO and Chief of Staff) to define hiring strategy and workforce planningStructure & Process Building :Design and implement scalable recruitment processes from scratchSet up and optimize our tech stack: ATS (Applicant Tracking System), CRM, sourcing tools etc.Establish recruitment workflows, interview frameworks, and evaluation criteriaCreate documentation, playbooks, and best practices for future team growthDefine and track recruitment KPIs and metricsEmployer Branding & Market Positioning :Develop Alta Ares' employer brand and talent value propositionBuild relationships with universities, engineering schools, and defense industry networksRepresent Alta Ares at recruiting events, job fairs, and industry conferencesCreate compelling job descriptions and recruitment marketing materialsTeam Building & Scaling :Lay the foundation for a future recruitment team as we scaleCandidate profileExperience & Background5+ years of recruitment experience with a mix of: - Agency/Executive Search background (headhunting, complex sourcing), - In-house/corporate recruitment (process building, stakeholder management)Scale-up experience strongly preferred: ideally the first or early TA hire at a company that experienced significant growthDemonstrated success recruiting for technical roles (engineering, R&D, hardware/software)Experience in defense, aerospace, deep tech, or highly regulated industries is a plusSkills & CapabilitiesHands-on sourcing expertProcess architect: You've built recruitment functions from the ground up—implemented ATS/CRM, designed interview processes, established metricsData-driven: You use metrics to drive decisions and continuously improve recruitment performanceSoft SkillsEntrepreneurial mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity and building from zeroHighly autonomous: Self-starter who takes initiative without needing directionAdaptable and resourceful: Thrives in fast-paced, evolving environmentsExcellent communicator: Ability to sell the company vision to top-tier candidatesCultural fit: Alignment with defense/mission-driven work and international operationsNice to HaveExperience recruiting internationallyKnowledge of defense sector talent pools and networksPioneering AI-powered drone recognition and surveillance solutions worldwide. #J-18808-Ljbffr