Talent Lead (gn) @ SpaceTech Venture, Reading (UK)

NewOrbit's mission is to engineer the lowest orbiting satellites on Earth to rapidly advance global connectivity and insight. We're currently building satellites that operate at just 200 km, one-third the altitude of conventional satellites, made possible by AURA, our proprietary propulsion system that compensates for atmospheric drag at ultra-low altitudes.

We're an exceptional team where every person has a disproportionate impact. We're looking for a Talent Lead who refuses to settle, thinks differently about where great people are found, and takes personal pride in closing candidates others couldn't.

The role

This is a high-craft hunting role. You'll spend most of your time in the market, finding and closing exceptional people that others can't reach. You build sourcing strategies the way an engineer builds systems: structured, scalable, and constantly improving. You don't copy what everyone else is doing. You use data, technology, and genuine human connection to operate at a level most recruiters never reach.

This isn't for someone who wants to manage from a distance or run a standard process. It's for someone who holds themselves to an exceptionally high bar and finds that standard recruiting practice leaves a lot on the table.

What you'll do

• Hunt exceptional talent, this is your primary job.
• Personally source and close top-tier candidates across global talent pools.
• Build sourcing strategies from first principles. If everyone is fishing in the same pool, you're looking somewhere else.
• Use AI sourcing tools, talent intelligence platforms, and community networks to find people others miss.
• Build warm pipelines for critical roles before they’re live.
• Run outbound that feels human and informed, not templated. You know the difference and it shows in your response rates.
• Own the full candidate journey from first touch to signed offer.
• Think and act globally. Your search radius is the world by default, not by instruction.
• Look beyond obvious markets and find world-class talent in unexpected geographies.
• Build genuine relationships with global communities, research labs, and technical networks.
• Tailor outbound strategies to different regions, disciplines, and career stages with precision.
• Turn hiring needs into tight briefs, timelines, and search strategies grounded in market data.
• Use pipeline conversion, source quality, and market mapping to make better decisions faster.
• Drive offer structuring and negotiations with a clear understanding of what motivates exceptional people beyond comp.
• Hold external partners to the same bar you hold yourself.
• Represent NewOrbit with depth and authenticity. The mission is genuinely compelling but only lands when communicated with conviction.
• Leave every candidate, hired or not, with a strong and lasting impression of who we are.
• Help shape how NewOrbit is perceived in the talent market and track whether it's working.
• Support smooth onboarding, hiring documentation, and compliance basics.
• Help lay sensible People & Culture foundations as we scale.

Who you are and what you've done

• You hold yourself to an exceptionally high bar and expect the same from every hire.
• Obsessed with finding the best person, not the most available one. You've closed roles others gave up on.
• You build sourcing strategies the way an engineer builds systems: from first principles, data-driven, always improving.
• AI and modern tooling are native to how you work. You have a track record with talent intelligence platforms, not just LinkedIn Recruiter.
• Your search radius is the world. You've hired across multiple geographies and know how to adapt by market.
• You've won candidates in competitive situations and can point to exactly how you did it.
• People engage with you because you're genuine, knowledgeable, and worth their time.
• Ideally you've hired in deep tech, space, aerospace, or defence, and found exceptional people where others weren't looking.