Senior Technical Recruiter, Federal

Get to Know Us

Horizon3 is a fast-growing, remote cybersecurity company dedicated to the mission of enabling organizations to proactively find, fix, and verify exploitable attack vectors before criminals exploit them. Our flagship product, the NodeZero™ platform, delivers production-safe autonomous pentests and other key assessment operations that scale across the largest internal, external, cloud, and hybrid cloud environments. NodeZero has been adopted by organizations of all sizes, from small educational institutions to government agencies and Global 100 enterprises. It is used by ITOps/SecOps teams, consulting pentesters, and MSSPs and MSPs.

We are a fusion of former U.S. Special Operations cyber operators, startup engineers, and formerly frustrated cybersecurity practitioners. We are committed to helping solve common security problems: ineffective security tools, false positives resulting in alert fatigue, blind spots, “checkbox” security culture, the cybersecurity skills shortage, and the long lead time and expense of hiring outside consultants. Collectively, we are a team of learn-it-alls committed to a culture of respect, collaboration, ownership, and results.

The Role

We are looking for a GTM & Technical Recruiter, Federal to help build the talent engine for Horizon3’s Federal business. This is a high-impact, full-cycle recruiting role for a strategic and hands-on recruiter who can move fluently between go-to-market and highly technical searches while developing a durable pipeline of exceptional talent across the Federal market.

You will partner closely with leaders across Federal, Sales, Solutions Engineering, Customer Success, Product, Engineering, and People to define hiring needs, build targeted talent strategies, and attract, assess, and close outstanding candidates. Your work will span the Department of Defense, military services, defense agencies, and adjacent Federal organizations, with particular focus on candidates who possess specialized experience and security clearances.

The ideal candidate brings strong recruiting fundamentals, enough technical fluency to earn credibility with cybersecurity and engineering talent, and deep familiarity with the Federal talent ecosystem. You will apply the same high talent bar we hold across Horizon3 recruiting, adapted thoughtfully to the Federal world, while helping the company compete for candidates in a complex, relationship-driven market.

What You’ll Do

• Own full-cycle recruiting for Federal GTM and technical roles, from intake and sourcing through assessment, offer, and close.

• Partner with hiring managers and leadership to translate business priorities into clear role profiles, interview plans, sourcing strategies, and hiring plans.

• Build and maintain high-quality, diverse pipelines across Federal sales, account management, capture and business development, solutions engineering, customer success, cybersecurity, engineering, product, marketing and related roles.

• Develop a strong network across the Federal ecosystem, including the Department of Defense, military services, defense agencies, systems integrators, contractors, cybersecurity companies, and mission-focused technology organizations.

• Recruit candidates with active, recent, or relevant special clearances and experience navigating clearance-sensitive hiring environments; understand clearance eligibility, adjudication timelines, and role-specific constraints without overpromising outcomes.

• Create repeatable sourcing strategies for difficult-to-reach talent, including passive candidates, cleared professionals, veterans, military-to-industry talent, and high-performing candidates from adjacent markets.

• Conduct structured screens that assess role-relevant capability, judgment, motivation, communication, and alignment with Horizon3’s talent bar.

• Build credible relationships with candidates across both GTM and technical disciplines, including the ability to engage in informed conversations about cybersecurity, cloud, software, Federal missions, and commercial growth.

• Partner with interview teams to maintain rigorous, consistent, and equitable assessment processes and to make timely, well-calibrated decisions.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring managers: provide market insight, create clarity, challenge assumptions, and push back when a search strategy or assessment process is not likely to produce the right outcome.

• Manage complex offer processes and close candidates thoughtfully, including compensation alignment, leveling, competing offers, mission fit, remote-work considerations, and clearance-related timing.

• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience while maintaining appropriate discretion around clearance status and other sensitive candidate information.

• Use recruiting data to identify bottlenecks, improve funnel health, measure pipeline quality, and increase recruiting efficiency.

• Help establish scalable Federal recruiting infrastructure, including talent maps, evergreen pipelines, market intelligence, referral strategies, and operating rhythms with business and People leaders.

• Continuously evaluate and improve recruiting processes that are no longer serving the business, bringing creativity and practical experimentation to how Horizon3 hires.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience as a full-cycle recruiter supporting both go-to-market and technical hiring, ideally in cybersecurity, defense technology, national security, government contracting, or a related high-growth environment.

• Demonstrated success recruiting across the Defense Technology Ecosystem, with an established network and practical understanding of how cleared and clearance-eligible talent evaluates opportunities.

• Experience hiring for some combination of Federal sales, business development, capture, solutions engineering, customer success, cybersecurity, engineering, product, or other specialized technical roles.

• Working knowledge of security-clearance recruiting, including clearance terminology, transferability considerations, adjudication timelines, and the importance of careful, accurate candidate communication.

• Strong technical acumen and the ability to learn new technical domains quickly enough to assess talent and have credible conversations with engineers, cybersecurity practitioners, and technical customer-facing candidates.

• Strong negotiation and closing skills, with a track record of earning trust and closing candidates in competitive markets.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence candidates, hiring managers, executives, and cross-functional partners.

• High social aptitude and relationship-building ability—you build trust quickly and maintain long-term candidate and stakeholder relationships.

• Experience operating with a high talent bar and applying structured, evidence-based judgment across different candidate backgrounds and career paths.

• Ability to balance speed and quality, especially when business urgency, scarce talent, and clearance timelines create competing pressures.

• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, prioritize effectively, and drive processes forward in an evolving environment.

• Data-driven mindset with a focus on improving recruiting outcomes, efficiency, consistency, and candidate experience.

• Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience recruiting for a Federal startup, defense technology company, cybersecurity company, government contractor, or systems integrator.

• Existing relationships with cleared talent communities, veteran and military-transition networks, Federal professional associations, or defense and national-security technology communities.

• Experience recruiting candidates with TS/SCI, SCI, polygraph, or other specialized clearances, where relevant to the role.

• Familiarity with mission areas and the broader defense technology landscape.

• Experience building a recruiting function, market map, evergreen pipeline, or repeatable sourcing program from the ground up.

• Coursework or degree in business, human resources, psychology, information technology, or a related field.

• Previous experience in sales, research, operations, customer service, information technology, administration, or another relevant field.

Travel and Work Environment

This role is remote, with a strong preference for candidates based in or around the Washington, DC area / National Capital Region to support relationships across the Federal hiring ecosystem. Occasional travel may be required to support recruiting, team, customer, or industry needs.

Perks of Horizon3

• Inclusive Team: We value diversity and promote an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.

• Growth Opportunities: Be part of a dynamic and growing team with numerous career development opportunities.

• Innovative Culture: Work in a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

• Hybrid & Remote Work: We embrace a mix of remote and hybrid work models depending on role and location, including our Chicago office, where some roles require regular in-office presence.

• Competitive Compensation: We offer competitive salary, equity, and benefits, including health, vision, and dental insurance for you and your family, a flexible vacation policy, and generous parental leave.

Compensation and Values

At Horizon3, we believe that our people are our greatest asset, and our compensation philosophy reflects this core value. We are committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and rewarded for their contributions. Our compensation structure is designed to be fair, competitive, and transparent, ensuring that every team member is recognized and compensated equitably across roles, levels, and locations.

In accordance with various state transparency regulations, we provide the following salary range information for this position:

• Base salary range or total on-target compensation: $140,000 - $200,000 annually. The exact compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate’s location, qualifications, experience, and relevant skills.

• Additional compensation: All full-time roles are eligible for an equity package in the form of stock options.

You Belong Here

Horizon3 is an equal opportunity employer. We are a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental principles of our culture and success. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, hair length, or any other legally protected status by law.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means we strive to attract, develop, and retain a workforce that reflects the varied communities we serve. We believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and strengthen our ability to create cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. At Horizon3, every team member is valued and supported in an environment that encourages personal and professional growth.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Come be a part of Horizon3, where your unique contributions are recognized and your potential is limitless.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Application Note

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