Head of Talent Acquisition – Strategic & Research-Led Deep-Tech Hiring

Head of Talent Acquisition Strategic & Research-Led Deep-Tech Hiring

AboutManastu

ManastuSpace is aSpace Safety and Logistics companyfocused on making spacesafe, sustainable, and accessible. We develop technologies to address critical challenges such asspace debris mitigation and green propulsion, enabling safer satelliteoperations,and long-term sustainability of the space ecosystem.

Our work sits at the intersection ofadvanced engineering, applied research, and mission-critical systems, requiring deep technical capability and long-term thinking.

Website:https://www.manastuspace.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/manastu-space/

Email:careers@manastuspace.com

Role Objective

Manastuis entering a high-growth phase at a time when artificial intelligence is set to transform every advanced industry including space. The future of space infrastructure, propulsion, satellite operations, and even AI-enabled data centers in space will redefine how technology ecosystems function globally.

Rather than reacting to disruption, we intend to lead it. And that leadership begins with people.

Theobjectiveof this role is not simply to fill positions, but to build foundational talent that will define how we compete, innovate, and scale in the next decade. We believe technological disruption starts with talent density, research depth, and the right long-term capability bets.

This role exists to ensure we build those capabilities deliberately and strategically.

Role Overview

We are looking for aHead ofTalent Acquisitionwith deep experienceinstrategic, research-driven hiringfor advanced engineering and R&D roles. This role goes far beyond transactional recruitment and requires the ability toidentify, engage, and close highly specialized technical and scientific talentthrough high-signal, unconventional sourcing channelslike conferences,exhibitions, research articles,AI-drivensourcing, among others.

Thisroleinvolveshigh ownership, working closely withFoundersandleadershipteamto build long-term talent pipelines for critical deep-tech roles.

As the first point of contact for world-class talent, you are the face ofManastuSpace. This role is mission-critical for our long-term trajectory; Youarentjust filling roles-you are shaping the technical and culturalDNAof a company building for decades, not quarters.

We are looking for a high-agency, research-driven Talent leader who combines:

• First-principles thinking
• Technical curiosity
• Structured judgment
• Strategic workforce planning
• Extreme ownership

This is not transactional recruitment. This isamission-critical engineering partnership.

Why This Role is Critical for Us

TheHeadofTalent Acquisition will shape the intellectual and technical backbone of the company byidentifyingand attracting individuals who can build category-defining technologies.

As one of the first touchpoints for highly specialized talent, this role will also serve as the face ofManastufor scientists, researchers, and senior engineers entering the ecosystem. The quality of engagement, clarity of vision, and credibility brought by this role will directly influence how top-tier talent perceives and choosesManastu.

This role plays acritical part in shaping the technical future of the organization. The right person will influence not just who we hire, buthow we build teams, capabilities, and leadership for the long term.

This role is for recruiters who enjoytalking to people, understand the potential of the peopleand see how they can fit withour culture,enjoyssolving hard hiring problems,findsinnovative ways to engage with people and then inspire them to joinManastuSpace not for those looking for a standard recruitment playbook.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic & Hands-on Hiring

• Ownend-to-end hiringfor highly specialized technical and research roles
• Translate complex technical requirements intoclear hiring and sourcing strategies
• Partner directly with Founders, Principal Scientists, and Engineering Leaders to define role success profiles
• Balancequality, depth, and long-term capabilitywith hiring speed whererequired
• Design and continuously refine the end-to-end recruitment process, including structured evaluation frameworks, technical assessment models, and decision-making rigor.
• Design a thoughtful pre-onboarding and engagement journey to ensure high conversion, strong alignment, and long-term retention of all hires.

2. Research-Driven Talent Sourcing

• Identifyand engage talent beyond traditional recruitment channels, including:
• Research papers, journals, and patents
• Technical and scientific conferences(India and global)
• University labs, professors, and research institutions
• Niche technical communities and forums
• LeverageAI-driven sourcing tools, data intelligence platforms
• Build andmaintainlong-term talent mapsfor critical capability areas
• Engage withpassive and highly specialized candidates
• Use advanced talent analytics toidentifyhigh-signal candidates and map niche skill clusters, and build predictive talent pipelines
• Use structured research methodologies and emerging technologies to continuously improve sourcing precision and efficiency

3. Pipeline Design & Workforce Planning

• Designfuture-ready talent pipelinesaligned with technology and product roadmaps
• Influenceworkforce planning and role design, not just requisition fulfillment
• Continuously evolve sourcing strategies as organizational needs change

4. Stakeholder Influence & Hiring Governance

• Act as athought partnerto hiring managers
• Challenge assumptions around hiring requirements when needed
• Ensure hiring decisions are driven bycapability, depth, and cultural alignment, not convenience
• Bring structure and rigor to hiring without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy

Experience & Background

• 10+ yearsof recruiting experience,evidence of exceptional ability in building elite technical teams from
• Deep-tech, aerospace, or advanced engineering environments
• R&D or research-heavy organizations
• Demonstrated success in hiringhighlyspecializedtechnical and scientific talent
• Exposure toIITs, IISc, global universities, or research labsis a strong advantage
• Comfortable operating inambiguous, fast-evolving environments
• Bachelors orMasters degree inEngineering, Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience working closely with technical and research teams
• Ability to engage confidently withPhD-level researchers and senior engineerson complex hiring requirements

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Thinks like atalent strategist, not a resume screener
• Technically curious and able to engage deeply with engineers and researchers
• Confident working directly with senior leadership
• Valueslong-term capability buildingover short-term hiring metrics
• High ownership mindset with strong judgment and discretion

What Success Looks Like in this role

• Critical deep-tech and R&D roles are filled with high-quality, high-potential talent aligned to long-term technology roadmaps
• Strong, research-backed talent pipelines exist across key capability areas (propulsion, materials, AI integration, advanced systems, etc.)
• Hiring managers view Talent Acquisition as a strategic partner, not a support function
• Leadership has a clear view of where the worlds best talent sits, with a warm12-18monthforward-looking talent pipeline across critical domains.
• Recruitment processes are structured, rigorous, and scalable without slowing innovation
• Offer acceptance rates improve due to strong candidate engagement and clear value articulation
• The organization builds a reputation within technical and research communities as a credible and ambitious place to build meaningful careers
• A scalable, tech-enabled recruitment framework balances speed with extreme quality.

This role will influence not just who we hire, but howManastubuilds capability for the next decade.

If you are motivated by building enduring technical institutions and solving complex hiring challenges at scale, we would like to hear from you(careers@manastuspace.com).