Find Aerospace & Defense Executives Who Deliver Precision and Stability
In an industry defined by high-stakes execution, regulatory complexity, and technological innovation, one thing remains constant—the right leadership makes all the difference.
Ready Set Exec specializes in helping Fortune 1000 aerospace and defense companies secure executive talent that thrives in demanding, high-accountability environments.
Whether you’re building out a senior engineering team, seeking cleared program leadership, or replacing a retiring executive, our relationship-first, founder-led search process delivers the right candidate, fast—and with staying power.
Who We Place in Aerospace & Defense
We recruit for executive roles across the core functional pillars that drive this industry forward:
Your Industry Challenges. Solved by Experience.
Aerospace and defense companies face unique hiring obstacles:
- High candidate security clearance requirements
- Lengthy procurement cycles and sensitive contract structures
- Intense competition for technical and engineering talent
- Pressure to deliver innovation under strict compliance
Ready Set Exec understands these complexities—and we’ve built a search process that accounts for them from day one.
You won’t waste time educating recruiters or reviewing generic candidates. We present only aligned, vetted leaders who fit the role and the environment.
Why Fortune 1000 Companies Choose Ready Set Exec
Faster Time-to-Hire: Our process reduces hiring timelines by up to 50%—without sacrificing fit.
Founder-Led Search: No junior handoffs. Your search is led by experienced partners who understand your stakes.
Network-Driven, Not Database-Driven: We leverage a trusted, referral-based network—not mass applicants.
Specialized Functional Focus: We don’t just know aerospace and defense—we know how leadership works inside it.
High Retention Rates: We don’t just fill roles—we place leaders who stay, scale, and drive impact.
Let’s Find Your Next Aerospace or Defense Leader
Whether you’re scaling into a new division, filling a long-vacant executive seat, or upgrading leadership for your next phase of growth—Ready Set Exec delivers.
Let’s talk about what leadership looks like for your team.
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read service FAQ’s
Retained search involves a significant upfront financial commitment from the client, typically paid in three instalments: one-third upfront, one-third upon interviewing, and the final third upon hiring. This commitment signifies a strong dedication to finding the right candidate and ensures that the recruiting firm allocates substantial time and resources to the search process. In contrast, contingent searches require no payment until a candidate is hired. While this may seem like a lower-risk option, it often results in less commitment, time, energy and resources from the recruiting firm. Contingent searches are typically deprioritized in favor of retained searches, and resources are allocated accordingly.
Contingent searches are ideal for those seeking speed and volume in the recruitment process, typically in more transactional environments. They are recommended for filling entry-level or mid-level roles that can be filled within 30 days. On the other hand, a retained search represents a true partnership between the client and the search firm. It entails a firm commitment from the recruiting company to fill the role effectively. Executive searches, a type of retained search, tend to have a higher success rate, ranging from 80% to 95%, compared to the average success rate of around 15% for contingent searches.
Our standard guarantee period is for 90 days. This allows you to have a full quarter of performance with your new hire. If the candidate’s performance is not satisfactory, then READY SET EXEC will find a one time replacement candidate that meets your hiring criteria. Usually, we are able to go back to our active candidate pool and find one of the top candidates for you or we will conduct the search again. The one time guarantee does not extend the guarantee period, rather it is a fulfillment of our promise to ensure you have a candidate for hire. When making a new hire, having a structured and thoughtful onboarding process, training and a healthy work environment contributes to successfully integrating your new employee and increasing your employee retention.
39 days and 100% success in partnership searches following our milestone fee system. This timeline includes the search start and ramp up, a candidate going through our recruitment process, then client interviews, then an offer being negotiated. The candidate will also give notice to their employer which can be two to four weeks.
