Cleared Recruiting Lead

Kentro; Tampa, McLean (FL, VA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Kentro is seeking a Cleared Recruiting Lead to oversee all cleared staffing for Secret through FS Poly programs. The role will supervise 1–2 recruiters and ensure compliant, timely delivery while partnering with program leadership, Personnel Security, and TA leadership.

Location options include Hybrid Tampa, FL or McLean, VA, with possible Remote-USA flexibility. The base salary range is competitive and reflects security clearance requirements and market conditions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or 8+ years of experience.
• 5+ years of cleared recruiting experience supporting IC, DoD programs.
• 2+ years of experience leading cleared recruiting teams or senior cleared recruiter capacity.
• Experience with clearance levels, investigations, adjudications, and crossover processes.
• Experience with federal contracting environments, labor category requirements, and proposal staffing.
• Proficient with ATS systems and cleared sourcing tools.
• Strong communication skills for TA leadership.
• Ability to build relationships across military communities and veteran networks.

Responsibilities

• Lead all cleared recruiting activities across programs requiring Secret, TS, TS/SCI, CI Poly, and FS Poly.
• Mentor, coach 1–2 cleared recruiters; oversee workflow, performance, productivity, and quality of delivery.
• Establish daily, weekly, and monthly operating rhythms to ensure commitments are met.
• Review and approve Job Descriptions and offers; ensure compliance with process requirements.
• Enforce government contract requirements, labor categories, documentation, and security standards.
• Act as clearance subject matter expert for the Cleared team.

Skills

Leadership

Clearance knowledge

Communication

ATS experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred or 8+ years experience

Tools

ICIMS (ATS)

Job description

Overview

Thank you for considering IT Concepts dba Kentro, where innovation drives opportunity and collaboration leads to success. Our dynamic community of experts is fully committed to advancing our customers' missions, fostering professional growth, and making a positive impact on our communities.

By joining our supportive community, you will find that Kentro is dedicated to your personal and professional development. Together, we can drive meaningful change, spark innovation, and achieve extraordinary milestones.

Kentro is hiring for a Cleared Recruiting Lead to support Kentro's Cleared contracts and all hiring needs. The Cleared Recruiting Lead oversees all recruiting delivery for Secret, TS, TS/SCI, and CI Poly, hiring needs across government contracts. This role supervises a team of cleared recruiters and ensures consistent, compliant, and timely staffing of the intelligence community (IC), DoD, and federal civilian programs. The Lead serves as the primary operational point of contact for cleared recruiting activities and is responsible for reporting hiring performance, resource needs, risks, and contract-based staffing updates directly to the Senior TA Manager. This role partners closely with program leadership, Personnel Security, and TA leadership to sustain a healthy cleared pipeline and meet mission‑critical contract requirements.

Location: Preferred locations- Hybrid Tampa, FL or McLean, VA. Willing to consider Remote- USA, with ability to travel to support events and contract needs. Eastern Time Zone working hours.

Compensation Range: The anticipated base salary range for this position is $100,000-140,000 annually and reflects Kentro’s good‑faith expectations at the time of posting. Final compensation is determined based on the role’s requirements, relevant skills, experience, education, certifications, work location, applicable security clearance requirements, market conditions, internal equity, and contract requirements.

This Job Description reflects the primary duties of the role; however, it is not intended to be all‑inclusive. Team members may be asked to take on additional responsibilities in alignment with customer expectations, business needs, and Kentro’s culture of collaboration and adaptability.

Responsibilities

Cleared Recruiting Leadership

• Lead all cleared recruiting activities and ensure coverage across all programs requiring Secret, TS, TS/SCI, CI Poly, and FS Poly talent.
• Manage, mentor, and coach 1–2 cleared recruiters; oversee workflow, performance, productivity, and quality of delivery.
• Establish daily, weekly, and monthly operating rhythms to ensure recruiting commitments are met.
• Review and approve all Job Description submittals for hire, and review/ approve all offers following the process for approvals and exceptions.
• Enforce compliance with government contract requirements, labor categories, candidate documentation, and personnel security standards.
• Act as the clearance subject matter expert for the Cleared team, supporting recruiters and hiring managers with clearance‑related questions.

Strategic Operational Management & Reporting

• Provide consistent, structured reporting to the Director, including pipeline status, risks, hiring trends, and contract‑level performance metrics.
• Communicate program staffing demands, recruiter workload, resource gaps, and escalation issues in a timely, proactive manner.
• Ensure the Director is briefed on all hiring risks, delays, candidate issues, and market conditions affecting cleared recruiting delivery.
• Collaborate with the Director and Transition Manager on strategic planning for contract start‑ups, surge hiring, proposal staffing, and future pipeline development.

Talent Pipeline Development

• Build and maintain clearance‑specific pipelines and long‑term talent communities across Secret through FS Poly levels.
• Develop targeted outreach programs, including military transition pipelines and veteran hiring strategies.
• Drive referral generation across cleared networks and internal employee communities.
• Plan and represent the company at cleared recruiting events, including intelligence community job fairs.
• Plan/Coordinate with Communications and Marketing on continued presence on marketing/sourcing tools. Posting and maintaining connections for recruiting growth and pipelining.

Client & Contract Support

• Serve as the TA point of contact for cleared staffing across the intelligence community, DoD, and federal civilian programs that require clearances.
• Partner with Program Managers to understand hiring timelines, contract deliverables, and customer expectations.
• Support proposal staffing through rapid pipeline development and prequalified candidate pools.
• Communicate hiring challenges, market availability, and competitive intelligence to program leadership and TA leaders.

Compliance & Clearance Management

• Conduct and oversee clearance verification for all candidates and ensure documentation aligns with contract requirements.
• Collaborate with Personnel Security for clearance transfers, upgrades, and crossover processing.
• Maintain accurate candidate records in the ATS, ensuring full compliance with audits and gov‑contract documentation standards.
• Ensure team members adhere to customer‑specific submission requirements, resume formats, and labor category validation.

Performance Metrics & Delivery Accountability

• Recruiter (all steps of the process for designated roles). > 50% of the time is still active recruiting while supervising other cleared recruiters(s).

• Track, report, and improve cleared recruiting KPIs, including: Clearance level time‑to‑fill, Submission‑to‑interview ratio, Interview‑to‑offer ratio, Clearance pipeline health (by program and clearance level), Offer acceptance rate.
• Provide weekly and monthly metric dashboards to the Director.
• Conduct quarterly review and report for recruiter incentives and team metrics; Identify performance gaps and implement corrective actions or workflow changes when necessary.; Ensure transparency, consistency, and full visibility into contract staffing performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or 8+ years of experience
• 5+ years of cleared recruiting experience supporting IC, DoD programs.
• 2+ years of experience leading cleared recruiting teams or serving in a senior cleared recruiter capacity.
• Experience with clearance levels, investigations, adjudications, and crossover processes.
• Experience with federal contracting environments, labor category requirements, and proposal staffing.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and customer expectations in fast‑paced environments.
• Proficiency with ATS systems, cleared sourcing tools, and sourcing tools.
• Strong communication skills—capable of summarizing risks, updates, and hiring performance for TA leadership.
• Ability to build relationships across military communities, veteran networks, and cleared talent pools.

Location- Remote, USA- , with ability to travel for contract and event needs. Preferred in Tampa, FL, or the DMV due to the majority of our cleared contracts, Job Fairs, and networking events.

Preferred Qualifications:

• location listed above
• experience with DOD organizations, SOCOM, DIA, or other Federal Gov cleared networks.
• Experience with ICIMS (ATS)

Clearance Requirement:

• US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card)
• Willing and able to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance or higher

Benefits

The Company

We believe in generating success collaboratively, enabling long‑term mission success, and building trust for the next challenge. With you as our partner, let’s solve challenges, think innovatively, and maximize impact. As a valued member of our team, you have the unique opportunity to work in a diverse range of technology and business career paths, all while supporting our nation and delivering innovative technology solutions. We are a close community of experts that pride ourselves on creating an environment defined by teamwork, dedication, and excellence.

We hold three ISO certifications (27001:2013, 20000-1:2011, 9001:2015), two CMMI ML 3 ratings (DEV and SVC) and CMMC Level 2 Certification.

Industry Recognition

Growth | Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies, DC Metro List Fastest Growing; Washington Business Journal: Fastest Growing Companies, Top Performing Small Technology Companies in Greater D.C.

Culture | Northern Virginia Technology Council Tech 100 Honoree; Virginia Best Place to Work; Washington Business Journal: Best Places to Work, Corporate Diversity Index Winner – Mid-Size Companies, Companies Owned by People of Color; Department of Labor’s HireVets for our work helping veterans transition; SECAF Award of Excellence finalist; Victory Military Friendly Brand; Virginia Values Veterans (V3); Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Corporate Breath Award

Benefits

We offer competitive benefits package including paid time off, healthcare benefits, supplemental benefits, 401k including an employer match, discount perks, rewards, and more. We invest in our employees – Every employee is eligible for education reimbursement for certifications, degrees, or professional development. Reimbursement amounts may fluctuate due to IRS limitations. We want you to grow as an expert and a leader and offer flexibility for you to take a course, complete a certification, or other professional growth and networking. We are committed to supporting your curiosity and sustaining a culture that prioritizes commitment to continuous professional development.

We work hard; we play hard. Kentro is committed to incorporating fun into every day. We dedicate funds for activities – virtual and in‑person – e.g., we host happy hours, holiday events, fitness & wellness events, and annual celebrations. In alignment with our commitment to our communities, we also host and attend charity galas/events. We believe in appreciating your commitment and building a positive workspace for you to be creative, innovative, and happy.

Commitment Equal Opportunity Employment & VEVRAA

Kentro is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Kentro is strongly committed to compliance with VEVRAA and other applicable federal, state, and local laws governing equal employment opportunity. We have developed comprehensive policies and procedures to ensure our hiring practices align with these requirements.

As part of our VEVRAA compliance efforts, Kentro has established an equal opportunity plan outlining our commitment to recruiting, hiring, and advancing protected veterans. This plan is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure its effectiveness.

We encourage protected veterans to self‑identify during the application process. This information is strictly confidential and will only be used for reporting and compliance purposes as required by law. Providing this information is voluntary and will not impact your employment eligibility.

Our commitment to equal employment opportunity extends beyond legal compliance. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees, including protected veterans, are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.