Cleared talent acquisition is a strategic capability, not a reactive hiring function. The defense technology companies that consistently fill cleared roles faster than their competitors do so because they have built cleared candidate pipelines before the search begins, not because they post jobs and hope. ALAC HR Solutions operates as a cleared talent acquisition partner, maintaining active relationships with cleared engineers, program managers, and executives so that our clients' cleared roles are filled in days, not months.
Reactive Cleared Hiring Is Slow and Expensive
Companies that source cleared talent only when a role opens consistently pay more and wait longer. The best cleared candidates are rarely on job boards, and by the time a reactive search begins, the optimal candidates have already moved. Cleared talent acquisition requires a proactive pipeline strategy.
Cleared Candidate Pools Are Fragmented
Cleared professionals are distributed across hundreds of defense contractors, government agencies, and national laboratories. There is no central cleared talent marketplace. Effective cleared talent acquisition requires years of relationship-building across this fragmented landscape.
Clearance Adjudication Timelines Are Unpredictable
New clearance sponsorships can take 6 to 18 months or more to adjudicate. Effective cleared talent acquisition prioritizes candidates with active, transferable clearances to eliminate adjudication risk from the hiring timeline.
Cleared Attrition Is Costly
Replacing a cleared employee costs significantly more than replacing an uncleared one, both in search fees and in program continuity risk. Cleared talent acquisition requires evaluating candidates for long-term retention, not just immediate availability.
ITAR and Export Control Compliance Must Be Built In
Cleared talent acquisition must incorporate ITAR and export control screening from the start. Hiring a non-ITAR-eligible candidate for a cleared program creates both compliance risk and timeline disruption.
Why Defense Tech Companies Choose ALAC for Cleared Talent Acquisition
Pre-Built Cleared Talent Pipeline
ALAC maintains active cleared candidate relationships at Secret, Top Secret, and TS/SCI levels across engineering, program management, business development, and executive functions. Your search does not start from zero.
Military and Intelligence Community Network
ALAC founders are United States military veterans with professional networks that extend directly into the defense and intelligence community cleared talent population. This access cannot be replicated by a firm that entered this market from outside it.
Full Clearance Verification and Disclosure
ALAC verifies clearance level, active status, investigation date, sponsoring agency, polygraph completion, and ITAR eligibility for every cleared candidate before submission. Hiring managers receive verified disclosures, not self-reported claims.
45-Day Average Fill Time on Cleared Searches
Because ALAC enters every cleared search with an active pipeline, we average 45 days from engagement to accepted offer, well ahead of the 70 to 90 day industry benchmark for cleared talent acquisition.
Up to a 12-Month Replacement Guarantee
Every cleared placement is backed by a replacement guarantee of up to 12 months. If the placement does not work out for reasons related to performance or fit, ALAC runs the search again at no additional cost.
Retention-Focused Screening
ALAC evaluates every cleared candidate for two-year retention probability before presenting them: assessing compensation alignment, career trajectory fit, and organizational culture compatibility. Cleared attrition is expensive. We screen to prevent it.
How ALAC Engages
Three engagement models, matched to the problem you are solving: a defined role to fill, a hiring function to build, or a critical seat against a deadline.
Direct Search
A specific role filled right, and you pay when we deliver.
We run a targeted search for one defined role, screen candidates against the profile we agreed on, and present a qualified shortlist. You pay on placement.
Explore Direct SearchEmbedded Recruiter
A senior recruiter working as your team for a flat monthly cost, with no percentage on any hire.
One dedicated recruiter embeds in your company, in your applicant tracking system, your Slack, and under your employer brand, and runs every open role from intake to offer with your hiring managers.
Explore Embedded RecruitingEmbedded Pod
A complete recruiting engine stood up inside your company for one flat program cost.
An ALAC account manager owns the relationship and runs a pod of recruiters and sourcers dedicated to your open roles, setting strategy with your leaders and holding the pod to delivery.
Explore Embedded Pod45-Day
Average Fill Time
95%
Hiring Manager Interview Approval Rate
12-Month
Maximum Replacement Guarantee
2-Year
Retention Standard We Measure Against
Technical depth. Mission alignment. Stage fit. Staying power.
Testimonials
“We have a program that cannot slip. I told ALAC that on the first call. They took it as seriously as we did.”
VP of Engineering
Aerospace Company
Frequently Asked Questions
Cleared talent acquisition is the strategic function of sourcing, screening, and hiring professionals who hold active U.S. government security clearances, including Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, and TS/SCI. It requires pre-built relationships with cleared professionals, clearance verification capabilities, and expertise in the compliance and program requirements of cleared environments.
ALAC supports cleared talent acquisition at all classification levels including Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, and TS/SCI. We also support searches requiring polygraph (CI and Full Scope) and ITAR-only roles where formal clearance is not required but U.S. person status is.
ALAC collects and validates clearance level, investigation date, active status, sponsoring agency, polygraph completion where applicable, and ITAR eligibility for every cleared candidate. All clearance information is verified and disclosed to the hiring manager before the candidate is presented.
Yes. ALAC supports cleared talent acquisition nationwide including in San Diego, Huntsville, Colorado Springs, Austin, Seattle, Tampa, Boston, and Los Angeles. We support cleared hiring wherever defense tech programs operate.
ALAC places cleared software engineers, systems engineers, program managers, intelligence analysts, signals intelligence specialists, cybersecurity engineers, AI/ML engineers with defense applications, business development leads, and Director through C-suite executives in cleared environments.
ALAC is a retained and engaged search firm, not a staffing agency. We place permanent, direct-hire talent, not contractors: and we back every placement with a replacement guarantee of up to 12 months for performance-based outcomes. Cleared staffing agencies optimize for volume and contractor billing rates. ALAC optimizes for placement quality and long-term retention.
Every Month the Role Stays Open Costs You
Tell us what you are building and who it will take. Within 24 hours you will know whether we are the right firm for it.