Insights

Field notes from the A&D talent market.

Written when we have something worth saying, from live searches, not a content calendar.

Published · May 2026

Why most cleared searches fail at the offer stage.

Clearance timelines, comp mismatches, and counteroffer dynamics kill cleared searches late. The failure is predictable, and preventable, if it is handled at intake instead of at offer.

Cleared talent
Coming Soon

Cleared executive compensation, 2026 benchmarks.

What the cleared leadership market actually pays this year, from live searches and current data.

Compensation
Coming Soon

What the Warfighter EO means for defense executive pay.

The January 2026 executive order reshapes how contractor leadership incentives get structured. What boards and comp committees need to know.

Policy
Coming Soon

The A&D engineering compensation picture in 2026.

Engineering leadership comp across primes, subs, and PE-backed manufacturers.

Engineering