When a VP of Operations seat has been open six months, or a General Manager hire will define a portfolio company's next three years, contingency search isn't enough. EXO runs a structured, exclusive process built for roles where a mis-hire is not recoverable.
6 weeks. BU Director role filled after sitting open 6 months with two prior firms engaged.
Exclusive engagement. One search. Full attention. No competing priorities splitting our focus.
40% of inbound declined. We only take searches where we can win. That's what protects your timeline.
Cleared candidate depth. Active TS/SCI network across Tier 1–3 DoD suppliers — not scraped from LinkedIn.
Retained search is the right model when leadership continuity, program delivery, or compliance posture depends on getting the hire right.
Post-acquisition site leader transitions, portfolio company build-outs, and operational leadership gaps at $25M–$500M revenue businesses.
Director, VP, and GM-level roles where cleared candidate depth and sector-specific compensation intelligence are non-negotiable.
Succession planning, organizational build-out, and first executive hires for closely held aerospace and defense businesses.
Mission-critical leadership for commercial space, satellite, and advanced manufacturing companies scaling rapidly.
Roles tied directly to contract performance, DCMA compliance, or delivery velocity — where a prolonged vacancy costs real money.
Roles where the right candidates aren't applying to job boards. Passive sourcing, direct outreach, and proprietary network access required.
Every retained search runs through a disciplined four-phase process. You're informed at every step. Nothing moves to presentation without meeting a two-tier disqualifier standard.
Role architecture, compensation benchmarking, decision authority mapping, and timeline agreement. We identify what success looks like before we source a single name.
Proprietary candidate mapping across our cleared network, Recruiterflow intelligence layer, and direct outreach to passive candidates who aren't on job boards.
Two-tier disqualifier screening: hard eliminators first, then behavioral depth. Every candidate presented has been voice-screened and assessed against your specific context.
Offer architecture, counter-offer preparation, transition management. We stay in the deal until the candidate is in the seat and past the guarantee window.
We don't run five searches at once and let yours compete for attention. Retained engagements are exclusive. One firm, full focus, clear accountability.
We don't present resumes. We present candidate intelligence — a structured brief with assessment, compensation context, risk flags, and a clear recommendation.
We don't disappear after the offer. We manage the close, the counter, and the first 90 days.
EXO runs retained searches across the full aerospace and defense industrial base. If it's a Tier 1–3 DoD supplier, a PE-backed defense manufacturer, or a commercial space company — we know the candidate market.