Heather Floss

73% of senior software engineers in Defense & Space say they would trade compensation for flexibility. How many programs are structured with that reality in mind? Over the past year, Luneus held direct conversations with senior software and hardware engineers working inside active U.S. Defense & Space programs. Not surveys. Not job applications. Real discussions with mostly passive engineers evaluating risk, stability, and leadership. We’ve compiled the patterns in our new report: 2026 U.S. Defense & Space Report: Senior Engineers’ Salary, Work Models & What Moves Them If you lead engineering, operations, or talent in a defense or space program, the insights will be relevant. Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/emifcW5c #defenseindustry #defenseengineering #defensetalent

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A more human, more strategic TA function? 74% of talent professionals are optimistic about AI’s impact on recruitment, according to LinkedIn data. Exceptional TA professionals aren't replaced by AI; they're supercharged by it. In this blog, we share insights on: - AI literacy as a strategic skill - The AI Maturity Curve - Emerging skills for AI-enabled TA professionals - Actions talent leader should be taking - Procurement with purpose - Responsible AI: From Ethics to Governance Don’t miss these expert insights: https://lnkd.in/dKqz-gXM #Hiring #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #Leadership #ArtificiaIIntelligence #Technology

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Let's talk: Salary negotiations 💰   Salary negotiations as a technical recruiter in the defense sector come with unique nuances compared to commercial tech mostly due to Labor Category Constraints. Many defense roles are tied to government-set labor categories and pay bands.   As a technical recruiter when negotiating with candidates:   ✔️ Be transparent about salary ceilings early. 💯 ✔️ Sell total compensation: defense contractors often underbid salary but will add strong benefits (retirement matching, PTO, stability, mission impact).   Pro Tip: Know when you can ask for more and learn how flexible your PM/PCA can be - sometimes there’s unallocated budget, but it will require justification.

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If you’re hiring in defense/space, it’s not enough to say “we need a strategic finance leader.” Yesterday, I shared the hard-tech finance profile that LA & OC defense companies are quietly fighting over based on a very real person I’m speaking with in this market. Today is the practical side: how I actually spot that profile on a resume or LinkedIn in under 30 seconds. When I’m scanning a profile in this niche, I don't start with the title. I’m looking for a few specific signals: Real ownership, not “support” Language like: “Owned FP&A for $500M+ P&L” or “Accountable for full planning cycle on X program” If everything is “supported” and “assisted,” it’s not necessarily a red flag, but may not be a change agent. Scale and change in the same story, evidence they’ve lived through motion, not just maintenance: "Turnaround or restructuring" or "New programs/products layered on fast." Ten quiet years in a steady-state role is the old paradigm of aerospace and less relevant to today. Built systems and teams, didn’t just use them: I look for: built, implemented, stood up, restructured, not just “maintained reports.” Lives between engineering and the boardroom “Cross-functional” actually shows up in the work: Program reviews, technical roadmaps, hardware + software complexity, plus board decks, investor materials, long-range planning. And ideally some exposure to M&A or major contracts that changed the company. Logos and titles can lie. These patterns don’t. That’s the gap I keep seeing between “good finance” and the hard-tech strategic finance leaders who can keep LA & OC defense companies growing fast without flying blind.

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