Junior Recruiter

October 1, 2026
Springfield, VA, US
$55,000 – $60,000/yr

Overview

JUNIOR RECRUITER (HRR-2026-26269)

Bowhead seeks a Junior Recruiter to join our government services team in Springfield, VA. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated recruiting professional who wants to build their career in a fast-paced environment supporting mission-critical programs for government and defense customers.

As a Junior Recruiter, you will play an important role in helping Bowhead attract and hire talented professionals across a variety of technical and non-technical positions. You will work closely with hiring managers, candidates, and members of the Talent Acquisition team while gaining valuable experience in full-cycle recruiting, sourcing, government contracting, and proposal staffing.

At Bowhead, we value teamwork, innovation, professional growth, and flexibility. We provide our recruiters with the tools, resources, and support needed to be successful while encouraging them to take ownership of their work and develop their recruiting expertise.

Responsibilities

  • Manage a workload of approximately fifteen to twenty (15–20) active requisitions, prioritizing recruiting activities based on business needs and hiring timelines.
  • Partner with hiring managers to understand staffing requirements, develop compelling job descriptions, and establish effective candidate screening criteria through detailed intake discussions.
  • Conduct full-cycle recruiting activities from initial sourcing through offer acceptance and onboarding.
  • Develop and execute creative sourcing strategies to identify both active and passive candidates using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), job boards, professional networks, referrals, social media, recruiting events, and other resources.
  • Research talent markets and proactively build candidate pipelines for current and anticipated hiring needs.
  • Conduct candidate screens to assess qualifications, technical skills, experience, communication abilities, motivation, and alignment with the position and organization.
  • Maintain regular communication with candidates throughout the recruiting process, providing a positive and professional candidate experience.
  • Coordinate interviews and facilitate communication between candidates and hiring managers.
  • Partner with hiring managers throughout the selection process and provide recruiting insights and market feedback to support hiring decisions.
  • Prepare and extend employment offers, assist with offer negotiations, and proactively follow up with candidates to successfully close offers.
  • Maintain accurate and timely candidate and requisition activity within the ATS.
  • Ensure recruiting activities and candidate records are managed in accordance with company policies and applicable recruiting and employment requirements.
  • Participate in proposal and capture recruiting, new contract transitions, recruiting events, career fairs, and other company-sponsored recruiting activities.
  • Contribute to Talent Acquisition initiatives, process improvements, recruiting projects, and team best practices.
  • Stay current on recruiting trends, sourcing techniques, labor-market conditions, and emerging tools and technologies.

Qualifications

  • One to two (1–2) years of recent full-cycle recruiting experience, preferably within a recruiting agency, government contractor, defense, or professional services environment.
  • Experience recruiting for technical and/or professional positions.
  • Experience working with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
  • Demonstrated ability to build strong, professional relationships with hiring managers and candidates.
  • Demonstrated ability to identify and source qualified candidates using multiple sourcing strategies and tools.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with candidates, hiring managers, and employees at all levels of the organization.
  • Comfortable conducting proactive outreach, including cold calling and direct candidate engagement.
  • Ability and willingness to research talent markets and develop a network of candidates for both current and future opportunities.
  • Self-motivated, organized, and goal-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
  • Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Desired Skills and Experience

  • Experience recruiting for government contracts, including positions subject to the Service Contract Act (SCA).
  • Familiarity with OFCCP recruiting requirements and guidelines.
  • Experience recruiting within an 8(a), small business, or government contracting environment.
  • Experience with iCIMS Applicant Tracking System.
  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related discipline.
  • Familiarity with the government contracting bid and proposal process.
  • Experience supporting recruiting for new business pursuits, contract awards, or program transitions.
  • Experience recruiting for cleared, defense, intelligence, or other government-contractor positions.

Target salary is $55,000 to $60,000 annually commensurate with experience.

Physical Demands

  • Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds
  • Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time
  • Must be able to twist, bend and squat periodically

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: There are currently no Security Clearance requirements for this position; however, candidates must be able to successfully pass a background check. Due to the location of this work, US Citizenship is required. Bowhead reserves the right to change this requirement if necessitated by business needs or contractual obligations.

Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Bowhead considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and business considerations when extending an offer.

#LI-JR1