Fractional Head of Talent
Head of Talent for Defence, Aerospace & AI Startups
We help seed to Series B startups across Europe and the USA build a hiring engine and make the hires that matter.
Who We Work With
Built for Technical Startups That Have Just Raised
If this sounds like you, we should talk.
Seed to Series B
5+ Hires in the Next 12 Months
Defence & Dual-Use
Space & Aerospace
AI, ML & Data
Deep Tech
About Us
Our Story
Most early-stage hires do not fail for lack of candidates. They fail because there is no plan, no agreed definition of good, and interviews that test the wrong things. Agencies are paid per hire, so nobody is paid to fix the process. White Onyx Talent Solutions was set up to fix that. We act as a fractional Head of Talent for seed to Series B startups in defence, space, aerospace, AI and deep tech. We build the hiring plan and the process, and we help make the hires. Founded by Fahad McCann, a technical headhunter with 5+ years’ experience hiring engineers, programme managers and senior leaders across UK and European defence, aerospace and technology. Fahad has also developed strategic hiring plans for European programmes, aligning specialist talent requirements with complex programme objectives and delivery timelines. Every engagement is run by a senior talent partner and overseen by Fahad, so every client gets senior attention.
The Problem
Just Raised? The Hard Part Starts Now.
Your round was priced on the team you are about to build. But right now founders are screening CVs at midnight, paying agencies 25% for hires that do not stick, and watching key roles sit open for months. Your business cannot scale on that.
10+ Hours
Founder Time Lost
Founders screening CVs and sitting in every interview for each role, instead of building the product and raising the next round.
25%
Fees That Eat Runway
Agency fees on every hire, with hires that do not stick and no process left behind when the invoice is paid.
90+ Days
Roles Left Open
Critical engineering and leadership roles sitting open for months while the roadmap, and the milestones investors are watching, slip.
Our Expertise
What We Offer
From one day a week to a full hiring sprint.
Everything a senior in-house talent lead would build, without the full-time salary or the three-month search.
What You Get
A Head of Talent, from week one.
Where We Work
Sourcing Around the Globe
We work with startups across the UK and Ireland, Europe, the United States, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Northern Ireland (HQ) · London & Cambridge · Oxford & Harwell · Edinburgh & Glasgow · Dublin · Paris · Amsterdam · Berlin · Munich · Zurich · Milan & Turin · Rome · Copenhagen & Odense · Stockholm · Helsinki & Tallinn · Warsaw · Seattle · San Francisco · Los Angeles · Denver · Austin · Huntsville · Washington DC · New York · Boston · Riyadh · Dubai & Abu Dhabi
Our Sectors
Sectors We Hire For
Why Choose us
Why White Onyx
Stands Out
How It Works
From First Call to Kick Off
STEP 01
A 30-Minute Call
Tell us what you need to build. We will tell you honestly whether we can help, and what we would do first.
STEP 02
A Proposal in 48 Hours
A two-page proposal with scope, timeline and price, walked through with you live. No pitch deck.
STEP 03
Kick Off Within Two Weeks
Work typically starts within two weeks of signing, with your plan, scorecards and ATS live inside the first month.
How It Compares
Why Not an Agency, or a Full-Time Hire?
Senior talent leadership when you need it, at a fraction of the cost, and a process you keep.
Recruitment Agency
20-25%
of first-year salary, on every hire
✓ Starts within days
✕ Leaves no process behind
✕ Paid to fill roles, not fix hiring
✕ Rarely advises on plan, comp or equity
Full-Time Head of Talent
£90-130k
salary plus equity, typical UK range
✕ 3+ months to recruit
✓ Builds and owns your process
✕ Fixed cost when hiring slows
✓ Advises on plan, comp and equity
White Onyx Fractional
Best Fit
£3,000
a month + VAT, from one day a week (€3,500 / $4,000)
✓ Typically starts within 2 weeks
✓ Builds a process you keep
✓ Scales down when hiring slows
✓ Advises on plan, comp and equity
By the Numbers
Numbers We Stand Behind
No invented satisfaction scores.
Just the experience behind us, what we charge, and how quickly we start.
01
5+ Years
In Technical Recruitment
Our founder's experience hiring engineers, programme managers and leaders for UK and European defence and aerospace.
02
10%
Direct Hire Fee
Plus VAT, against the 20-25% most agencies charge, and only on candidates we source and introduce.
03
100%
Diagnostic Fee Credited
Credited in full against a retainer signed within 30 days.
04
2 Weeks
From Signing to Kick Off
With your hiring plan, scorecards and ATS live inside the first month.
05
1
Senior Lead on Your Account
No juniors. A dedicated senior talent partner runs your hiring, with our founder overseeing every engagement.
06
10
Hires a Quarter, One Price
The Post-Raise Hiring Sprint covers up to 10 hires every three months, from any source.
