Specialist recruitment for aerospace, defence, international organisations and technology. Sector depth, security-cleared and ITAR-aware sourcing, and 39 years inside the regulated industries where hiring mistakes carry consequences.
“Octagon Professionals was the only one who expanded their search outside of the Netherlands until we found the perfect fit.”
The challenge
Candidates in aerospace, defence, and regulated technology sectors often hold security clearances, require visa sponsorship, and expect employers to understand cross-border relocation. Generalist agencies struggle to reach them. Since being founded in 1987, Octagon has built the networks, processes, and institutional knowledge to place these professionals. Our candidate file spans 35+ nationalities, our ESA ecosystem pipeline runs across ESTEC, HQ, ESRIN, ESOC, and ECSAT, and our IND Recognised Sponsor status lets us submit HSM visa applications inside the IND's two-week service standard (statutory maximum 90 days).
How we are different
Volume staffing agencies compete on time-to-shortlist and cost-per-hire across any sector. That model breaks the moment the role needs clearance, ITAR awareness, or IND sponsorship. Octagon recruits inside four sectors where the role carries regulatory weight.
Our pipeline runs into the ESA ecosystem directly: ESTEC, ESA HQ, ESRIN, ESOC, and ECSAT. Our process is set up for clearance-coordinated hiring and ITAR-conscious sourcing. Our IND Recognised Sponsor status means the visa side of a non-EU hire stays inside the same team.
And because the placement ties back into our own Dutch and UK entities under Octagon EOR, the hire does not end at the signature. Contract, payroll, 30% ruling, pension, and first payslip are handled by the same provider that ran the search.
We find the people others cannot, across aerospace, defence, technology, and international organisations.
As an IND Recognised Sponsor, Octagon submits Highly Skilled Migrant visas directly and bypasses standard queues. We manage the 30% ruling from eligibility assessment through payroll implementation and support relocation for international hires.
Explore our specialist recruitment areas.
Why Octagon
Volume staffing agencies hire on throughput across any sector. Octagon hires inside aerospace, defence, international organisations, and regulated technology, where the role carries clearance, ITAR exposure, or statutory compliance weight.
Candidate networks across the full ESA footprint: ESTEC (Noordwijk), ESA HQ (Paris), ESRIN (Frascati), ESOC (Darmstadt), and ECSAT (Harwell). Built over decades, not scraped from a job board.
Our process is set up for roles that touch classified or export-controlled work: AIVD and MIVD clearance coordination, prior-clearance screening, and ITAR-conscious sourcing for defence and space work.
Highly Skilled Migrant visa submission directly with the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service under our IND Recognised Sponsor status. Straightforward cases clear substantially faster than non-recognised routes.
Placements trusted by approved clients including Europol, OPCW, and Shell, alongside the ESA ecosystem. We recruit where the client already knows the stakes.
Recruitment connects directly to our Employer of Record service. You can hire without an entity and have a compliant employee on the ground in 2 to 4 weeks.
Insights
The HSM visa is the fastest route to employing international talent in the Netherlands. This guide covers eligibility criteria, salary thresholds, the IND application process, and common pitfalls.
With the European space sector growing rapidly, competition for systems engineers, mission analysts, and software specialists is intensifying. Strategies for attracting and retaining space sector talent.
The 30% ruling runs at a flat 30% through 31 December 2026, then reduces to a flat 27% from 1 January 2027. Understand the current schedule, who qualifies, salary thresholds, and how to maximise the benefit across the five-year window.
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Our recruiters specialise in hard-to-fill roles across space, defence, technology, and international organisations.