Cleared talent. Verified clearances. Verified candidates.
Clearance integrity is non-negotiable. We work only with candidates whose clearance level can be substantiated through proper channels. We never claim clearance levels we have not verified.
Federal Group Talent Partners' cleared talent practice places candidates from Public Trust through TS/SCI with full-scope polygraph. Our methodology covers clearance verification through approved channels (FCL coordinated with the contracting officer when applicable), candidate sourcing into the cleared community via methods that respect personal security and operational security norms, and engagement structures that protect both employer and candidate during transition windows.
Federal Group Talent Partners helps government contractors, federal agencies, and mission-driven organizations recruit cleared professionals, technical experts, program leaders, and executive talent. Tell us the role, the clearance requirement, and the contract context—we'll build a recruiting strategy around all three.
The levels we work with.
Public Trust
No classified access. Used for positions of public trust like fiduciary, accounting, public-facing customer service work for federal agencies. Investigation: Tier 1 or Tier 2 (formerly NACI / MBI) depending on risk level.
Confidential
Lowest classified level. Less common in 2026 — most positions calling for it have moved to Secret. Investigation: T3 (formerly NACLC).
Secret
Access to information whose unauthorized disclosure could cause serious damage. Standard for many DoD and federal contractor roles. Investigation: T3.
Top Secret
Access to information whose unauthorized disclosure could cause exceptionally grave damage. Investigation: T5 (SSBI).
TS/SCI
Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmented Information access. Required for IC and many DoD intel roles. Investigation: T5 plus program-specific eligibility review.
TS/SCI with full-scope polygraph
TS/SCI plus a full-scope (lifestyle plus counterintelligence) polygraph. Required for the most sensitive IC programs. Reciprocity is limited; reinvestigation cycles are short.
Engagement workflow
- Step 1
Position scope and clearance specification
Required clearance level, agency familiarity, contract vehicle experience, polygraph status, agency-specific suitability requirements.
- Step 2
Sourcing through verified channels
Cleared candidate sourcing through methods that respect personal and operational security. No social media trolling, no brokered unverified databases.
- Step 3
Clearance verification
Verification through approved channels — FSO coordination where applicable, contracting officer involvement where contracts dictate.
- Step 4
Confidential submission
Candidates submitted with clearance posture clearly documented. Hiring manager makes interview decisions with full information.
- Step 5
Onboarding and clearance reciprocity support
Coordination with the new employer's facility security officer for clearance reciprocity transfer.
Common federal hiring challenges.
Finding cleared candidates
Active clearances are limited, highly competitive, and often difficult to verify.
Staffing new contract awards
Rapid hiring timelines can threaten program execution.
Proposal staffing
Winning contracts often requires qualified candidate commitments before award.
Executive recruiting
Federal leadership positions require a specialized approach.
Surge hiring
Large staffing requirements demand scalable recruiting support.
How we support federal hiring.
Cleared recruiting
Support for Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI, CI Polygraph, and Full Scope Polygraph.
Proposal staffing
Pre-award recruiting support to strengthen capture and proposal efforts.
Contract award staffing
Rapid hiring support following contract wins.
Executive search
Retained recruiting engagements for key leadership roles.
Surge staffing
Large-scale hiring initiatives for expanding programs.
Organizations we support.
Prime contractors
Supporting large-scale federal programs nationwide.
Subcontractors
Flexible recruiting support aligned to growth and contract execution.
Federal agencies
Direct hiring support where permitted.
Small business contractors
Including 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, and HUBZone set-asides.
We do not flood clients with resumes.
Every candidate is evaluated for
Relevant experience, clearance alignment, program fit, career interest, and availability.
What clients can expect
Faster access to qualified candidates, reduced recruiting workload, better candidate alignment, improved hiring efficiency, and recruiting support throughout the contract lifecycle.
Confidential engagements.
Federal Group Talent Partners routinely supports sensitive hiring initiatives. We execute NDAs for proposal staffing, executive search, confidential leadership replacements, and strategic growth initiatives. Protecting client information is a core part of our recruiting process.
We stand behind our work.
Direct hire recruiting
90-day replacement guarantee.
Executive search
90-day replacement guarantee for retained engagements.
Surge staffing
Custom replacement provisions defined within each engagement agreement.
Ready to build your team?
Whether you're staffing a new contract award, preparing a proposal, replacing a key leader, or building a long-term workforce strategy, Federal Group Talent Partners can help. Let's discuss your hiring needs.
Frequently asked questions
How do you verify candidate clearances?
Through approved methods only. For active clearances we coordinate verification with the candidate's facility security officer (FSO) and the contracting officer at the hiring agency where applicable. We never accept self-reported clearance levels as final and we do not submit candidates whose clearance status cannot be substantiated through official channels.
Do you handle interim clearance candidates?
Yes, with disclosure. We mark interim clearance status clearly on every candidate slate. Interim clearances are useful for some roles and unacceptable for others; the hiring manager makes that call with full information.
Can you help with foreign nationals or naturalized citizens?
We follow standard federal eligibility rules: U.S. citizenship is required for almost all positions involving classified information. For positions that allow lawful permanent residents or specific country of origin restrictions per contract terms, we follow the contract language exactly.