Faces of Astrion: Alena Schmidt

Driving Defense Talent Forward: A Spotlight on Talent Acquisition Lead Alena Schmidt

The Faces of Astrion series celebrates the talented, innovative and dedicated individuals who drive our mission forward. Through these spotlights, we’re highlighting the experience, insights and passion of team members who make real impact every day. In celebration of Veterans Month, we are featuring Alena, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Talent Acquisition Lead in our All-Domains division. In this piece you’ll learn about her strengths in process improvement, her people-first recruiting philosophy, and the Air Force values that shaped her career along with practical resume advice for candidates.

1. Tell us a bit about your role?
Alena: As a Talent Acquisition Lead, I partner closely with the portfolio managers within my division to ensure we’re thinking ahead, aligning priorities, and keeping communication strong between the program and TA. As a recruiter, I support positions across the Army, IF/RCO, and RTES portfolio, focusing on finding the right talent for hiring managers and guiding them through their part of the hiring process.

2. What has been your favorite project at Astrion?
Alena: I’m really proud of the work Talent Acquisition and Human Resources did together to support the end of the AMCOM program. We worked as one team to redeploy as many employees as possible across the company. It wasn’t just about filling open roles, it was about seeing the very real, personal impact on each employee who got the chance to continue contributing. That mattered.

3. What is interesting about you? (both professionally and personally)
Alena: I actually asked other people this because I’m terrible at answering it myself. I was told I’m fiercely loyal and funny (ask me and I’ll tell you!). Personally, I always have a vacation planned because I love having something fun to look forward to, and to count down to. Professionally, I’m good at process improvement. I can spot what isn’t working, identify pain points, and create processes that remove barriers instead of adding new ones.

4. What does the future of recruiting look like?
Alena: I think recruiting will stay consistent in many ways. AI will likely play a bigger role, but recruiters are often the first human connection a candidate has with a company, and that’s invaluable. No matter what tools we get, recruiting is still a deeply personal part of any organization.

In terms of Army / Navy / Space roles, there’s a big focus right now in All Domain Defense on the future of Golden Dome. The potential there is huge, and recruiting for these roles will continue to require strong collaboration across multiple departments and pockets of the company.

5. What is one tip you would give to candidates applying for Army / Navy / Space roles at Astrion?
Alena: Have a thorough resume that isn’t over-tailored. Include the acronyms, we aren’t afraid of them! If your resume is too tailored, it might not show up in searches for other roles you’re actually a great fit for. A clear, searchable resume really increases your opportunities.

6. What motivates you in life?
Alena: This is going to sound cliché, but my kids. They influence so much of how I move through life. I treat people the way I’d want others to treat my kids, and I advocate hard for candidates because I hope someone would do the same for them one day.

7. What advice would you give your younger self?
Alena: Take on the challenge. There’s a certain fearlessness when you’re young and feel invincible, and I’d tell my younger self not to shy away from the hard stuff. As you get older, you realize that’s where the biggest rewards come from.

8. What does result with impact mean to you?
Alena: To me, it means your work genuinely moves the needle, not just in terms of metrics, but in how it affects the people around you.

9. What has been the best invention and why?
Alena: Can I just say rollercoasters? The world would be a lot less fun without the thrill they bring!

10. What did you learn in the Air Force that has helped you in your career?
Alena: I’m a broken record in my house with the first two Air Force core values: Integrity First and Service Before Self. I was raised by Air Force veterans who lived those values, so they were ingrained in me from the start. I hope the people who work with me see those values in how I show up every day.

As we wrap up this Faces of Astrion spotlight, her story highlights the heart behind our talent efforts and the people-first mindset that drives our mission forward.