Technical + Executive Search
Hard Searches.
Exceptional Results.
Technical + executive search for companies building the future of defense, aerospace, AI and advanced technology.
The Problem
Your Hardest Searches Are Where We Start.
The strongest candidates are rarely searching. They are difficult to identify, difficult to reach and difficult to persuade — and they are almost never in an applicant pool.
DAM specializes in assignments where traditional recruiting methods are insufficient: scarce skill sets, deeply technical requirements, and hires that materially change what a company can build.
Markets We Serve
Areas of Technical Expertise
Defense + Autonomy
- Autonomous Systems
- Embedded Systems
- GNC
- RF + Radar
- Perception + Computer Vision
- Mission Software
- Simulation
- Defense Business Development
Space + Aerospace
- Avionics
- GNC
- Propulsion
- Flight Software
- Systems Engineering
- Embedded Software
- Manufacturing
- Technical Leadership
AI + Intelligent Systems
- Machine Learning
- Applied AI
- Computer Vision
- Perception
- AI Infrastructure
- Data
- ML Platforms
- Technical Leadership
Robotics + Advanced Technology
- Robotics
- Embedded Systems
- Controls
- Automation
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Computer Vision
- Real-Time Systems
- Engineering Leadership
DAM Philosophy
We Don't
Avoid Hard.
We keep searching until we find the people worth finding.
Some searches require more.
More research. More outreach. More persistence. More understanding of the technology. More conversations before finding the person who fits.
That's the work.
Difficult searches shouldn't be solved by lowering the bar. They should be solved by going deeper into the market.
Search Approach
Search Beyond the Job Description.
Understand
Learn the company, technology, team, requirements and business problem behind the hire.
Map
Research the talent market and identify where the strongest potential candidates are working.
Engage
Approach high-value candidates directly with a compelling and credible story.
Deliver
Present carefully selected candidates capable of solving the actual hiring problem.
Experience
25+ Years of Search Experience.
DAM has spent more than two decades recruiting highly specialized talent in competitive technology markets.
That experience is built around a single discipline: finding people who are difficult to identify, difficult to reach and difficult to recruit.
Executive Team
T.J. Summers
Founder + Executive Recruiter
T.J. Summers is the founder of DAM and an executive recruiter with more than 25 years of experience helping technology companies identify and recruit exceptional talent.
Throughout his career, T.J. has partnered directly with founders, executives and hiring leaders on critical executive, technical and senior-level searches — combining talent mapping, direct candidate engagement, market intelligence and a highly personal approach to search.
He built DAM around a simple belief: the harder the search, the more important it is to have an experienced recruiter personally invested in solving it.
T.J. holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business and a BA from St. Mary's College of California. His firm has twice been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Recruiting Firms.
“After 25+ years in search, I still believe the best recruiting happens when someone is willing to go deeper into the market, make the difficult call and stay personally accountable for the outcome.”
How We Partner
Executive Search
High-touch search for critical leadership positions.
Engaged Search
Dedicated search resources for priority and difficult-to-fill positions.
Contingent Search
Flexible search support for specialized individual hires.
Location
Built in Southern California.
Southern California has become one of the most important ecosystems in the country for defense technology, aerospace, artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
DAM operates inside that ecosystem and recruits nationally for companies wherever they build.
Los Angeles
South Bay
El Segundo
Orange County
Southern California
Nationwide
Stop Waiting for the Right Candidate to Apply.
The people you want are already working somewhere else.