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Placement pricing · pilot phase

Pay only when we place.

No seats. No retainers. A single per-placement fee scaled to clearance level — structured to be more economical than a retained search engagement.

Talk to Zera about a roleHow a placement works

Discovery calls are free. Fees discussed before any search starts.

Pricing by clearance tier

Three tiers. One fee model.

Fees scale with clearance rarity, not with software seats. The exact figure and timeline are shared in your discovery call and locked contractually before any search begins.

Industry benchmark: retained search at $25K–40K per cleared technical hire
Public Trust / Secret
Standard placement fee

Hand-built shortlist on a timeline we set together

  • 30-minute discovery call
  • Human-built shortlist of 3–5 candidates
  • Interview coordination support
  • No retainer, no seat fee
Most common
TS / TS-SCI
Premium placement fee

Tighter network, more sourcing time

  • Discovery call + role calibration session
  • Vetted shortlist with reference checks
  • Interview + offer support
  • Compensation benchmarking
TS-SCI w/ Polygraph
Custom engagement

Deep search across the cleared graph

  • Multi-week sourcing window
  • Multiple shortlist rounds
  • Compensation benchmarking
  • Replacement guarantee terms

All tiers: per-placement only. No retainer. No seat fee. Replacement guarantees negotiated per engagement.

Enterprise & contract hiring

Recurring cleared needs?

Defense primes, subs, and consultancies with ongoing pipelines can structure a master agreement — terms tailored to volume and clearance mix.

Talk to our team
Self-serve coming soon

Want ATS-style posting later?

Self-serve company accounts are rolling out in cohorts. Join the waitlist for timelines and onboarding detail.

  • •Posting + team seats when we open the pilot — no surprise annual platform tax
  • •Same clearance-first database every Zera search runs against
  • •Priority heads-up before we open seats to the wider market

Want self-serve company signup when it launches? Leave your work email.

Pricing questions

Frequently asked

If your question isn't here, the discovery call is the fastest way to get a real answer.

[01]Are you really in pilot phase?
Yes. We're an operator-led practice with a small number of signed employer engagements and an active candidate network. We don't publish placement counts or fabricated logo strips while we're scaling — we'll share what's measurable as it accumulates.
[02]Do you publish a rate card?
Not on the marketing site, but you'll know the exact fee before signing. Cleared placement economics depend on role rarity, clearance level, and location — we share a proposal after a 30-minute discovery call, locked contractually before any search begins.
[03]Is there an upfront retainer or platform fee?
No. Fees are tied to successful placement only. Discovery calls and the search itself are at our cost.
[04]How does this compare to retained search?
Retained search typically costs $25K–40K per cleared technical hire (a $10K+ retainer plus ~20–25% of base salary). Zera structures fees as a single per-placement number with no retainer — exact figure discussed in your discovery call.
[05]What clearance tiers do you cover?
Public Trust, Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI, and TS/SCI with Polygraph. Active clearances are the focus — verification approach discussed in onboarding.
[06]Can we still post jobs in Zera?
Employer accounts are provisioned by the Zera team today. Self-serve company signup is on the roadmap — join the waitlist below for early access.
[07]What about candidates?
Candidates always have free profiles, free applications, and free access to interview prep. They never pay Zera for any reason.
[08]Do you do contract / contract-to-hire?
Direct hire is our default. Contract and contract-to-hire engagements are available for established cleared programs — discussed during onboarding.
[09]What if a placement doesn't work out?
Replacement guarantees are negotiated per engagement and spelled out in your placement agreement before any search starts.
Ready to brief us?

Open a conversation.

Share your hiring need — we'll come back with how Zera can help and what a pilot looks like.

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