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Hybrid RPO Case Study: Candidate Shortlisting for Aviation Technology Across 3 Continents
- Serendi
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
Quick Summary
Objective: Extend Serendi's recruitment support from SITA's technology unit to its commercial and product functions, covering Sales, Product Management, Customer Success, and Solutions roles across Europe, the Americas, and Central Asia.
Strategy: A Source & Screen model where Serendi owns the full candidate pipeline (sourcing, screening, and direct presentation to hiring managers) while SITA's internal team handles the offer stage.
Results: 96 positions managed across 14 locations. Average time to present: 19 days from intake to first shortlist reaching the hiring manager. Pilot sustained and contract renewed.
About the Client
SITA is the technology backbone of the air transport industry, serving over 2,500 airlines, airports, and partners across more than 200 countries.
For the full client background, see the companion case study: SITA: From a Cybersecurity Sprint to a Full-Scale Technology Recruitment Partnership.
The Context
Serendi's relationship with SITA started in 2022 with a cybersecurity sprint that grew into a full End-to-End RPO covering all CTO technology roles. After three years of delivery on the technology side, SITA needed the same sourcing capacity for its commercial and product functions.
Most of these roles are Grade 6 and 7 — senior positions in Sales, Product Management, and Customer Solutions that require industry-specific knowledge. SITA needed a Hybrid RPO model that covered sourcing and screening across regions while keeping offers in-house.
Recruitment Solution
Serendi manages the full pipeline: candidate sourcing, screening, and direct presentation to hiring managers. The offer stage stays with SITA's internal team. In practice, it is a candidate shortlisting solution: Serendi builds the pipeline, qualifies the candidates, and delivers a shortlist the hiring manager can act on immediately.
Roles Covered
The Source & Screen Project covers commercially-facing and product functions across SITA's non-CTO business units:
Sales & Business Development:
Account Managers, Senior Account Managers
Business Development Managers and Senior Managers
Senior Sales Executives covering verticals such as Maritime, Aviation Safety, and Border Management
Product Management:
Product Managers, Senior Product Managers, Product Owners
Innovation Managers, Cockpit Operations Product Experts
Customer Solutions & Service Management:
Customer Success Managers, Customer Operations Lead Specialists
Solution Engineers, Solution Architects, Manager Solution Design
Business Consultants, Service Designers
Strategy & Specialist:
Strategy Managers, MSI/ITO Program Directors
Data Engineers focused on AI and ML
Geographic Coverage
The SSP's geographic footprint is broader than the CTO engagement. Filled roles span:
Barcelona — primary hub, 7 hires across Sales, Product, and Solutions
United Kingdom — London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Reading
Italy — Rome, Milan
Czech Republic — Prague
Romania — Bucharest
Central Asia — Baku (Azerbaijan), Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
Americas — Atlanta, San Francisco, Costa Rica
Estonia
This reach reflects SITA's global commercial footprint. Niche roles like Business Development Senior Manager for Border Management in Estonia or Maritime Sales Executive in Singapore require candidates with both industry expertise and regional market knowledge.
Recruitment Results
19 days average time to present
From intake to first shortlist reaching the hiring manager, Serendi delivers candidates in an average of 19 calendar days. For senior commercial roles (Grade 6-7) in niche verticals like Aviation Safety, Maritime, and Border Management, that speed requires pre-built sourcing strategies for each function.
96 positions managed across Sales, Product, and Customer Solutions
Across the engagement, Serendi managed 96 positions spanning Sales, Product Management, Customer Solutions, and Service Management, with 8 positions currently active. The Source & Screen model means Serendi's scope ends at presentation — the fill timeline after that point is driven by SITA's internal interview and offer process.
14 locations across 3 continents
The SSP covers hiring across Europe, the Americas, and Central Asia. Barcelona is the primary hub, but Serendi has delivered hires from Edinburgh to Tashkent. This is a geographic spread that few internal sourcing teams can cover from a single function.
Metric | Result |
Positions Managed | 96 |
Average Time to Present | 19 days |
Locations | 14 Locations, 3 Continents |
"Serendi's team feels like our own, going beyond transactions with high standards, asking the right questions, and using market data and candidate insights to build our company together."
Malgorzata Mikolajczyk, Head of Talent Acquisition, SITA
Looking for a recruitment model that gives you sourcing depth without transferring full hiring control?
