Mission Manager (TS/SCI Clearance Required)

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL (coming soon).

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

Varda supports a wide range of customers from pharmaceutical companies creating new products in microgravity, to government agencies testing new capabilities through hypersonic flight. As a member of the mission management team, you will be responsible for ensuring we deliver on our promises. As a Mission Manager, you will be the technical and programmatic interface for our customers and will shepherd missions from cradle to grave -- from before a contract is signed, through development, integration, launch, operations, and recovery of our customer's flown assets. You will work cross functionally throughout the company to unblock issues for a particular customer or mission and to align resources needed to meet mission objectives.

You will coordinate with Varda personnel to deliver through all phases of mission planning, integration, testing, and verification.

This is a full-time, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical and programmatic point of contact for our customers, helping to resolve issues, negotiate requirements and contract changes, communicate status and risks, and ensure a positive outcome for all parties.

• Lead programmatic execution of customer missions from prior to contract signature through development, integration, launch, operations, and recovery of our customer's flown assets.

• Collaborate across the company (e.g. engineering, regulatory, sales, payloads) to understand status and changes that may impact customer success and work to mitigate issues.

• Lead major customer reviews and deliverables, coordinating cross functionally to plan for, develop and deliver high quality materials and briefings.

• Support or lead, depending on the customer, development and verification of technical interface control documents

• Support our Sales team with proposal efforts to ensure new projects are appropriately scoped and aligned with strategic company vision, and that contracts are well-defined and executable.

• Collaborate with engineering groups to understand vehicle readiness and how changes impact requirements, vehicle risk, CONOPs, and flight dates.

Basic Qualifications

• Must possess and be able to maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance

• Bachelor's degree or higher in an engineering or science discipline

• 4+ years of Program or Project Management experience (6+ years for Senior role)

• Strong written and verbal communication

• Excellent negotiation, conflict resolution and leadership skills

• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with spacecraft mission design, development, integration and test, launch and/or operations.

• Experience with US Government contracts

• Full hardware project lifecycle experience (cradle-to-grave), preferably spacecraft

Pay Range

• Salary range:

• Mission Manager - $120,000 - $170,000/per year

• Senior Mission Manager - $160,000 - 200,000/per year

• This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA

• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance

• You will be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

• Offer compensation also includes the ability to purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan

ITAR Requirements

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Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than “U.S. Persons” as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.)

Learn more about the ITAR here.

Benefits

• Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side

• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)

• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)

• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)

• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental

• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.

• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice

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