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. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
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.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About this Role
As a Senior Sourcing Specialist, you will play a critical role in ensuring the seamless procurement of high-quality, precision-machined components for our cutting-edge space systems. In this fast-paced, dynamic environment, you'll work closely with engineering, production, and quality teams to source, evaluate, and manage suppliers of machined parts used in spacecraft assembly, propulsion systems, and other space hardware.
You will be responsible for managing the end-to-end procurement process—from identifying potential suppliers and negotiating contracts to monitoring delivery timelines and ensuring parts meet rigorous quality standards. As Varda continues to innovate and expand, your ability to source parts that adhere to strict performance and reliability criteria will directly contribute to the success of our mission to bring space-based manufacturing into the next era.
This is a full-time, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters.
Responsibilities
- Own purchasing for machined components and similar commodities from quote stage to delivery
- Send RFQs, place POs, run open order report meetings with key suppliers.
- Develop understanding of supplier capacity, lead times, and cost trends
- Work closely with supply chain engineering to develop a preferred supplier network to minimize cost and lead time
- Work closely with design engineering teams to understand upcoming design releases and part changes
- Build strong relationships with suppliers and negotiate pricing and lead times to meet mission milestones
- Identify part supply constraints that may impact production schedule and create mitigation plans
- Maintain part and planning master data to accurately reflect lead-times and stock levels
- Support purchasing of various commodities and inventory operations as needed
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in the field of Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or Finance
- Minimum 2 years of relevant experience, ideally within space, aerospace, precision medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotech/life sciences or similar
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% of the time
- Strategic sourcing of machined components or propulsion components
- Experience translating engineering designs into demand and supply plans
- Extensive experience using MES/ERP software
- Highly adept relationship building and influencing skills, and the ability to interact and work effectively with many levels of personnel and suppliers
- Detail-oriented and able to respond quickly to a fast-moving and ever-changing environment
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Technical knowledge and skills in coding and computer applications, (e.g. MS Office Suite, VBA, Smartsheet, SQL, Confluence, JIRA, Power BI, ION etc.)
- Proactive, quick learner, and ability to prioritize efforts to meet customer and company goals
- Ability to develop and maintain strong internal and external supplier relationships in a fast-moving and ever-changing environment
- Exceptional analytical and organizational skills
- Excellent customer service skills, highly self-motivated
- Effective written, verbal and presentation communication skills
- Previous work as a machinist (nice to have), plus understanding of manufacturing and the material flow process
Pay Range
- Salary range: $92,820 - $125,580/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 incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards
ITAR Requirements
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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).
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
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.