V

Varda Space

In-orbit manufacturing with reentry return services

Director of Business Development & Capture - Advanced Concepts

Business Development & PartnershipsConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in engineering, science, business, or a related field is required.
  • Candidates must currently hold an active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance.
  • At least 12 years of progressive experience in national security space, hypersonics, or defense aerospace, including at least 5 years in business development, capture, or program leadership roles.
  • A demonstrated track record of owning and winning competitive government pursuits, including at least one new-start or non-program-of-record capture, is required.
  • Deep working knowledge of the Department of War Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution process, acquisition pathways, and non-traditional contracting vehicles, including Other Transaction Agreements, Commercial Solutions Openings, Broad Agency Announcements, and Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer transitions.
  • Established senior-level relationships within the U.S. Space Force, Air Force, Army, Navy, Special Operations Command, Combatant Commands, and/or Intelligence Community space and reentry communities are required.
  • Experience shaping requirements and mission concepts in a classified environment is required.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to author compelling white papers, proposals, and executive briefings, are required.
  • Ability to build and sustain trust with senior government and industry stakeholders is required.
  • Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, domestically and occasionally internationally, is required.
  • U.S. citizenship is required to conform with U.S. Government space technology export regulations under ITAR and clearance requirements.
  • Employees must be U.S. persons authorized to work in the United States and permitted to access the employer's export-controlled technology without an export license.

Responsibilities

  • Own Varda's advanced-concepts government pipeline by defining the target mission set, prioritizing pursuits, and setting capture strategy for each.
  • Lead the identification and qualification of emerging opportunities across the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Special Operations Command, Combatant Commands, the Intelligence Community, and other Department of War and interagency customers seeking space and reentry capability.
  • Develop and maintain a multi-year view of where Varda's spacecraft, reentry, and in-space manufacturing capabilities can be adopted into new government mission areas, and translate that view into a funded roadmap.
  • Own select high-priority pursuits from initial shaping and engagement strategy through proposal development, contract negotiation, and closure.
  • Lead competitive capture activities, including customer call plans, win strategy, competitive assessment, teaming, pricing strategy, and color-team reviews.
  • Lead development of proposals, white papers, and unsolicited concepts that include technical scope, pricing models, compliance documentation, and schedules, ensuring submissions meet customer and regulatory standards.
  • Negotiate contract terms and structures, including Other Transaction Agreements, Commercial Solutions Openings, Broad Agency Announcements, and Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contracts, in partnership with contract, program management, and finance teams.
  • Work with engineering and program management leadership to translate classified and sensitive customer requirements into feasible mission parameters, concepts of operations, and architectures aligned with Varda's capabilities and strategic objectives.
  • Serve as the primary interface between special-access customers and Varda's technical teams, managing need-to-know appropriately and shaping concepts early with customer input.
  • Analyze Department of War budget exhibits, program documentation, and procurement strategies to understand funding, schedules, milestones, and acquisition pathways.
  • Build and maintain senior-level relationships across government program offices, requirements organizations, acquisition leadership, federally funded research and development centers, and congressional stakeholders as appropriate.
  • Represent Varda at conferences, industry days, classified forums, and networking events across the national security space and hypersonics communities.
  • Identify and develop teaming relationships with primes, integrators, and other commercial partners where they strengthen Varda's position.
  • Mentor business development, capture, and proposal staff and help build the team as the portfolio grows.
  • Report regularly to the executive team on pipeline health, win probability, and resource needs, and drive bid/no-bid decisions.
  • Monitor industry trends, policy and regulatory shifts, and emerging technologies, keep internal teams informed, and adjust strategy accordingly.

Desired Qualifications

  • Current Special Access Program access, or access within the past 24 months, with demonstrated experience working within special-access programs.
  • An engineering background and the ability to engage credibly on mission decomposition.
  • Experience taking a commercial capability into a government mission for the first time, including building the business case, navigating the acquisition system, and establishing the first contract.
  • Startup or high-growth company experience and comfort operating with limited process and high ownership.

About the Company

Varda Space

In-orbit manufacturing with reentry return services

Varda Space Industries provides in-space manufacturing by operating production facilities in low Earth orbit and returning finished goods to Earth using reentry capsules. Clients send materials or designs to Varda’s in-orbit production line, where microgravity enables manufacturing processes not possible on Earth. After production, capsules re-enter Earth's atmosphere to deliver goods back to customers, supported by in-orbit equipment and reliable reentry systems. The company aims to make low Earth orbit accessible for multiple industries by building end-to-end space manufacturing infrastructure and industrializing orbit for commercial use.

Company size
201-500
Company stage
Series D
Total funding
$609.5M
Headquarters
El Segundo, CA
Founded
2020

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Varda Space

See more jobs