Varda Space Industries
Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.
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Senior Technical Recruiter
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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.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
Varda is building the world's first space-based manufacturing platform, and we need an exceptional Senior Technical Recruiter to scale our engineering teams. Reporting to a Recruiting Manager, you will own end-to-end recruiting across key hardware and engineering disciplines: autonomous systems, propulsion, thermal, mechanical engineering, and structures. This is a strategic operator role — you'll build hiring strategies, execute full-cycle search processes, close senior-level talent, and serve as a trusted advisor to engineering leadership as we scale from startup to production.
What You'll Own
Strategic Leadership
- Design and execute recruiting strategies for engineering hiring across autonomous systems, propulsion, thermal, mechanical engineering, and structures
- Partner with engineering leadership to forecast hiring needs, set technical bars, and build world-class teams
- Build and optimize end-to-end hiring processes that balance speed, quality, and candidate experience
- Serve as the internal expert on engineering talent markets, compensation trends, and competitive intelligence
Full-Cycle Execution
- Source, screen, and close engineering talent through multiple channels: active search, referrals, passive outreach, and technical communities
- Manage 4-8 active searches simultaneously while maintaining exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience
- Conduct technical recruiter screens to assess engineering fundamentals, systems thinking, and hardware integration experience
- Lead offer strategy and close negotiations
- Own candidate experience from first touch through onboarding
Process & Systems
- Maintain recruiting infrastructure in Greenhouse (ATS)
- Partner with the Recruiting Operations Partner to continuously improve hiring processes and candidate assessment frameworks
What Success Looks Like
- Consistently deliver high-quality engineering hires on aggressive timelines
- Build strong partnerships with engineering hiring managers who trust your judgment and rely on your strategic counsel
- Create repeatable processes that scale as the team grows
- Maintain a strong technical bar while moving quickly in a competitive talent market
Requirements
Must-Haves
- 5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, with significant focus on hardware or engineering roles
- Proven experience recruiting engineers for hardware-centric companies (aerospace, robotics, automotive, medical devices, or similar deep tech)
- Track record sourcing and closing senior and staff-level engineering talent in competitive markets
- Demonstrated ability to operate both strategically (building hiring plans, advising leadership) and tactically (sourcing, screening, closing)
- Strong technical fluency — you can speak credibly with engineers about their work
- Startup equity fluency — comfortable explaining equity structures, vesting schedules, and how to think about total compensation
- Experience managing full recruiting cycles in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments
Strongly Preferred
- In-house recruiting experience at a hardware or deep tech startup (Series A through growth stage)
- Experience hiring across multiple engineering disciplines including autonomous systems, propulsion, thermal, mechanical, or structures
- Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or other regulated industries with ITAR/security requirements
- Background building talent pipelines and long-term sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill technical roles
- Experience developing recruiting metrics, dashboards, and data-driven hiring insights
Compensation & Location
- Base Salary: $120,000 – $160,000 - This range reflects the potential levels at which we may hire for this role. Final compensation will depend on experience, skills, location, scope of responsibility, as well as internal equity.
- Equity Included
- Location: El Segundo, CA (onsite)
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. 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
Ready to apply?
Apply to Varda Space Industries
Technical Recruiter
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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.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
Varda is building the world's first space-based manufacturing platform, and we need a Technical Recruiter to help scale our engineering teams. Reporting to a Recruiting Manager, you will support full-cycle recruiting across hardware and engineering disciplines: autonomous systems, propulsion, thermal, mechanical engineering, and structures. This role is ideal for a recruiter who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment, can navigate ambiguity, and is ready to grow their career at the intersection of space and deep tech.
What You'll Own
Full-Cycle Execution
- Source and screen engineering talent through multiple channels: active search, referrals, passive outreach, and technical communities
- Manage multiple active searches simultaneously while maintaining a strong candidate and hiring manager experience
- Conduct recruiter screens to assess technical fit, cultural alignment, and compensation expectations
- Support offer processes in partnership with Recruiting Managers
- Own candidate experience from first touch through onboarding
Process & Systems
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date candidate records in Greenhouse (ATS)
- Partner with recruiting coordinators to ensure smooth scheduling and interview logistics
- Contribute to pipeline-building and sourcing strategy for hard-to-fill engineering roles
What Success Looks Like
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with hiring managers and candidates alike
- Deliver quality engineering candidates on consistent timelines
- Demonstrate a growth mindset — learn quickly, iterate on process, and ask good questions
- Develop technical fluency across Varda's core engineering disciplines
Requirements
Must-Haves
- 2+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience
- Experience recruiting for hardware-centric or engineering-focused companies (aerospace, robotics, automotive, deep tech, or similar deep tech)
- Strong communication and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple searches simultaneously
- Genuine curiosity about the technical work your candidates do — you don't need to be an engineer, but you need to want to understand it
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments
Strongly Preferred
- In-house or embedded recruiting experience at a hardware or deep tech company
- Startup equity fluency — comfortable explaining equity structures, vesting schedules, and how to think about total compensation
- Exposure to engineering disciplines such as autonomous systems, propulsion, thermal, mechanical, or structures
- Familiarity with ITAR requirements or regulated defense/aerospace industries
- Experience using Greenhouse or a comparable ATS, and sourcing tools like Gem or LinkedIn Recruiter
Compensation & Location
- Base Salary: $100,000 – $120,000 - This range reflects the potential levels at which we may hire for this role. Final compensation will depend on experience, skills, location, scope of responsibility, as well as internal equity.
- Equity Included
- Location: El Segundo, CA (onsite)
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. 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
Ready to apply?
Apply to Varda Space Industries
Principal Technical Recruiter, Software
Share this job
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.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
Varda is building the world's first space-based manufacturing platform, and we need an exceptional technical recruiter to scale our software engineering teams. Reporting to the Director of People, you will own end-to-end recruiting for all software disciplines: embedded systems, flight software, simulation, and mission software. This is a strategic operator role - you'll build hiring strategies, execute full-cycle search processes, and serve as a trusted advisor to engineering leadership as we scale from startup to production.
What You'll Own
Strategic Leadership
- Design and execute recruiting strategies for software engineering hiring across embedded, flight, simulation, and mission software teams
- Partner with VP of Autonomous Systems and the Head of Software to forecast hiring needs, set technical bars, and build world-class teams
- Build and optimize end-to-end hiring processes that balance speed, quality, and candidate experience
- Serve as the internal expert on software engineering talent markets, compensation trends, and competitive intelligence
Full-Cycle Execution
- Source, screen, and close senior software engineering talent through multiple channels: active search, referrals, passive outreach, and technical communities
- Manage 10+ active searches simultaneously while maintaining exceptional candidate and hiring manager experience
- Conduct technical screens to assess software engineering fundamentals, systems thinking, and hardware/software integration experience
- Lead offer strategy and close negotiations for senior and leadership-level software hires
- Own candidate experience from first touch through onboarding
Process & Systems
- Maintain recruiting infrastructure in Greenhouse (ATS)
- Partner with the Director of People to continuously improve hiring processes and candidate assessment frameworks
What Success Looks Like
- Consistently deliver high-quality software engineering hires on aggressive timelines
- Build strong partnerships with engineering hiring managers who trust your judgment and rely on your strategic counsel
- Create repeatable processes that scale as the team grows
- Maintain a strong technical bar while moving quickly in a competitive talent market
Requirements
Must-Haves
- 7+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, with significant focus on software engineering roles
- Proven experience recruiting software engineers for hardware-centric companies (aerospace, robotics, automotive, medical devices, or similar deep tech)
- Track record sourcing and closing senior and staff-level software engineering talent in competitive markets
- Experience with embedded systems, real-time software, or safety-critical software recruiting
- Demonstrated ability to operate both strategically (building hiring plans, advising leadership) and tactically (sourcing, screening, closing)
- Strong technical fluency - you can speak credibly with software engineers about their work
- Experience managing full recruiting cycles in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments
- Startup equity fluency - comfortable explaining equity structures, vesting schedules, and how to think about total compensation
Strongly Preferred
- In-house recruiting experience at a hardware or deep tech startup (Series A through growth stage)
- Experience hiring across multiple software disciplines: embedded, flight software, firmware, controls, simulation
- Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or other regulated industries with ITAR/security requirements
- Background building talent pipelines and long-term sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill technical roles
- Experience developing recruiting metrics, dashboards, and data-driven hiring insights
Compensation & Location
- Base Salary: $150,000 - $190,000 - This range reflects the potential levels at which we may hire for this role. Final compensation will depend on experience, skills, location, scope of responsibility, as well as internal equity.
- Equity Included
- Location: El Segundo, CA (onsite)
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. 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
Ready to apply?
Apply to Varda Space Industries
Recruiting Manager
Share this job
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.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
Varda is building the world’s first space-based manufacturing platform, and hiring is a critical lever in how we scale.
We are looking for a Recruiting Manager (Lead) to elevate how recruiting operates by driving clarity, consistency, and performance across a small team of recruiters while continuing to operate as a high-impact individual contributor.
This is not a traditional people management role. You will be responsible for how recruiting work gets done, the quality and speed of output, and mentoring the team to perform at a high level.
You will operate in a player-coach model, owning your own requisitions while ensuring the broader team is delivering. You will also be part of a Recruiting leadership group, working in close partnership with other Recruiting Managers and People leadership to drive alignment, consistency, and overall hiring performance across the company.
What You’ll Own
Recruiting Leadership (Player-Coach Model)
· Lead day-to-day execution across a team of 2–4 recruiting professionals
· Set the standard for how recruiting is done (speed, quality, candidate experience)
· Drive consistency across roles, pipelines, and hiring manager partnerships
· Mentor recruiters through real-time coaching, feedback, and calibration
· Step in where needed to unblock, stabilize, or accelerate searches
Hiring Outcomes & Execution
· Own hiring outcomes across your area—not just individual requisitions
· Personally manage 4–8 requisitions, depending on role complexity and business needs
· Ensure roles are progressing against expectations (e.g., 65-day time-to-fill)
· Diagnose and address gaps in funnel health, conversion, and pipeline quality
· Partner closely with hiring managers to align on profiles, process, and expectations
· Take on the most complex, high-priority, or at-risk searches
Hiring Manager Partnership
· Act as a thought partner and operator to technical and business leaders
· Set clear expectations on process, timelines, and candidate quality
· Push back when needed to maintain hiring standards and velocity
· Improve decision-making through structured interviews and feedback loops
Process & Systems
· Drive improvements to recruiting processes to increase speed, quality, and predictability
· Ensure disciplined use of systems (Greenhouse, reporting, interview workflows)
· Identify and implement high-leverage improvements (e.g., panel design, feedback cycles, sourcing strategies)
· Use data to inform decisions and correct course quickly
Market & Talent Expertise
· Maintain strong knowledge of technical talent markets (especially software + deep tech)
· Guide sourcing strategy and competitive positioning
· Support offer strategy and closing for high-priority hires
What Success Looks Like
· Hiring goals are met with predictability and quality
· Recruiters operate with clarity, consistency, and accountability
· Hiring managers trust recruiting as a strategic partner, not just execution
· You effectively balance owning 4–8 requisitions while elevating team performance
· Processes are streamlined and scalable as the company grows
· You are operating as a force multiplier, not just an individual contributor
Requirements
Must-Haves
· 10+ years of technical recruiting experience (strong IC foundation)
· Experience recruiting for software and/or hardware-centric engineering roles
· Demonstrated ability to operate beyond execution driving strategy, process, and outcomes
· Experience mentoring or leading other recruiters (formally or informally)
· Strong technical fluency; able to engage credibly with engineering candidates and leaders
· Proven ability to manage multiple complex searches in fast-paced environments
Strongly Preferred
· Experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, or deep tech environments
· Experience operating in a player-coach or lead capacity
· Familiarity with recruiting metrics, funnel diagnostics, and performance tracking
· Experience improving recruiting processes or systems at scale
Compensation
· Base Salary Range: $150,000 – $200,000 annually + equity
· Pay Transparency Notice (California): The salary range above represents the Company’s good faith estimate of the base salary for this role at the time of posting, in compliance with California law. The final offer will be determined based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and location, as well as internal equity considerations. This role may also be eligible for additional compensation, including equity and benefits.
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. 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
Ready to apply?
Apply to Varda Space Industries