Industrial and Personnel Security Manager

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 the Role

Varda is advancing pharmaceutical development in microgravity and flying government missions that involve hypersonic reentry and advanced flight testing. None of it happens without a security program that protects the people, facilities, information, and hardware behind these missions. You would be the one making that program real.

As the Industrial and Personnel Security Manager, you will own the day-to-day execution of Varda’s industrial security compliance and personnel security programs. This is a hands-on, builder’s role: you will develop practical processes, keep the program inspection-ready, and work side by side with HR, IT, Legal, Engineering, Mission Management, and Business Development, from early customer engagement through launch and recovery.

You will report to the Director of Security, who is also the Facility Security Officer (FSO). You will support industrial and personnel security activities as assigned by the FSO, and you may serve as Alternate FSO upon designation and completion of required training. The Director retains primary FSO authority, program oversight, and required certifications. Special program personnel security and COMSEC duties apply as customer requirements are established.

Physical security operations are outside the scope of this role. Varda plans to hire a dedicated Physical Security Manager after this position.

What You’ll Do

Industrial Security and Compliance

• Run the industrial security program in accordance with 32 CFR Part 117 (NISPOM), contract requirements, security classification guides, and applicable DoD and Intelligence Community requirements.
• Own facility clearance records and supporting documentation, and prepare updates and government correspondence for FSO review using NISS or the applicable government system.
• Lead annual self-inspections: plan them, maintain inspection evidence, draft reports for the Director’s review and certification, and track corrective actions through closure.
• Be the face of readiness for DCSA security reviews and customer assessments, coordinating deliverables with the FSO and external security advisory partners.
• Review DD Forms 254 and classification guides, and turn requirements into procedures. Work with Contracts and Business Development to build security requirements into prime contracts, subcontracts, and proposals.
• Control classified information and material from marking, receipt, storage, and dissemination through inventory, transfer, approved transmission, and destruction when authorized.
• Build the procedures, training materials, and records people actually use, and recommend practical improvements to the Director when you spot compliance gaps.

Personnel Security

• Manage clearance processing and records in DISS, NBIS, and applicable customer systems, including investigation requests, upgrades, transfers, reciprocity coordination, and Continuous Vetting actions.
• Coordinate SCI nominations, program access requests, and customer-required polygraph scheduling when applicable, and verify eligibility and need-to-know before access is granted.
• Partner with HR on cleared employee onboarding and offboarding, and maintain clearance rosters, access records, personnel security files, and briefing acknowledgments.
• Brief the team: initial, annual, refresher, foreign travel, and termination briefings, plus program indoctrinations and debriefings with authorized officials.
• Process incoming and outgoing visit authorizations and certifications, and verify visitor clearance and access requirements.
• Spot issues early by tracking foreign travel, foreign contacts, reportable changes, and adverse information. Prepare timely reports and elevate sensitive issues to the FSO in coordination with HR and Legal.
• Plan ahead by forecasting clearance needs with hiring and program teams, and track metrics on processing status, overdue reporting, training completion, and inspection findings.

Program Support and Incident Response

• Support insider threat administration under the Director’s ITPSO oversight, including training, referral documentation, and coordination with authorized stakeholders.
• Document security incidents, support inquiries and required reporting, and track mitigation and corrective actions under FSO direction.
• Step in as alternate COMSEC custodian when designated, trained, and authorized, supporting inventory, accountability, and handling requirements.
• Team up with IT and Information Assurance on CUI protection and classified infrastructure, and support program protection planning and security requirements without assuming ISSM or ISSO authority.
• Be the go-to advisor who gives employees and leaders clear security guidance, and recommend tools, resource needs, and future staffing as the program grows.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Technical Knowledge

• At least 5 years of relevant industrial security experience in a DoD or Intelligence Community contractor environment, including substantive hands-on personnel security responsibilities.
• A track record of ownership: demonstrated experience administering clearance actions, reporting, training, classified information controls, and inspection preparation, and independently owning recurring security processes.
• Strong working knowledge of 32 CFR Part 117 (NISPOM), DD Form 254 requirements, and security classification guides, with the ability to translate requirements into clear procedures.
• Hands-on proficiency with DISS and NBIS, and the ability to use NISS and customer-specific systems applicable to assigned responsibilities.
• Working knowledge of relevant ICD 704 personnel security requirements when supporting SCI personnel.
• Strong written communication, organization, discretion, and judgment, with the ability to brief employees, executives, and government representatives and to manage sensitive personnel information.
• The ability to work independently, coordinate across functions, prioritize competing deadlines, and build repeatable processes in a growing company.

Clearance and Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizenship and an active Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility, plus the ability to maintain the clearance and obtain required customer program access.
• Ability to satisfy additional customer access requirements, including a CI polygraph if required by the assigned program. An existing polygraph is preferred but not universally mandatory.
• Ability to work on-site in El Segundo and support other Varda facilities, with occasional domestic travel and mission-driven schedule requirements as needed.
• Completion and maintenance of required role-specific government and customer training. FSO or COMSEC training is required before performing formally designated duties.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in security management, criminal justice, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience. A degree is not mandatory when your experience demonstrates the required capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7 or more years of relevant experience, including prior FSO, Alternate FSO, CPSO, CSSO, or security program leadership responsibilities.
• Direct experience supporting successful DCSA reviews and personnel security or industrial security compliance for SCI or SAP programs.
• COMSEC account experience, insider threat program administration, and experience partnering on CUI or classified information system requirements.
• Relevant CDSE FSO course completion or recognized security certifications such as SPeD or ISP.
• Experience building security processes in aerospace, space, advanced manufacturing, or a startup environment.

Pay Range

• Salary Range: $115,000 - $155,000
• Role is located 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 or long-term cash awards
• Offer compensation also includes the ability to purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan

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.

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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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.