Senior Technical Recruiter

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

We're looking for a Senior Technical Recruiter who thrives on sourcing and closing hard-to-find technical talent. You will own end-to-end recruiting across key hardware engineering disciplines such as avionics, propulsion, thermal, structures, mechanisms, or manufacturing. This is an execution-first role - you'll spend the majority of your time in the market, generating pipeline, and running searches, as we continue to scale production.

Responsibilities

• Manage 4-8 active searches simultaneously, keeping pipeline full and moving
• Proactively source engineering talent through multiple channels: active outreach, referrals, and passive candidate generation (LinkedIn Recruiter, Gem, etc.)
• Conduct recruiter screens to assess engineering fundamentals, systems thinking, and hardware integration experience
• Develop and maintain structured interview guides in collaboration with hiring managers.
• Drive offers through to close, including compensation, equity, and relocation conversations
• Take full accountability for search outcomes on your reqs — use data and metrics to identify and unblock bottlenecks
• Operate with urgency and self-direction; flag risks early
• Collaborate with stakeholders to keep hiring processes and candidate assessment frameworks current, including calibration sessions, debrief facilitation, and continuous improvement of the candidate experience.
• Build and maintain a warm candidate community for recurring hard-to-fill engineering disciplines
• Partner with People Ops to ensure compliance with applicable employment laws, OFCCP, and export control considerations relevant to aerospace hiring

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting with a track record of high-volume, hands-on sourcing for engineering roles
• A demonstrated self-starter who takes full accountability for outcomes comfortable operating with ambiguity and pushing searches forward
• Proven ability to source and close senior-level engineering talent in competitive markets
• Clear, proactive communicator with both candidates and hiring managers; keeps stakeholders informed
• Strong technical fluency with hardware and/or software engineering concepts; able to evaluate candidate depth and contextualize role requirements

Preferred Skills and Experience

• In-house recruiting experience at a hardware or deep tech startup (Series A through growth stage)
• Experience recruiting for hardware engineering roles
• Experience with Greenhouse ATS
• Exposure to ITAR/export-controlled hiring environments
• Active network in the LA aerospace corridor
• Familiarity with diversity sourcing strategies and tools

Compensation & Location

• Base Salary: $120,000 - $160,000/per year
• Leveling and base salary are 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
• Location: El Segundo, CA (onsite)

Benefits

Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions:

Health & Wellness  

• Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays 
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance 
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses 
• 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers) 
• Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic 
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents 

Financial & Retirement  

• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up 
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement 
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed 

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly 
• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging
  
  

Intern Positions:

Health & Wellness 

• Paid observed holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

Financial  

• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
• Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

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

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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.