Industrial and Personnel Security Manager

vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda in El Segundo, CA is seeking an Industrial and Personnel Security Manager to own day-to-day security program execution supporting industrial and personnel security, with HR, IT, Legal, Engineering, and Mission Management collaboration from early customer engagement through launch and recovery.

The role is hands-on, building practical processes, ensuring inspection readiness, handling DD Forms 254, classification guides, and continuous vetting, reporting to the Director of Security and

Job description

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,