People Manager

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

Relocation assistance

Stock options

401(k) match

Cell phone reimbursement

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is hiring a People Manager to build scalable People infrastructure, partner with senior leaders, and drive compensation, equity administration, and policy compliance in a fast-growing aerospace tech environment.

The role focuses on delivering strategic staff planning, performance systems, and organizational design while collaborating with Finance, Legal, and Recruiting to support business growth and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience in a high-growth technology or aerospace environment.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders on organizational strategy and talent management.
• Strong experience supporting compensation planning, promotions, and organizational design.
• Experience implementing and scaling People programs across a growing organization.
• Experience using People data and metrics to support workforce planning and business decisions.
• Working knowledge of HRIS systems, compensation practices, and equity administration.
• Strong understanding of California employment law and HR compliance.
• Excellent business acumen with strategic thinking and execution.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary People Business Partner for assigned business units and translate priorities into People strategies.
• Lead annual talent processes including performance reviews, calibration, promotions, succession planning, and development planning.
• Support managers with compensation recommendations and pay decisions aligned with market practices.
• Roll out company-wide People initiatives, including performance management and leadership development.
• Ensure seamless execution of core People processes across the employee lifecycle and maintain data accuracy.

Skills

HR experience

Senior leadership

Compensation planning

People data & metrics

HRIS systems

Equity administration

California employment law

Business acumen

Tools

HRIS software

Equity management tools

Job description

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

Reporting to the People Director, the People Manager will build and scale the infrastructure that supports Varda’s principals, people systems, equity programs, operational rigor, and their assigned business unit people operations. This role is focused on creating clarity, accountability, and scalability across core People infrastructure while acting as a strategic People partner to assigned business leaders and teams.

This person will operate as both a systems and operational leader balancing process design, compensation & benefit administration, compliance, people operations, and performance management in a fast-scaling environment.

The role partners closely with People leadership, Finance, Legal, Payroll, Recruiting, and business leaders across the company.

Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary People Business Partner for assigned business units.
• Build trusted relationships with leaders to understand business priorities and translate them into effective People strategies.
• Partner on organizational design, workforce planning, team effectiveness, and organizational change.
• Coach managers on leadership effectiveness, performance, employee development, and building high-performing teams.
• Provide practical guidance on talent decisions, promotions, organizational changes, and manager effectiveness.
• Partner with leaders to anticipate organizational needs and proactively develop solutions that support business growth.

Talent & Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead annual talent processes including performance reviews, talent calibration, promotion discussions, succession planning, and development planning.
• Support leaders in identifying, developing, and retaining top talent.
• Help build leadership capability through coaching, feedback, and manager development.
• Drive consistency and accountability across People programs and leadership practices.

Compensation & People Programs

• Support managers with compensation recommendations and pay decisions that align with company philosophy and market practices.
• Lead the rollout and adoption of company-wide People initiatives, including performance management, leadership development, engagement, recognition, and talent programs.
• Develop manager communications, training, and resources to ensure successful program implementation.
• Gather feedback and continuously improve People programs based on business needs.

People Operations & Operational Excellence

• Partner with Payroll, Recruiting, Finance, and Legal to ensure seamless execution of core People processes throughout the employee lifecycle.
• Support organizational changes, transfers, promotions, and workforce planning activities.
• Maintain accurate employee data and support workforce reporting, metrics, and organizational insights.
• Conduct periodic audits of People processes and data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
• Ensure People programs and practices comply with federal, state, and local employment laws while helping simplify and scale operational processes.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including HR Business Partner and/or People Operations experience in a high-growth technology or aerospace environment.
• Experience partnering directly with senior leaders on organizational strategy and talent management.
• Strong experience supporting compensation planning, promotions, and organizational design.
• Experience implementing and scaling People programs across a growing organization.
• Experience using People data and metrics to support workforce planning and business decisions.
• Working knowledge of HRIS systems, compensation practices, and equity administration.
• Strong understanding of California employment law and HR compliance.
• Excellent business acumen with the ability to balance strategic thinking and handson execution.

What Success Looks Like

• People systems and operational processes are scalable, accurate, and efficient
• Leaders feel supported and challenged by a strong People partner
• Performance management processes are consistent, clear, and actionable across the organization
• Reporting and workforce data help drive better business decisions
• Processes become simpler, faster, and more effective as the company scales

Pay Range

• Salary Range: $148,000 - $175,000 per year
• Leveling and base salary isdeterminedby 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

Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive(at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

• 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
• Voluntaryaccident, hospital, critical illness,andpet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12weeks ofparental leave(with supplemental disability leavefor CAmothers)
• SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents
• Substantial incentive equityin a fully funded space start-up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation supportfor new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

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

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 theE-Verify program.

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.