Cybersecurity Internship - Spring 2027

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

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. Spring internships will range between the months of January and May. All dates dependent upon the university schedule of the selected students. Internships are full-time and on-site in El Segundo, CA. To be considered for this internship, candidates must be actively enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program. We are hiring a summer cybersecurity intern to help our Information security team with day to day work. You will help us watch for security alerts, write things down clearly, and gather the paperwork we need for our upcoming cybersecurity certification. This is a real job, not busywork. You will look at real alerts, write real reports, and help us get ready for a real audit. You will sit with our Cybersecurity Analyst and our InfoSec Engineer, and you will learn how a security team works inside a company.

Requirements

You are a current undergrad in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology, information systems, or a similar major.
You have taken classes or taught yourself at least two of these: networking, how operating systems work, how user accounts and passwords are managed, how to respond to security incidents, or how to watch for security problems.
You are comfortable reading logs and working with data in a spreadsheet.
You know what a basic script is, even if you have not written many.
You write clearly. You will be writing notes and reports that other people rely on.
You are organized, you pay attention to details, and you are willing to ask questions when something is unclear.
You are allowed to work in the United States for the full length of the internship without needing us to sponsor a visa.

Nice To Haves

You are working toward a beginner certification like CompTIA Security Plus or Network Plus.
You have played with security tools on your own, in a home lab, in a school club, or in a capture the flag competition.
You have used or read about any of these tools: Zscaler, CrowdStrike, ThreatLocker, Darktrace, AlienVault, Okta, or Vanta.
You have heard of compliance frameworks like NIST 800 171, NIST 800 53, ISO 27001, or CMMC and understand the basics.
You can write simple scripts in Python, PowerShell, or Bash.

Responsibilities

Help review security alerts that come in each day. You will read them, decide what they are, and write down what you did about them.
Help set up, fine tune, and improve the way our security tools are configured. These tools include Zscaler, CrowdStrike, ThreatLocker, Darktrace, and AlienVault. You will work with your lead to adjust settings, clean up noisy alerts, and make sure each tool is doing its job well.
Help keep our security event logs up to date, so we have a clear record of what happened and how it was handled.
Pull sample logs from our security tools and organize them, so we can show an auditor that we are watching the right things.
Help keep track of the reports we get from our outside security partner, making sure they arrive on time and get filed in the right place.
Help upload reports and updates into the software we use to track our compliance work.
Work on one bigger summer project that you own from start to finish. You will pick this with your lead in the first week. Some examples: a report on gaps in our logging, a refreshed incident response guide, or a simple dashboard.

Benefits

Hourly Rate: $33.00
Housing stipend for interns relocating to the area
Commuter benefit to support local transportation
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
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
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