People Director

Varda Space Industries • El Segundo, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

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. 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 Head of People, the People Director 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, equity 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.

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive experience in People Operations, HRIS, People Systems, HR Business Partner leader experience in a high growth, tech start-up environment
• Experience administering equity programs in a fast-growth environment
• Strong operational and systems mindset with the ability to build scalable infrastructure
• Experience partnering directly with senior leaders and business teams
• Strong experience supporting performance management and organizational effectiveness processes within a high growth technically innovative start up.
• Strong understanding of California employment practices and compliance requirements
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Strong judgment, discretion, and attention to detail
• Comfortable operating in fast-moving environments with evolving priorities

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end administration of Varda’s equity programs
• Partner with Finance and Legal on cap table management, equity planning, and board-related equity processes
• Ensure accuracy, compliance, and scalability of all equity administration workflows
• Manage equity audits, reporting, and documentation processes
• Build employee education and communication around equity philosophy, grants, vesting, and programs
• Support operational execution of refresh grants, promotions, and special equity actions
• Partner closely with Payroll, Recruiting, IT, and Finance on system integrations and operational workflows
• Drive automation and process improvements to reduce manual work and improve scalability
• Ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, and strong operational controls
• Act as the People partner for assigned business unit teams
• Support leaders in organizational design, workforce planning, team effectiveness, and talent planning
• Partner with managers on employee relations, performance management, coaching, and team development
• Drive consistency and accountability in People processes across assigned business unit in partnership with Head of People and People Leadership
• Support talent calibration, succession planning, and promotion processes
• Help drive performance management processes including goal setting, feedback cycles, performance reviews, calibration discussions, and development planning
• Coach managers on performance conversations, accountability, employee growth, and organizational effectiveness
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations, with particular focus on California
• Improve operational workflows to increase speed, clarity, accountability, and employee experience
• Develop scalable operational infrastructure that supports rapid company growth
• Create operational rigor without unnecessary bureaucracy

Benefits

• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day.
• Dinners provided twice a week.
• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed